On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

On the 12^th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

TWELVE unforgettable central Florida frontierswomen;

ELEVEN West Orange County Ghost Towns;

The TEN original Altamonte homesteaders;

An intriguing story of Gatlin’s NINTH Senatorial District;

The EIGHT-Sided Castle plus the builder’s biography;

SEVEN Honorable Floridians;

SIX swans swimming in an Iconic misspelled lake;

FIVE Gold Star book reviews;

A FOUR acres gift that became a major city;

TRIPLET and other namesakes, 1 lake of 303;

SECOND Lake’s history – aka – Lake Monroe to thee;

And ONE Mule in an Orange tree – all by RLC.

Isaphoenia C. (Ellington) Speer owned more Orange County land in 1860 than most every male counterpart of her time. Sarah Jane (Church) Whitner partnered with Mary E. Randolph to open the first-ever free-standing hotel in present-day Orange, Osceola and Seminole County. That year was 1869! “CitrusLAND: Curse of Florida’s Pariadise” tells the history of the struggles of central Florida’s earliest settlers – men and women alike, and each of 12 chapters starts out with a dedication to one of the region’s very special 19^th century frontierswomen.

A very special thanks to the Whitner family and Winter Garden Heritage Foundation for sharing the photos of Isaphoenia and Sarah.

Cronin Books are about the origins 
of this amazing place we call HOME

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from CitrusLANDFL