PINE CASTLE
Home
for the Holidays
Celebrating
America’s Paradise
Part 6: The Senator of Fort Gatlin
The name Joseph McRobert Baker never made it into Orange County history books, not until, that is, I introduced the man - and his involvement in settling 19th century central Florida - in my book, Beyond Gatlin: A History of South Orange County. Published in 2017, I am honored to say this book became the recipient that year of Pine Castle Historical Society’s 2017 Book Award.
Joseph Baker’s absence from central Florida history is
not because he failed to accomplish things worthy of mention. As a Florida State
Senator in 1856, for example, J. McRobert Baker served as Chairman
of a Special Committee assigned to review an 1854 Act that significantly
reduced Orange County’s landmass. The committee found nothing unconstitutional
about the formation of Volusia County though, and so recommended the Bill be passed.
That formation of Volusia County meant Orange County lost half of its 1850
population, not to mention the elimination of all of Orange County’s oceanfront
property.
Baker’s involvement in central Florida however did not
end with forming Volusia County. After serving one term as Jacksonville Mayor, Joseph
McRobert Baker, while continuing to live at Jacksonville, became active as
well in central Florida politics. Baker served three terms as State Senator of
the 19th Senatorial District in 1856, 1858 and 1859. His
district encompassed Orange and Sumter Counties, a territory that included Fort
Gatlin.
While Baker represented the district in 1856, Aaron
Jernigan organized the Orange County Militia at Fort Gatlin.
Later that year at Fort Gatlin, Captain Isaac N. Rutland took over
command of Jernigan’s Militia. Then, in 1861, Baker was deeded 30 acres at
Fort Gatlin, a deed made out to “Joseph M. Baker of Sumpter County”. His
land bordered the northwest shore of Lake Gatlin and included the west half of what
remained at that time of the abandoned Army post.
Area #6 on the above map shows the location of the 30 acres owned by J. McRobert Baker.
Areas #1 thru #5 were featured in earlier Parts 1 thru 5 of this series.
As Joseph McRobert Baker was being deeded land
at Fort Gatlin, Captain Isaac N. Rutland was heading to Tallahassee, where
he served as a delegate at Florida’s 1861 Secession Convention, representing Florida’s
19th Senatorial District – the district Joseph McRobert Baker had represented a year earlier as State Senator.
Isaac voted NO to Secession, vanished during the War, and then, like Joseph McRobert Baker, Isaac Newton Rutland was also left out of Orange County history books.
Orange
County’s 5 Star Rated Civil-War Historical Mystery Novel
Meanwhile, back at the
fortress:
“Half
a mile or more from where I write is the site of old Fort Gatlin, with its camp
drill grounds and marks of old quarters and chimneys standing till last year, a
refuge of the pioneer from the Indians.”
Will
Wallace Harney, October 22, 1871
Portions of the old fort were still standing when Joseph McRobert Baker acquired his land, a known fact as 7 years later, in 1868, Pine Castle's legendary Will Wallace Harney, a newcomer then to the area, crossed Baker’s property on his way south to Lake Conway. In 1871 Harney described the fort’s ruins as quoted above.
“Senator Baker’s Fortress”, the title of Chapter 3 of Beyond
Gatlin: A History of South Orange County, describes the importance of Baker’s
parcel to the overall settlement of the South Orange County. Surveys completed
20 years before Baker bought here details how the Fort Mellon to Fort Gatlin
trail meandered for nearly 28 miles, from lake’s edge at Lake Monroe, south through
a vast uninhabited wilderness, through what would one day become the Village of
Orlando, only to end abruptly at a fortress named Gatlin. The Fort Mellon to Fort Gatlin trail became the First Road to Orlando!
First
Road to Orlando, Second Edition (2015)
The purpose of Fort Gatlin in 1838 had been to station
troops in proximity to Lake Tohpekaliga, but General Jesup reached Tohopekaliga
using an alternate route - further west, from Lake Eustis via the west side of
Lake Apopka. But it seems unlikely the Gatlin bound trail dead ended at the Fort
Gatlin grounds. We can establish that, by the mid-1840s, Aaron Jernigan had
extended the 1838 trail south from the fortress to lake’s edge at Lake Tohopekaliga.
Until the forts trail was replaced by a trail further west of the fortress, where Orange Avenue now runs north and south, the main road south from Orlando required travelers to take a sharp turn at Fort Gatlin. Those desiring to visit David Mizell, Sr. on Lake Conway would turn left (east), but those continuing south via the easiest route would turn right (west) – to get around Lake Gatlin and larger Lake Conway. And turning westward at Fort Gatlin crossed the land Joseph McRobert Baker had selected as his very own parcel in 1861. What did the ex-Senator from Jacksonville have in mind for this parcel?
Baker’s 1861 ownership at Fort Gatlin is especially
noteworthy when considering others who owned land in the immediate vicinity.
Last week this series featured Isaphoenia C. Speer and her property north
of Fort Gatlin at Lake Pineloch. The old forts trail also crossed her 160 acres in
its approach to the north side of the fortress. Adjacent to Baker, on the south side of Lake Gatlin, was nearly 280
acres owned by the original surveyor of South Orange County, Benjamin F.
Whitner. And off to the east was the sprawling Mizell estate.
The Civil War interrupted whatever plan was in store for old Fort Gatlin of 1861, and by the time guns finally fell silent, the only pre-war Fort Gatlin trail landowner to survive was Whitner. As for Joseph McRobert Baker, he had been killed on the battlefield in 1864 at Richmond, Virginia.
Beyond Gatlin: A History of South Orange County
After War’s end, the Randolph family joined with
Benjamin F. Whitner in an attempt to bring the Fort Gatlin area back to life. William M.
Randolph purchased hundreds of acres, and following his death, his wife, Mary (Pitts) Randolph, continued to add to the family’s landholdings. One parcel acquired by Mary on June 1, 1882 included a notation that the land was being acquired from: “Amelia E. Baker,
being the widow of J. McRobert Baker, deceased.”
Next week, PINE CASTLE: Home for the Holidays, Part 7, continues as we feature yet another amazing Fort Gatlin area pioneer, Mary E. (Pitts) Randolph.
Is Holiday Shopping on your mind?
Give a lasting gift of central Florida history
No comments:
Post a Comment