MOUNT DORA: A Special Mother's Day Edition

 

First Mount Dorans - A Mother’s Day Special Blog

 

 

A historic Mount Dora Scenic Overlook – while it lasts that is!

 

Happy Mother’s Day! This Special Edition of The First Mount Dorans is taking an interesting detour today. Rather than walking Mount Dora’s historic 5^th Avenue in downtown (Parts 1 – 4), we will instead take to the car, join my Lake County Drives series, and celebrate Mother’s Day atop a spectacular scenic overlook. But this blog comes with a warning – the overlook will not be visible for long. A wall, I am quite certain, will hide the view very soon.

I only recently happened upon this spot, a place that can only be described as the most historic spot in all of Mount Dora., while researching my upcoming book, Mount Dora, and The First Mount Dorans. A construction site exposed the scenic view – which is why I suspect a wall will soon hide it from view.

Our short and yet historic Mother’s Day drive begins at the corner of 5^th Avenue and Alexander Street in downtown Mount Dora. Depart 5^th Avenue by turning north on Alexander Street, one of the original Mount Dora streets named for Attorney turned town co-founder, John Alexander.

Alexander arrived in Florida about a year after the village of Mount Dora was established. It seems neither his wife, Anna Townsend (Axwater), nor daughter, Lizzie (Alexander) Rhodes, desired to live in Florida full time. Lizzie’s husband however, George A. Rhodes, did serve as Mount Dora’s first Postmaster. We only drive one block on Alexander Street, so, since our drive on this street is brief, so too will the Alexander family biography. (More on this Mount Dora family later this year). For now, after driving one block, make a left (west) at Sixth Avenue.

This November: The First Mount Dorans by Richard Lee Cronin

 

Continue west on Sixth Avenue as we cross McDonald Street, yet another original Mount Dora artery honoring the first of The First Mount Dorans. Recorded history got confused at times as to who really was the first, but her timeline establishes Annie (McDonald) as the real-true Mount Doran. Much more on Annie as this drive continues.

First though, the apartment complex on your right (north) at sixth and McDonald was built in 1968. Prior to that, Hotel Villa Dora was located on this exact spot. Begun in 1887 as a guest house, in 1914 a lady referred to as “Miss Nan Thorne” took over the facility and converted it into a popular hotel. The Hotel Villa Dora was described as situated “on one of the highest spots in Mount Dora commanding a striking view of Lake Dora.” Miss Thorne’s new design included a large picture window in the lounge, an expansive window “overlooking beautiful Lake Dora”.

Gertrude Thorne had served first as the private nurse to Edward & Kate Smith, owners of the house. After Edward’s death, Gertrude purchased the house, managing the hotel until 1925 when she sold to Fred Graves of Massachusetts.

 

Gertrude Thornes Hotel Villa Dora, Mount Dora, Florida

As for our drive, turn right at Helen Street, onto a road named for a person who helped raise our first Mount Doran. Helen McDonald – a relative on the father’s side - stepped in and assisted in raising the McDonald children after the mother, Keziah (Saffel) McDonald, died at the young age of 25. Daughter Annie (McDonald) was then only 8 years old. Helen, it appears, must have made a great stand-in mother for the little girl who later established her very own town, in the wilderness, and named a street in honor of Helen.

After two blocks, slow where EIGHTH Avenue is on your right. Off to the left, where the tall hedge hides a house, try and visualize how Eighth Avenue merged with ‘Coliseum Way’, a circular road that was planned to slope down to the railroad tracks and the shore of Lake Dora.

Having trouble imagining such an intersection? Well, City Council members had trouble as well way back in 1929. At an August 8, 1929 hearing, a petition to eliminate Coliseum Way was read but then tabled “due to a lack of definite information as to the exact location of the street in question”. Apparently, the detailed new survey of 1928 had failed to resolve matters.

The resolution obviously passed eventually because today a house occupies Coliseum Way.

 

1928 Survey showing "Coliseum Way" west (left) of "Helen Street".

 

Proceed north on Helen Street - past Ninth and Tenth Avenues – and then turn left on Eleventh, (Scott Avenue as it was known in 1920). Back in 1920 I would have said continue straight, but once again a house is in our way today. The next crossroad north – Twelfth Avenue – was first known as Lila Avenue.

Lila (Griffeth) Cartledge was a granddaughter of Annie (McDonald) Stone-Donnelly. Born at Mount Dora in December 1894, Lila married Elmer V. Cartledge, one-time President of Bank of Mount Dora. She had one son, Donald V. Cartledge, who became a World War II Veteran.

As we turn onto Eleventh Avenue heading west, look soon after for Annie Street on the right. This was originally a cross street, continuing south to terminate at Coliseum Way. That part of the street south of Eleventh Avenue was abandoned by the City in January 1946.

Annie Griffeth was Annie (McDonald) Stone-Donnelly’s first grandchild, and when this area was originally platted, Annie Street was designed to extend south and connect with Coliseum Way. The citrus grove preceded all development in this area, planted before Mount Dora was established as a town. Now, 140 years later, the historic grove has been cleared to make way for new homes.

 

Aerial of Historic Mount Dora Grove (source: Lake County Property Appraiser)

 

When I recently visited this site, a large Oak tree provided me shade to view Lake Dora from the crest of this one-time grove, a grove that itself is now history. But because the orange trees were cleared, it became possible to experience a view the founder first enjoyed from her homestead in 1870s.

 

Nellie (Stone) Griffeth, the daughter of Annie (McDonald) Stone-Donnelly, was the mother of Annie and Lila Griffeth. Nellie had been 9 years old when with her parents they first saw Lake Dora from this homestead, and merely 11 years old when her father, William Stone, abandoned his family in 1877. A divorce decree one year later gave the homestead to Annie.

Annie and Nellie lived on the homestead another four years before Annie remarried, and prior to her marriage to John P. Donnelly, a village parcel was sold and a deed issued, a deed describing the land as located, “on the homestead of Annie E. Stone”.

Much has been said of the historic Donnelly House on Donnelly Avenue, the residence of John & Annie Donnelly beginning in 1892. But Annie first arrived in 1875, was divorced in 1877, and lived on her homestead, with daughter Nellie, – the original Mount Dora - for four years prior to marrying John Donnelly.

The original village of Mount Dora, in its entirety, was located on the homestead belonging to Annie E. (McDonald) Stone.

A year after Annie and John Donnelly married, a guest wrote of his visit. The year was 1882, and the writer said the home of “Mrs. Donnelly” was built on high ground, “amidst an orange grove of 400 trees high above the water, and the path from house to lake is a perfect little Eden of trees, vines and drooping moss a la nature.”

Annie’s first home of the 1870s is long gone. Her citrus grove of 400 trees is now gone as well. Soon, the roadside view from Eleventh Avenue from Mount Dora’s historic grove will soon be gone too.

 

1920 Sanborn Insurance survey of Annie Stone’s Homestead

 

It is in fact amazing that Annie’s grove survived until now. Homes currently surround acreage long identified on plats as a citrus grove. Sanborn Insurance, in 1920, sketched the town of Mount Dora – or more accurately, the homestead of the then deceased Annie (McDonald) Stone -Donnelly. A red square on that survey, added by me, highlights the grove of 1920. And note too how Annie Street runs along the east side of the grove to connect with Coliseum Way.

As late as the 1920s, John P. Donnelly, together with Annie’s grandchildren, planned to keep alive the memory of Mount Dora’s first mother, Annie (McDonald) Stone-Donnelly. She was truly the “Mother of Mount Dora.”

To every mom out there – as well as to two Annie’s, Lila, and Helen, I wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day. My thanks to each of you for all you do, and all you have done.

 

 

The First Mount Dorans will meet next back on Fifth Avenue, while my Lake County Drives series will return soon to Villa City Road, where two mom’s, Emma and Desire, were likewise memorialized by loving family members. In the meantime, I invite you to check out the scenic overlook while you can, and I will continue my research into, The First Mount Dorans.   

 

AND NOW, A WORD OR TWO FROM MY SPONSOR. ME!

This series is created from research for my next book, MOUNT DORA: The First Mount Dorans. a book planned for release in November, in time for holiday gift giving.

 Add your name now to reserve a signed copy of my book once it is released. PAY NOTHING NOW. Reserve your copy by emailing me at LakeCountyLakes@CroninBooks.com You will receive ONE reply confirming your request, and the next email will not be sent until the book is ready for purchase. You can then decide if you want to proceed with buying it. 

MOUNT DORA: The First Mount Dorans will be a detailed history of the people and events that shaped Lake County's beloved town on Lake Dora, Mount Dora. 

This series also includes research generated while writing my book, Tavares: Darling of Orange County, Birthplace of Lake County. Specifically, Chapter 26, MOUNT DORA: The Eastern Gateway. This book is available now at Amazon.com

CLICK ON BOOK COVER TO BUY IT AT AMAZON

ABOUT MY TAVARES BOOK 

Lake County, established May 27, 1887, was carved from portions of Orange and Sumter counties. The Legislature had defined borders but allowed the 2,200 plus registered voters to decide where to place the county seat. Four elections and a courthouse battle later, Tavares, on August 10, 1888, finally became the official seat. The selection process lasted 440 days from start to finish.

TAVARES: Darling of Orange County, Birthplace of Lake county, is a history of how Florida's Great Lake region transitioned from a wilderness into a vibrant Citrus Belt district. Amazing pioneers dared to dream big - dared to imagine such places as Leesburg, Lady Lake, Mount Dora, Montverde, Eldorado, Eustis, Umatilla, Astor, Clermont, Yalaha and Tavares, to name a few. A section on each place is found in this book.

RATED 5 STARS from Four Amazon verified readers, this is a story of triumph over tragedy; of homesteaders becoming town builders; of steamboats and railroads forging a new homeland, and of remarkable men and women who made it happen. There is even a touch of mystery and intrigue.

The story of the earliest days of settlement of Florida's Lake County, a history you can buy now at Amazon simply by clicking on the book cover above.

Visit my Website at CroninBooks.com