The Lake House at Lake Pineloch
A Pine Castle Gate House: Part 4 - The Finale
Dateline 1871: Civil War followed by a protracted “Reconstruction
Period” was finally in the past as spring of the 1870s brought signs of new
life in Central Florida. After a long-decade of human tragedy however, a time during
which neighbors were often pitted against neighbors, Orange County was still in
turmoil, an example being the 1870 killing of Sheriff David Mizell.
But a new clan had arrived, bringing with them a newspaper
correspondent who began telling the world of the good, the bad, and the ugly of Central Florida. “Orlando, the
county seat,” wrote correspondent Will Wallace Harney soon after passing
through town in 1869 on his way to a Lake Conway homestead, “resembled a
rickety barnyard an hour after Sherman’s bummers had passed.” Smoldering ashes of
Orange County’s burnt courthouse ruins no doubt reminded the former Kentuckian
of how Sherman had left Atlanta, after-all, Atlanta had been one of the war-torn towns Harney traveled
through a year prior on his way south to Florida. The War had ended, but news
of a dead Sheriff, and then discovery of a floating body in Lake Conway, a stone’s
throw from Harney's cabin, gave him much to write about.
The History Tent at Pine Castle Pioneer Days
A Turbulent Decade: Civil War & Reconstruction in Central
Florida
By Jeff Hooper, 2 PM, Sunday, February 27, 2022
Heading south from Orlando in 1871 a wilderness five
miles long ended as the trail reached a fine new Lake House, the Francis W
Eppes home, a "gate house" of sort that welcomed travelers to a hopeful new
settlement – Fort Gatlin. A bit further south along the trail were the
homeplaces of William M. Randolph and Ouachita Pushmataha Preston. Through an
imaginary fortress gate and beyond, yet another lake further south were the homesteads of
William B. Randolph, Nathaniel Randolph (who was also murdered shortly after arriving in central Florida), and Will Wallace Harney. And almost as if serving as a corridor, connecting each of the above homesteads, was the homestead of William A. Patrick, one of the original pioneers dating to the 1840s.
The History Tent at Pine Castle Pioneer Days
Jernigan’s, Patrick’s & early Orange County history
By A. Stephen Patrick, 12 Noon, Sunday, February 27, 2022
Pioneer settlers however were not the only trail trekkers. Will
Harney wrote of “correspondents, artists, scientists, and hunters” each passing
through on their way to the Everglades. Harney even named a few of the “groups," such as the “New York Party,” and “the Western Party.” Word
had spread near and far of the great hunting and exploring region south of Fort Gatlin, a vast wilderness well-known
to a trusted friend and confidant of Will Wallace Harney, Surveyor Benjamin F. Whitner. As
the first surveyor to traverse nearly 600 square miles to the south of Orlando,
Whitner had accumulated nearly 300 acres on two side of Lake Gatlin prior
to the War. And then after War’s end, Whitner settled at Fort Reid – or Sanford as it is
known today – while at the same time introducing the Randolph clan to Fort Gatlin.
Whitner kept his Lake Gatlin acreage too, all the while promoting a dream of his - connecting
Lake Monroe with Tampa Bay by a railroad.
The History Tent at Pine Castle Pioneer Days
My Sanford Family
By Dean Berrien, 2 PM, Saturday, February 26, 2022
The bravest of brave settlers, some newcomers to Florida,
others long-time residents, but together they chose to develop a region rich in lakes
to the south of Orlando. They built castles of pine on Lakes Pineloch, Gatlin, Holden, Jennie
Jewel, and the two largest bodies of water, Conway, and Hogan. All
but one of these named lakes of the 1870s survived to this day, but Lake Hogan was
renamed Lake Jessamine, location of Cypress Grove Park, where Pine
Castle celebrates its heritage with Pioneer Days.
There are numerous ways to travel to Pine Castle Pioneer Days, but if you want to arrive in style, come by way of the old forts trail - the final leg of the original 1838 forts trail:
Start this historic journey at Michigan & Osceola Avenues south of Orlando. Drive south on Osceola Avenue, crossing over Pineloch Avenue to drive across the one-time homestead of Francis W. Eppes, later the homestead of James M. & Frances (Hewlett) Alden. The historic residence will be on your right, Lake Pineloch on your left.
After passing the Eppes home, continue southbound on Osceola, curve left onto Baxter Avenue and then right onto Summerlin Avenue. Stay on Summerlin, and as you pass Pershing Avenue, at this point you begin crossing the 1870 homeplace of William M. Randolph. Lake Gem Mary is on your left, named in the 1870s for the wife of William M. Randolph. Lake Jennie Jewel will be on your right, named in the 1870s for the wife of Ouachita Pushmataha Preston, the sister of Mrs. William Mayer Randolph.
At the end of Summerlin Avenue is Gatlin Avenue. Straight ahead is Lake Gatlin, named for the fortress. This was also the site of the 1924 photo shown at the start of this post when the D. A. R. placed a memorial plaque here.
Turn right on Gatlin Avenue and proceed to Orange
Avenue. Along the way you will cross 40 acres originally owned in 1860 by
Joseph McRobert Baker. When you arrive at Orange Avenue, jog right and immediately
left onto Holden Avenue. The Gatlin Railroad depot was located near this intersection
in 1881 when a Town of Gatlin was founded.
After crossing the railroad tracks – rails first laid
down in 1881, Cypress Grove Park will be on your left. You have arrived at Pine
Castle Pioneer Days, where Admission is FREE, Parking is FREE, and listening in to one of hourly guest speakers at the History Tent is also Free.
Now then, about Joseph McRobert Baker. When you arrive at Pioneer Days, stop by my Central Florida History and ask to see a painting of this little-known early pioneer. I'll also tell you a fascinating story of the man - and his intriguing portrait.
I hope to see YOU at Pine Castle Pioneer Days!
History Tent guest speakers are as follows:
11 AM Saturday: Rick Cronin; Secrets of the Rutland Mule Matter
12 Noon Saturday: Larry Miles; What is Pine Castle?
1 PM Saturday: Bob Grenier; The Incomparable Alexander St. Clair-Abrams
2 PM Saturday: Dean Berrien; My Sanford Family
3 PM Saturday: Larry Miles; Today’s Pine Castle looks toward Tomorrow
11 AM Sunday: Rick Cronin; Railroads Shaped YOUR Orange County
12 Noon Sunday: A. Stephen Patrick; Jernigan’s, Patrick’s & early Orange County history
1 PM Sunday: Tom Tart: Florida’s Heroes of World War 2
2 PM Sunday: Jeff Hooper; A Turbulent Decade: Civil War & Reconstruction in Central Florida Jeff Hooper
3 PM Sunday: Larry Miles; Pine Castle Today & Tomorrow
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