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The Founding of
Orlando
When the second Seminole war ended in 1842, American settlers began
following soldiers into Central Florida. Originally named Jernigan after
Aaron Jernigan who came from Georgia in 1843, the town's name was
permanently changed to
Orlando
in 1857. The name is credited to Orlando Reeves, a
U.S.
soldier who was killed in 1835 by an Indian's arrow while on duty at what is
now Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando.
For many years Downtown Orlando was settled on cow country. In 1857, Robert
Ivey, a soldier in the Seminole wars, homesteaded 640 acres near Lake Eola
which his cattle used as a watering hole. In 1873 Jacob Summerlin, known as
the "Cattle King of Florida," bought 200 acres around and including Lake
Eola.
In July, 1875 by a vote of 22 men from the 85 residents, the City of Orlando
was officially incorporated. The land for
Lake
Eola
was donated to the City of Orlando in 1883 by Jacob Summerlin. Jacob's two
sons, Robert and Samuel, are credited with giving the lake its name,
Eola, after a lady they both knew.
This
is Google's
cache of
http://www.downtownorlando.com/history.asp which used to exist
at one time.
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