History of Orlando Florida
History of Orlando, FL
The history of Orlando goes back a couple of centuries to 1838, an era that marked the height of the Seminole Wars. The United States Army constructed a fort by the name of Fort Gatlin (to the south of modern-day Orlando) in order to attract the then city dwellers from Indian attacks. By the time it was getting to 1840, a small community had already started to form in the area around the fort. This community was known as Jernigan, and it was named after Jernigan Family, the first household to establish a permanent settlement in the region.
The Jernigan family established the region’s first-ever library on 30th May 1850. In 1856, six years later, as the community expanded northwards, the area changed its name and officially acquired the name Orlando. The US Post Office department accepted the name Orlando and they officially adopted it. Starting with 85 permanent residents, 22 of whom qualified to vote, the town of Orlando got formally incorporated.
History does not make it very clear as to where the name Orlando came from. There are four versions of the story of the origin of that name. The first has story has everything to do with Judge James Speer, an individual who worked quite hard in getting Orlando to become the county seat. Apparently, James named the town Orlando in honor of a man who once worked for him. The second tale has it that James named the town “Orlando” after a character from “As you Like It” by Shakespeare.
The third version is that there was a man named Mr. Orlando who was going to Tampa with a huge caravan of ox. On his way, he got really ill, passed on, and was buried there. As folks passed by, they would make remarks such as “There lies Orlando”. The final version has it that there was a group of soldiers who happened to be on duty at the height of the war (Seminole). After defeating Indians and sending them back to the swamps to the eastern side of Lake Minnie (present-day Cherokee), the troop settled there for the night. Sentinel Orlando Reeves happened to be the guard on duty. While at it, he took note of a log floating in his direction. He immediately recognized the Indian disguise and fired his gun to warn his mates. Unfortunately for him, he lost his life to numerous arrows shot by the Indians. The region was named after him in honor of his bravery.
Well, there you have some interesting history of Orlando Florida. If you’re ever in need of a root canal from an Orlando endodontist, Advanced Endodontics is here to help. Schedule an appointment to meet our endodontists. We look forward to hearing from you!