A Brief History of Orlando, Florida

The Seminole Native American tribe, who were believed to have lived in this area for 6,000 to 12,000 years, first inhabited the area of present-day Orlando. European settlers arrived in 1837, and due to multiple Seminole wars, the Native Seminole population began to move away. In 1838, during the second of these wars, Fort Gatlin was built by the U.S. Army, which was a few miles from what is now downtown Orlando. The first settler of the area was Aaron Jernigan, and the area was known as Jernigan for many years. By 1840 a small town had developed, and it received the name Orlando in 1857. The name Orlando is said to come from Orlando Reeves, an American soldier who alerted his fellow soldiers to an approaching native by shooting his gun, but died after being shot by an arrow. The city was incorporated in 1875.

The growing citrus market and many new fruit growers coming during the 1880's and 1890's, lead to Orlando becoming the center of the citrus industry in Florida, and helped Orlando's early growth. Orlando had a large housing boom in the 1920's, with many new developments being built, but this ended during the depression and when several hurricanes hit Florida. Several military bases were built in Florida during World War II, and the population of Orlando increased dramatically afterwards. Orlando began to develop as a popular tourist destination with the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971. This growth has continued to the present, and Orlando is now a city with a booming tourism industry, as well as many other successful industries.

History

More History