History: Lake County Florida

Lake County played “a prominent part in making the history of Florida.” (1) In Professor Kennedy’s book History of Lake County,” most of Lake County can be traced back to federal homesteads, as homesteads began about 1854, so far as available records show.” (2) Early pioneers chronicle the environment in terms of events that is evident in this research paper. Lake County’s name came into being May 27, 1887.

Agriculture

After the Great Freeze of 1845-95 in Lake County, fruit groves were wiped out. Extermination of the citrus industry altered the economic condition of the county. Lack of employment and scarcity of food forced people to leave the county to survive. Towns and farms were abandoned. Fortunately, for those that did remain they were financially stable before the freeze, and purchased land after the freeze, at one-forth the cost or less. In years that followed additional freezes occurred. “After the Big Freeze people turned to growing of lettuce, which turned to be very profitable, netting as much as $1,000 per acre; also, to the growing of cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes, and watermelons, and at the same time, bringing grows back to bearing.” (3) “The rich soils were would be under water until about 1943, when they were drained to provide farmland to raise crops as a part of the war effort.” (4)

“It was over thirty years before the citrus industry could begin to recover. (5) Citrus trees were easy to grow and cows, hogs, and mules provided some of the fertilizer. Fortunately, with the discovery of phosphate used to make more fertilizer, workers came and settled in Florida to work the land. Land prices soared in 1920’s. “In 1983 Lake County was the nation’s second largest producer of citrus, behind only neighboring Polk.” (5) Lake County’s future looks good due to the productivity of the soil and climate conditions. Central Florida ranks first among the states in the production f oranges.

Lakes

“The 1,400-plus lakes have always been important to Lake County, both environmentally and economically.” (6) Lake County has more then eleven lakes of more then 1,000 acres. Lake Griffin11, 505 acres flows into the Ocklawaha, and then into St. Johns and Atlantic. Harris is the second largest with 13,788 acres. “rated from smallest to biggest: Beauclair, 111 acres; Dora, 1,5333; Minneola, 1888; Little Lake Harris, 2,379;

Okahumpha Swamp, 3,226; Louisa, 3634; Yale 4,042; Dora, 4,475; Eustic, 7,806; Harris, 132,788; Griffin, 166,505” (7) Lakes, rivers, local waters, and inter-connecting canals provide Lake county with an abundance of alligators, frogs, perch, bream, catfish, bass, trout, and other species of fish.

Leesburg

Leesburg is the oldest and largest city in Lake County. By 1870 the population was 150, and it was incorporated in 1875. The Works Project Corporation completed Venetian Gardens in 1930, and featured “…circular canals, separated by flower gardens, and crossed by rustic bridges…” (8) Venetian Gardens was ahead of any parka in Lake County, as it offered fishing and boating. Lake Griffin is north of Leesburg and has fresh water fishing. Lilly pads and aquatic growth supplies the food for fish, alligators, birds, turtles and other species. Recent death in 2000-2002 of hundreds of alligators has prompted research into what caused their demise. “The algae may b e producing the toxin that’s affecting the alligators, but it’s certainly affecting the ecology of the lake. There are almost no bass in the lake anymore, but there are a lot of catfish and other less-desirable species that do well in this muddy, murky, heavy nitrified water. The toxic algae and dead alligators are symptoms of a pervasive disturbance in the lake’s ecology.”(9)

Endnotes

1. W.T. Kennedy. History of Lake County, 1. (1988).

2. bid. 20.

3. W.F. Gouveia. Pioneer Trails of Lake County, 79. (1989).

4. J. Robinson and M. Andrews. Flashback: The Story of Central Florida’s Past, 159. . (1995).

5. E. Peter. Lake County Florida: Pictorial History, 133. (1994).

6. R. Reed. Curator, City of Leesburg Historical Museum, Personal Interview. 18 Nov

2006.

7. E. Peter. Lake County Florida. Pictorial History, 133. (1994).

8. Assurance that Venetian Project will Live. The Daily Commercial. 15 Jan 1935,Al.

9. E. Hunter. Toxic Algae Possible Cause of Incraesed Gator Dewaths. 21 June, 2000.

Retrieved Nov 15, 2006. from http:// news.ufl.edu/2000/06/21/algae/

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Gouveia, W.F. (1989) Pioneer Trails of Lake County. 79.

Kennedy, W.T. History of Lake County, 1, 20. (1988)

Peter, E. Lake County Florida, 15, 33. (1994).

Reed, R. Currator, City of Leesburg Historical Society Museum, Personal Interview. !8 Nov 2006.

Robinson, J. and M. Andrews. Flashbacks: The Story of Central Florida’s Past. 159. (1995)

Secondary Sources

Assurance that Venetian Project to live. The Daily Commercial. 18 Jan 1935, Al.

Hunter, E. (2006, June 21) Toxoc Algae Possible Cause of Increased Gator Deaths.

University of Florida News. Toxic Algae Possible Cause of Increased Gator Deaths. Retrieved November 16, 2006 from http://news.uf.edu/2000/06/21/algae/