Orlando The Past And The Present | History

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Orlando is located in central Florida and as such, is a prime destination for those who want to take advantage of the sunny, almost tropical, weather. Even though it is a part of Florida -where beaches are the typical attractions-Orlando is more known for the varied theme parks, most notable of which are Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. It also has one of the United States' largest conference centers as well as several world-class golf courses, making it one of the prime choices for business conferences and gold tournaments in the United States.

Originally set up with a fort by the US army in 1863 to protect the what was then a settlement from raiding Indians, Orlando was the battleground for the Native American tribe Seminoles and the Americans.

A community formed around the Fort and the area was initially named Jernigan, after the Jernigan family who established the first permanent inhabitants of the area by building a post office. The earliest settlers earned their living by cattle ranching, but Orlando didn't truly become habited until after the Seminole wars. The city gets its name from a soldier and plantation owner named Orlando Reeves.

By this time, the community was called Orlando, in honor of Orlando Reeves, a soldier and plantation owner who died during the Seminole Wars. In 1875, the town was finally incorporated, at which point there were about 85 residents comprising the city. When Cuban demand for beef increased, cattle ranches grew across Florida's cities, including Orlando. After some time, cotton became a hot commodity and Orlando became a thriving city of cotton plantations.

With Florida's warm weather, citrus crops like oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit thrived and Orlando saw tremendous profit from them as well. Finally, when Walt Disney chose Orlando as his theme park's next location outside California, Orlando became a prime tourist attraction, enjoying prosperity and fame.

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