While driving through Orlando, I spotted what looked like an old cemetery along Old Winter Garden…read moreRoad. It looked almost forgotten and curious I had to stop and check it out. I'm so glad I did because this cemetery revealed so much history to me. it is actually one of the most significant historic burial grounds in the Orlando area. Lake Hill Cemetery dates back to the 1870s and is the final resting place of many of Central Florida's earliest pioneer families. In 1884, members of the Patrick, Beasley, Ivey, and Roberson families formed the Lake Hill Cemetery Association to relocate the graves of their loved ones from an earlier family burial ground located between Lake Lorna Doone and Rock Lake. Their goal was to establish a permanent, well maintained cemetery where the community's founding families could be laid to rest together. Originally known as Patrick Cemetery, it later became Lake Hill Cemetery. The cemetery's most notable grave belongs to Captain Aaron David Jernigan (1813-1891), one of the most influential and perhaps most controversial figures in Orlando's early history. Jernigan arrived in Central Florida in 1843 under the Armed Occupation Act and claimed 160 acres near present-day Lake Holden, where he quickly established a thriving cattle empire. He served as Orange County's first representative to the Florida Legislature, became the area's first postmaster, and commanded the Florida Mounted Militia during the turbulent years following the Second Seminole War. His influence was so great that the settlement was originally named Jernigan before officially becoming Orlando in 1857. Jernigan's legacy is somewhat complex. While many early settlers viewed him as a protector, today we would view his treatment of the Seminoles which forced them to relocate through a different lens. His reputation really suffered when he and his sons were accused of killing a man during a fight at the local post office. Following a dramatic jailbreak, Jernigan fled to Texas, where he remained for decades before quietly returning to Central Florida later in life. He died in 1891 and was laid to rest in Lake Hill Cemetery. Another notable burial is that of John Bonnell Ivy (1834-1923), the son of John and Priscilla Ivy. After the Civil War, he was appointed Orange County's first sheriff and tax collector and later served as Justice of the Peace. Today, Lake Hill Cemetery continues to be recognized for its historical importance. The University of Central Florida has created a comprehensive digital archive of the cemetery, making it one of Orlando's earliest pioneer cemeteries to receive full digital preservation. Historic photographs, burial records, and other documents are available through UCF's RICHES of Central Florida digital repository. The grass is overgrown in the cemetery and some of the headstones and markers have toppled over and crumbled but somehow this only makes it look both beautiful and haunting. Walking among the weathered headstones of the Patrick, Ivey, Beasley, Roberson, and Jernigan families felt like stepping back into the frontier era of Florida. This is more than just a cemetery, it is also an outdoor history museums that tell the stories of the people who shaped Orlando when it was untamed wilderness. If you enjoy discovering hidden history like I do, Lake Hill Cemetery is worth a stop.

As I was leaving Chain of Lakes Park, I noticed this historical marker tucked away among the trees…read morejust off the road. The blue sign is part of Florida's Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found along roadways, at archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, colleges, historic districts, schools, and other historic landmarks. Historic Marker F-589 was erected in 2006 by the Brevard County Historical Commission and the Florida Department of State. Oliver's Camp was named for the Oliver family who moved from Missouri to this area of the Turnbull Hammock in the early 1870s. They vast timberlands and citrus groves and their main camp located on the land where Chain of Lakes Park now stands. In 1886, L.C. Oliver founded a lumber business in Titusville, selling Georgia pine lumber, shingles, and other building supplies. Two years later, he expanded the business and purchased a half interest in the Budge & Huckabay Hardware Store, renaming it Oliver & Budge Hardware & Lumber. By the mid-1890s, Oliver and his business partner, Budge, had relocated to Miami to establish another hardware and lumber business. Budge eventually purchased Oliver's remaining interest in the Titusville store and, in 1898, sold it to his father-in-law, Captain J. Pritchard. The business then became James Pritchard and Son Hardware. In 1918, Oliver and his wife, Louise, sold their 40-acre Turnbull Hammock property to Florida Senator J.J. Parrish and his wife, Emma, for $15,000. Parrish was one of Florida's largest citrus growers and a prominent businessmen during the early 20th century. The property included a two-story Craftsman-style home, built around 1910, which Parrish used as the residence for his grove caretaker. Years later, Brevard County purchased the property and developed it into Chain of Lakes Regional Park. The historic Oliver's Camp House was originally slated to become a museum showcasing the region's pioneer history. Unfortunately, by the time plans were made to relocate the house, it had deteriorated beyond the point where it could be safely moved. As a result, the structure was demolished in 2023, bringing an end to one of the area's last links to its early settlement. Today all that remains of the pioneering spirit of the Oliver Camp is this historic marker.

While driving through Titusville, I came across this blue historical marker next to a beautiful old…read morechurch. The marker is part of Florida's Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most recognizable public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found along roadways, at archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, colleges, historic districts, schools, and churches like this one. Historical Marker F-540 was erected in 2005 by the Brevard County Historical Commission and the Florida Department of State. Pioneer settler Tom Johnson Cockshutt arrived in the area in 1868, donated the land, and founded LaGrange Church in 1869. It is the oldest Protestant church on Florida's East Coast between St. Augustine and Key West. Originally built as a simple log cabin, the church also served as the first school in Brevard County and as a community gathering place. In 1893, the original structure was replaced with the picturesque Carpenter Gothic style church that stands today. Its pointed steeple and beautiful stained-glass windows caught my eye and are an example of the architectural style. Adjacent to the church is a historic cemetery where many of the area's founding families are buried, including Col. Henry C. Titus, the man for whom the town of Titusville was named. The church was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 7, 1995. I always enjoy discovering historic churches like this. If only the walls could talk, imagine the stories they would tell after more than 150 years. It's definitely worth stopping for a look and a few photos if you're in the Titusville area.

As I entered the trails at Enchanted Forest near the visitor center, I noticed this historical…read moremarker tucked among the trees just off the road. The blue sign is part of Florida's Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found along roadways, at archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, colleges, historic districts, schools, and other historic landmarks. Historic Marker F-602 was erected in 2007 by the Brevard County Tourist Development Council and the Florida Department of State. The marker tells the story of an ambitious engineering project that ultimately failed. In 1911, Edgar W. Ellis, J. H. Beckwith, and a consortium of developers founded the Titusville Fruit and Farm Lands Company after acquiring 22,500 acres of marshland in the western portion of the old Delespine Grant. Their goal was to drain the wetlands and transform them into agricultural land. By 1913, crews using heavy earthmoving equipment previously employed in the excavation of the Panama Canal had completed 43 miles of parallel drainage canals. They then began work on a main canal that would connect them, divert floodwaters from the St. Johns River to the Indian River through Addison Creek, and create a navigable waterway for transporting crops to market at Addison Point. What the developers failed to anticipate was the coquina rock ridge that lay beneath the landscape. Their excavation machinery was unable to cut through the hard rock, and without completing the main canal, the entire venture collapsed financially. Ultimately, the project's failure helped preserve the land in its natural state. In the 1990s, the property was designated for conservation, and on August 27, 1999, Enchanted Forest officially opened to the public as the first property acquired under Brevard County's Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program. Today, visitors can explore a landscape where northern temperate and southern subtropical ecosystems meet. The overgrown remnants of the century old canals are still visible throughout the preserve and have been recognized as a Florida Heritage Site, serving as a lasting reminder of a engineering vision that nature ultimately reclaimed.

While driving through Titusville, I came across this blue historical marker beside a beautiful old…read moreGothic church. The marker is part of Florida's Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most recognizable public history initiatives. These markers commemorate significant people, places, and events throughout the state and can be found along roadways, at archaeological sites, battlefields, colleges, historic districts, schools, churches, and historic cemeteries such as this one. Historical Marker F-488 was erected in 2003 by the Brevard County Historical Commission and the Florida Department of State. Founded in the 1870s and named after pioneer Casper Neil Mims, Mims is an unincorporated community in Brevard County that flourished as a citrus and timber center following the arrival of the Florida East Coast Railway in the 1880s. In the early 1900s, a two-acre parcel of land north of LaGrange Community Church and Cemetery was donated to the Mims African American community to establish a cemetery. Today, it is a resting place for the community and a well spring of local history. The Mims Community Cemetery is the African American section of the historic LaGrange Cemetery. Among its most notable burials are educators and civil rights activists Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore. On Christmas night in 1951, their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary the Moores' home in Mims was bombed. Both died from injuries sustained in the explosion, and their murders remain unsolved. Each December, a memorial service is held at the cemetery to honor their lives and legacy. Nearby are the graves of several pioneering African American families who helped shape the community after settling here during the 1800s, including the Stricklands, Warrens, Cylers, Sheldons, and Highsmiths. While the earliest marked graves date to 1903, many earlier burials remain unmarked. Together, these graves tell hundreds of stories adding to the rich history of Mims and the surrounding LaGrange community.

The Fletcher Park Monument is a historical marker that commemorates Austin B. Fletchers…read morecontribution to the state of Florida. Austin B. Fletcher was born in 1852 in Massachusetts as a descendant of the Bay Colony Settlers. He graduated from Tufts College as a lawyer in 1872. Subsequently Fletcher came to own 38 acres of land between Haines and Kissimmee Florida. Hidden in the land was an orange grove that was s well kept secret of the Seminole Indians. When Fletcher passed away in 1923 he left his estate to Tufts who then deeded the land to Florida in 1935 to protect the cypress trees. The marker was moved from its original location on the old Tampa highway when they were widening and it now resides next to the Osceola County Welcome Center & History Museum.

I have a love for historic buildings, so this beautiful brick structure immediately caught my eye…read moreas I strolled through downtown Titusville. An interpretive sign nearby explained the building's history revealing it to be a significant city landmark. The Indian River Bank was established in 1888 by Captain James Pritchard, a Confederate veteran who served in the Army of Missouri during the Civil War. After the war, he settled in Titusville and became one of the area's most influential pioneers. His preserved home, now a museum, still stands just across the street where you can see its beautiful Queen Anne architecture. The bank was officially incorporated in 1889. Constructed of brick, it was one of the very few downtown buildings to survive the devastating fire of 1895, making it a rare reminder of Titusville's early commercial district. Captain Pritchard sold the bank in 1925, and it closed its doors in 1928 as the economic downturn that preceded the Great Depression made it increasingly difficult to collect on outstanding loans. The building later became the Davis Drug Store. Today, this handsome historic building remains one of downtown Titusville's architectural treasures. it tells a story of resilience, entrepreneurship, and the city's early history.

In front of the Lakeview Cemetery, established in 1883 in Sanford is a bit of odd roadside…read morehistory. Here you will find the only non human grave, that of Old Bob the funeral horse. On the headstone is inscribed Faithful for 28 Years. Old Bob belonged to T.J. Miller, the city's first-ever undertaker who started up a local funeral home in 1885. The horse was used to pull the hearse for Miller's funeral home. For over two decades he brought the bodies to the cemetery. Bob's last cemetery delivery was a man who passed from a heart problem on March 16, 1913. After he retired, Bob spent his remaining time on the Miller's orange grove. Bob passed away on July 1914 at 37 years old. The local paper ran his obituary and Old Bob was laid to rest near the entrance of the cemetery. Bob has been described as the most famous horse in the history of Seminole County. There is an interesting exhibit on Bob at the Sanford Museum. They have his original headstone that was purchased by his owner T.J. Miller. It was found during the renovation of the caretakers lodge at the cemetery where it was being stored after being struck and damaged by a car. His new headstone was installed in 1990. People still come to pay their respects to Bob today and his grave is maintained by City of Sanford.