HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999 Steve Rajtar: Winter Springs Historical Trail..........,yaLLCr~o ntscorical Trail
Winter Springs Historical Trail
Instructions:
1....Print this file.
2....At its end, click on "rules" to see a copy of the trail rules, print it,
and then click where indicated at the rnd of the 3-page rules and
patch order form to get back to the list of Florida trails.
3....1f you want ahand-drawn map showing the locations of all of the
sites, send aself-addressed staniped envelope to Steve Rajtar, 1614
Bimini Dr., Orlando, FL 32806.
4....Hike the tail and order vti-hatevar patches you like (optional).
V~'inter Springs Historical Traxl
Page 1 ~of 5..~~..,:
Copyright 1999 by Steve Rajtar
(From Interstate 4, drive Last on SR $34 past ..here it intersects with SR 419. As the road begjns to turn to the south,
corn north into Central Winds Park. Drive past the baseball diamond to the end of the mats parking lot, and follow
the "nature trail" signs to the .rest partong (o~x0.0 miles so far)
West portion of Central `Minds Park _~
1....Gee Hammock
On many old deeds and other documents pertaining io this area, the name of Moses Levy appears. He
was a New York merchant who amassed hundreds of thousands of acres prior to the U.S. acquisition of
Florida from. Spain in 1821. All of what is now Winter Springs tuns once owned by Levy.
This area (Gee Hammock, and the creek that runs south of SR 434) is named for Henry Gee, a wealthy
landowner and slave owner. His son, John Henry Gce, was an army doctor during the Seminole Wars of
the late 1830s and early 1840s. ,
The Gccs persuaaded territorial governor Richard Call to give them part of the Moses Levy Grant along
Lake Jesup. The area was stuveycd by Henry Washington in 1843. Plats revised in 182 were used by
courts to void the Gces' rights, and instead recognize the Spanish grants to Moses Levy, Philip K
Yonne, and others, as the federal goverrtmenr opened the area to scttleis.
(Walk southeast oa Orange Ave. (pared but unmarked) unfit you reach the soccer field on your rig4t.)(03)
1~Tortk side of Orange Ave.
2....Site of Foster Grove
Dr. Henry Foster came to this area from Clifton Springs, New York, to hunt and fish, and became the
chief promoter of the Lake Jesup community to the southeast. He bought 26 acres from Walter t:rivynn
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Page 2 of 5
along the north shore of Lake Charm in July of 1874, and built a winter home which stood until it was
badly damaged by a 1940s hurricane.
Posrcr's Gce Hammock grove at this location, set out in the 1870s, was described by one popular
guidebook as one of the most beautiful in Florida. He paid $3,500 to the Sanford and Indian River
Railroad to have a line laid to the grove, and another S1,500 to bring the line to Lake Charm and
Oviedo, completed in June of 1886. Three yeazs Later, Foster and other growers formed the Oviedo,
Lake Charm and Lake Jessup Railroad to avoid high shipping prices on the South Florida Railxoad (the
parent company of the Sanford and Indian River). The railroad was never built, but the ploy resulted in
the prices being lowered.
Foster also built the Lake Charm Memorial Chapel, still standing (now as a private home) on the shore
of Lake Charm, to the southeast.
(Wall: southeast 600 toot on Orange Ave. and look to the south.)(0.4)
Between SR 434 and the railroad tracks
3__..Site of Whitaey Grove
In 1886, Calvin Whitney of Noxwallc, Ohio, president of the A.B. Chase Piano Company, had a double
winter home built on Lake Charm for his family and that of his sister. He also set out a grove to the
south of the railroad, due south of here.
In 1689-90, Whitney and Dr. Foster helped form the Lake Charm Improvement Company to build a
bulkhead, a drain from the lake, and remove muck from the bottom. They paid a Philadelphia mason
SI,200 to construct a sidewalk around the lake. Portions of it may still be found there.
(Walk southeast on Orange Ave. to the intersection with Brantley (Tuskawitla) Ave., and walk north on Brantley Ave.
to the lake.)(1.0)
Foot of Brantley Ave., north of the intersection with Orange A~'e.
4..._Site of Tusl;:a~vilIa Landing
This lake was named on May 22, 1337, by Lt. Richard Peyton for Gen. Thomas S. Jessup, a prominent
figure in the Seminole Wars. The "discovery" of the lake required S2 hours of rowing a barge 90 miles
to get to it. At least one old map from that time referes to it as "Lake Peyton". In 1981, the U.S. Board of
Geographic Names settled on "Jesup" as the correct spelling of the lake.
The wharfs here and atncarby CliRon Springs were as far south as steamboats could land freight for
wagons to haul to Maitland and Orlando. Vincent Lee was an early homesteader here, and parmcrs
George C. Brantley and Col. Daniel Randolph Mitchell made their wharf and store here the area's center
of commerce.
The Brantley store at this site was in existence as early as 1865, and in 1874 Brantley bought a nearby
site. He named it Tuskawilla after an Indian village of the same name in Alachua County (now known as
Niicanopy), and Liver Prince established a post office there.
(t~'alk southwest oa Brantley Ave., southeast aad ease on SR 43a, and north on Spring Ave, to the county historic
marker.)(4Z)
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West sidt of Spring Ave., between Nance Dr. and Lake St., just north of I992~Spriag Ave_
5....Site of'~Vhite's Wharf
William White moved here from Macon, Georgia, built a home and a store here in 1879, and stocked
everything settlers needed, so his wharf near the warm, sulphurous Clifton Springs made him one of the
most successful merchants of the area. Clifton Springs was also-the name of Dr. Henry Foster's
hometown in New York.
The site was visited in 1765-66 by John Bartram and his son, William. They camped two nights here
during their trip through Florida.
Oviedo residenu used the springs for their annual May picnics beginning in 1880, with one Saturday for
whites, another for blacks. They were planned and held by a joint committee Scorn the Baptist and
Methodist churches.
L1.'hen the railroad was extended to Orlando in the I88ps, ti~,'liite moved with it.
(Walk south oa Spring Are» east oo SR 434, worth on Deleon St., west on Froward Se, aorttz wad east on Brack
Hammock Rd, 2nd north on Brack Hsnuaoet; dish Camp Rd, until it ends at Lake Jesup.)(T.9)
Foot of Black Hammock Fish Camp Rd.
6....Site of Solary's'~Vharf
A little to the east of here, John 1=.J. Mitchell, a Virginia doctor, established a wharf in about 1870.
About two years later, Jacksonville merchant Antonio $olary esablishcd a wharf here, where the water
was deeper. He manufactured soda water, sasparilla and ginger ale. Because his had the deepest water, it
was the port for the "Volusia" of the Clyde Steamship line.
The wharf included a post offce which, until 1886, served the Lake Jesup community which was
centered about a mile to the south. Mills Lord brought the mail here twice a week by rowboat from
across the lake. The growth of Oviedo and the establishment of a post office there in 1879 led to the
decreased importance of the wharf.
In April of ISS2, the Lakc Jesup Steamboat Company was formed by stockholders which included
Antonio So1ary, Henry Foster, Andrew Aulin and George Brotivne. They planned to use it to transport
their fruit to market over Lake Jesup, which in the 18$Os could notbe entered by a boat drawing more
than three feet.
Capt. Eugene Bigelow had the steamship "Isis" running between Jacksonville and Lake Jesup by
December oft 881. The appearance of the 100-foot, flat-bottomed, iron-hulled steamship encouraged the
local residents to incorporate. They bought an interest in the "Isis", modified it, and began shipping
oranges. The venture came to an abrupt end on November 6, 1882, when she sank in a heatiy storm on
Lake George.
George H. Browne came to the area in about 1871, and worked in Solary's store, first as Solat}~'s clerk
and then as his partner. He also served as the last postmaster for the Lake Jesup community, from 138 i
to 1886. Browne lived in Oviedo until 1911.
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Some sources refer to the wharf as the "Sahaza Wharf'.
Page 4 of 5 ~"
(Walk south oa Black Hammock Fish Camp Rd., west and loath oa $llck I3amrttOCk Rd., esst on fto.rard St_. south
0o Detwa Stry and west aad northwest on SR 434 to the intersection with Tuskav-itla Rd.)(1Z.7)
Intersection of Tuskawilla znd Sanford-Oviedo Rds.
7.._.Tuskafvilla Road
In the early days of the settlement, Tuskawilla Road was a rugged wagon trail blazed for the
construction of a railroad line from Lake Jesup to Orlando. Thz 1873 effort of George Brantley and
Daniel Mitchell failed when both died while the roadbed grading was half completed.
(Walk northwest on SR 434 to the intersection with Apache Tr.)(13.1)
Northeast side of SR 434, across from Apache Tr. (1126 E. SR 434)
8....City Hall
This city was incorporated in 1959 as North Orlando with a population of less than 600. In 1972, it
changed its name to Winter Springs and is now the lazgest city in Seminole County, on the basis of land
area.
('W:lk aorthwest:nd west on SR 434, and take the right fork at the intersection with SR 419. Walk west on SR 419
aad north on Wade St. W its end. Then wall; east 50 feet.)(15.Z)
Old Sanford-Oviedo Rd.
9....Brick Road
The cities of Sanford and Oviedo were connected by a dirt road, and it was paved in about 1920. The
material used was brick, and approximately 300 feet of that original road still exists here. During the
1960s, the road was realigned, paved with concrete, and designated as SR 419.
(Walk south on n'ade St_, rsest on SR 4I9, south on :doss Rd.. and west on SR 434 to the intersection with Fairfax
Ave.)(16.4)
Northeast conger of SR 434 and Fairfax Ave. (1 N. Fairfax Ave.)
XO.._.Commercial Building
This is the oldest public building. in Wintec Springs, opening in 1960 as the office of the North Orlando
Company. That was the company which developed the village, which was chartered in 1959. This
building also served as the village hall.
Ln 1962, the 3404 acres belonging to the Winter Springs Development Company were annexed and the
village was rechartered as the City of Winter Springs. This building then served briefly as the city hall.
Ln 1995, the city sold the building to a private citizen, and is now used for commercial businesses.
(Walk cast on SR 434 to the entrance to Central Winds Park, and north and west to the parking lot where you began.)
(19.4)
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'Winter Springs Kstorical Trail
Bibliography
Page 5 of 5 ._
A History of the First United Methodist ChvTch of Wi„re.P«rk, by W. Brcxchicc Gray, Jr. (Ferris
Printing Co. 1992)
A Sightseing Tour of Seminole County Historic Sites, (Seminole County Historical Commission 1991)
Early Days of Seminole County, Florida, by Arthur E. Franke, Jr. (Seminole County Historical
Commission 1988)
Flashbacks: The Story of Central Florida's Past, by Jim Robison and Mark Andrew's (The Orlando
Scntinel 1995)
Historical and Architectural Survey, City of St. Cloud, Project Report, by Brenda 7. Elliott and
Associatcs (1993)
Click here . r a copy~af the trail rules;
http://~www.geocitics.coca/Yosemite/Rapids/8423/hikeplans/winter springs/planwintcrspg.l~.. 6i27i2001