Local History

The Interesting History of Lake Eola: The Heart of Orlando Began with a Collapse

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The iconic Lake Eola fountain stands before the downtown Orlando skyline, with the Walt Disney Amphitheater visible along the shoreline of Lake Eola Park.

Some places become part of your story before you ever learn theirs. For me, Lake Eola has always been one of those places. Long before I knew anything about sinkholes, cattle barons, mysterious names, or iconic fountains, I simply knew it as somewhere my mom liked to take me. We’d walk laps around the lake … Read more

Dampier Cemetery: A Forgotten Story Beneath the Oaks

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Historic Dampier Cemetery in Inverness, Florida beneath a large live oak tree draped in Spanish moss, with scattered pioneer gravestones in a quiet rural setting.

There are places you plan to visit… And then there are places that find you. I wasn’t looking for a cemetery that day. I was just trying to get my truck aligned—prepping for an upcoming road trip, mind already miles down the road. But while I waited, something across the street caught my attention. A … Read more