How Orlando, Florida got its name

How Orlando, Florida got its name

April 8, 2012. How Orlando, Florida got its name...

I have posted about the legends of how Orlando, Florida got its beautiful and unique name several months ago.

I've found that a lot of this blog's visitors, particularly locals, were curious about this story. I am reposting some of the details of both versions from my post mentioned above, along with a previously unpublished picture of the "Orlando Reeves" memorial on the shores of Lake Eola.
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Originally, Orlando was known as Jernigan after a prominent cattle family in the area. It became Orlando in 1857. There are two versions to the story. I'll relate the official version endorsed by the city first, followed by what I consider the more likely story.

According to the city, Orlando got its name from a soldier named Orlando Reeves in the Seminole War who was killed on the banks of what is now Lake Eola in 1835. The problem is that there are absolutely no records that a soldier named Orlando Reeves ever existed. Some have tried to explain around this fact by pointing out that it may have been a landowner in the area called Orlando Rees, an associate of John James Audubon, but the dates of death are all wrong to fit with the legend.

Another version of the story is that the name was chosen by Judge T. G. Speer, who arranged for Orlando to become the county seat through some creative vote manipulation. Judge Speer was a huge Shakespeare fan and named the city after his favorite character in "As You Like It." This version is very well documented by his descendants, and it also helps explain the naming of Rosalind Avenue.

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Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/125. f/8.0. ISO 200. LR 2.

Outside

Outside

April 8, 2012. Outside.

Springtime at the Orlando Farmer's Market in Lake Eola. Happy weekend, and find some time to get outside!

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/125. f/16. ISO 400. LR 2.

Shades and Swan

Shades and Swan

April 8, 2012. Shades and Swan.

A man walks his dog by one of dozens of swans resting at Orlando's Lake Eola park downtown.

Description. Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/1000. f/8.0. ISO 200. LR 2.

99 Bottles

99 Bottles

April 7, 2012. 99 Bottles.

Bottles recycled as candle holders for sale at the Orlando Farmer's Market on Lake Eola.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/1000. f/8.0. ISO 400. LR 2.

Bobbles

Bobbles

April 7, 2012. Bobbles.

Glass and beadwork jewelry for sale by a merchant at Orlando Farmer's Market on Lake Eola.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/2.8. ISO 100. LR 2.

Happy Weekend

Happy Weekend

April 8, 2012. Happy Weekend.
Lake Eola, Orlando, Florida.

Time to stretch your wings, feel the warm spring breeze on your face, and enjoy your weekend.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/8.0. ISO 200. LR 2.

A Sunday Afternoon on the Shore of Lake Eola

A Sunday Afternoon on the Shore of Lake Eola

April 8, 2012. A Sunday Afternoon on the Shore of Lake Eola.

One of my favorite paintings of all time is George Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." This scene, taken this past Sunday on the northeast corner of Lake Eola, reminds me of what that painting might look like if it were set in Orlando and in the present day. There is something about water that calls us to it.

A swan takes a waterside nap as a homeless vet strikes up a conversation and a child runs ahead of his parents on his way to the playground.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/1000. f/8.0. ISO 200. LR 2.

It's not a monkey. It's a lemur.

It's not a monkey. It's a lemur.

April 8, 2012. "It's not a monkey. It's a lemur." Orlando, Florida, at the Orlando Farmer's Market on Sunday by Lake Eola.

It's pretty common to see someone walking a dog through the Farmer's Market. Sometimes, you'll see a parrot. Lemurs, however, are fairly rare.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/11. ISO 400. LR 2.

Mad Hatter

March 8, 2012. Mad Hatter.

There are few better places in Orlando to see strange things and interesting people than the weekly Orlando Farmer's Market every Sunday at Lake Eola.

I am pretty sure that this gentleman's t-shirt is a reference to Stetson University's Hatter Harvest Farmer's Market up the road in Deland, Florida. Still, the shirt and the photo's caption seemed to fit.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/11. ISO 400. LR 2.

Birds NOT of a Feather

Birds NOT of a Feather

March 2, 2012. Birds NOT of a Feather.

Some real, live members of Lake Eola's flock of black and white swans blend into a background of swan-shaped paddle boats for rent by local romantics to visit the fountain in the middle of Orlando, Florida's iconic lake.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/16. ISO 800. LR 2.

Black Swan

Black Swan

March 2, 2012. Black Swan.

A black swan casts a silhouette on the banks of Lake Eola in Orlando, Florida.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/16. ISO 800. LR 2.

Naptime

Naptime

March 2, 2012. Naptime.

A white swan takes an afternoon nap on the shores of Orlando's Lake Eola while her lover stands guard.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/16. ISO 800. LR 2.

Lake Eola

Lake Eola

March 2, 2012. Lake Eola.

For those who live in Orlando, there is probably no more iconic spot than the fountain in Lake Eola.

At Lake Eola, you'll see farmers' markets, Shakespearean theatre, weddings, funerals, joggers, dogs, lawyers, bicyclists, the homeless and the downtrodden, and a large population of city supported black and white swans that will be the subject of my next three posts. Lake Eola is our Central Park; our English Gardens; our Borghese Gardens; our National Mall; our wide open space where the city comes together in all its disjointed pieces.

According to local legend, it is also the place where Orlando got its name.

Originally, Orlando was known as Jernigan after a prominent cattle family in the area. It became Orlando in 1857. There are two versions to the story. I'll relate the official version endorsed by the city first, followed by what I consider the more likely story.

According to the city, Orlando got its name from a soldier named Orlando Reeves in the Seminole War who was killed on the banks of what is now Lake Eola in 1835. The problem is that there are absolutely no records that a soldier named Orlando Reeves ever existed. Some have tried to explain around this fact by pointing out that it may have been a landowner in the area called Orlando Rees, an associate of John James Audubon, but the dates of death are all wrong to fit with the legend.

Another version of the story is that the name was chosen by Judge T. G. Speer, who arranged for Orlando to become the county seat through some creative vote manipulation. Judge Speer was a huge Shakespeare fan and named the city after his favorite character in "As You Like It." This version is very well documented by his descendants, and it also helps explain the naming of Rosalind Avenue.

In either case, the remnants of both legends live side by side in Lake Eola Park. The road in the background of this shot is Rosalind. The teal Walt Disney Amphitheater to the left in the picture is the original home of the Orlando Shakespeare Festival, overlooking a bird sanctuary lake that would have made Audubon and his friend Orlando Rees proud.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/8.0. ISO 100. LR 2.