Around 1855, Judge James G. Spear planted orange groves and built his home around Lake Apopka. Called Oakland, Speer's home served as a location for Christians to assemble daily for prayer and for Sunday services conducted by the judge himself. The first group of Presbyterians to arrive in Fort Read after the Seminole War were Dr. Andrew C. Caldwell and his family, who migrated to Florida from Greensboro, North Carolina, in May 1867.

In 1869, Reverend John W. Montgomery, the Evangelist of Florida Presbytery, organized the Sumter Church in Sumter County. The name of the church was later changed to the Leesburg Presbyterian Church and a building was constructed in 1884. Plans to organize and build a church at Fort Read began in 1869, with Reverend F. F. Montgomery conducting services. Silver Lake Church was officially organized in February 1870 and the church building was completed the following year. St. Johns Presbytery was organized at Silver Lake Church on March 9, 1878. In 1900, after much of the population shifted toward the growing Town of Sanford, the church dissolved.]]>
Chase Collection (MS 14), box 173, folder 9.52, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.]]> Sanford Country Club and Golf Course Collection, Sanford Collection, Chase Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Chase Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/chase.htm.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> Chase Collection is comprised of four separate accessions from various donors, including Cecilia Johnson, the granddaughter of Joshua Coffin Chase and the children of Randall Chase.]]> Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Rights to this item belong to the said institution, and therefore inquiries about the item should be directed there. RICHES of Central Florida has obtained permission from Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida to display this item for educational purposes only.]]>
Early Settlers of Orange County, Florida, printed in 1915 and published by Clarence E. Howard of Orlando, Florida. The book also includes an article "Early History of Orlando" written by J.N. Whitner of Sanford, Florida. This 68-page book contains the biographies of many of Orange County's early settlers.]]> Howard, Clarence E. Early Settlers of Orange County, Florida: Reminiscent-Historic-Biographic. Orlando, Fla: C.E. Howard, 1915.]]> Early Settlers of Orange County, Florida: Reminiscent-Historic-Biographic. Orlando, Fla: C.E. Howard, 1915.]]> Thomas Cook Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]> 0:01:59 Family life
0:04:45 Growing up in a railroad depot and World War II
0:07:34 Railroad work and telegraphy in father’s time
0:09:38 First job as a grocery clerk, the “extra board” and railroad seniority
0:11:45 Interstate Commerce Commission
0:17:22 Morse Telegraph Club
0:26:12 First transcontinental telegraph line
0:23:17 Train dispatching and overcoming communication limits
0:28:39 Telegraphy demonstration
0:35:23 Guglielmo Marconi and wireless telegraphy]]>
RICHES of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]> RICHES of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.]]> Central Florida Railroad Depots Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Flash Player]]> Java]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida]]>
University of Central Florida Department of History, Orlando, Florida.]]> University of Central Florida Department of History]]> Florida Photographic Collection]]> State Library and Archives of Florida]]> Library of Congress]]> Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture]]> Harry T. &amp]]> The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida.]]> The Long History of the African American Civil Rights Movement in Florida Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Adobe Acrobat Reader]]> University of Central Florida Department of History and is provided here by RICHES for educational purposes only.]]>