James Lafayette Dillard

James Lafayette Dillard

James L. Dillard

Winter Garden (Fla.)

James Lafayette Dillard (1858-1943) is a local icon in Winter Garden, Florida. Dillard migrated to Central Florida from Virginia with his wife, Mattie Showalter, in 1887. He established himself primarily as a citrus and vegetable grower, but he also operated the M. V. Dillard and Company Garage, which was managed by his son, Marvin Dillard. In addition, he founded the Bank of Winter Garden, served as Wnter garden City Commissioner and a Florida State Legislator, and helped rebuild Downtown Winter Garden after two destructive fires in 1909 and 1912. Some of the buildings that Dillard helped construct include the Dillard and Boyd General Merchandise Store, the Shelby Hotel, and the Mann and Mills Dry Goods Store. He also donated land to the First Baptist Church of Winter Garden.

Original black and white photograph: Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.

ca. 1903

Digital reproduction of original black and white photograph.

Up From the Ashes Exhibit, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Winter Garden, Florida.

Up From the Ashes Collection, Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Collection, Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida., Winter Garden Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

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1 black and white photograph

Still Image

Winter Garden, Florida

Donation

History Teacher

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Copyright to this resource is held by the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.

Bowers, Katherine

Cepero, Laura

Cappleman, Kay, and Rod Reeves. Sundays in the South: Touring West Orange County. Winter Garden, FL: Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, 2009.

"Welcome." City of Winter Garden. http://www.cwgdn.com/.

Winter Garden Heritage Foundation. All Aboard!: A Journey Through Historic Winter Garden, 1880-1950. Winter Garden, FL: The Foundation, 1997.