While I am very familiar with the blue markers of the state wide Florida Historical Marker Program,…read moreoccasionally I will come across a county or city historic marker. On a recent walk around City Hall, I found this marker erected by the Seminole County Historic Society. Historic markers are a great way to learn about the formative people, buildings, and events in Florida's history. Hibbard Casselberry is the founder of Casselberry, Florida. In 1926 he came to the area to visit his family in Winter Park. At the time the surrounding area was a fern farm that grew asparagus plumosis ferns for the florist industry. Casselberry became the sales manager for Fern Park Estates but left to plat his own subdivision, Winter Park Ferneries which became known as Fern Park. Throughout the 1930's he continued to develop his fernery and real estate business. This marker recounts how the City of Casselberry was initially tax free. Mr. Gordon Barnett, a local former state legislator proposed a town charter for Fern Park that included property taxes. Mr. Casselberry's Countered with a tax free proposal and and he agreed to pay out of pocket any necessary costs needed by the town. On October 10th, 1940, the tax-free Town of Casselberry including parts of Fern Park Estates was officially incorporated and Mr. Casselberry lent his name to the town and served as its first mayor. For many years the town proudly boasted of being tax free. On May 16, 1965 a new governing City Council was created and they levied the first ad valorem property tax in 1976.

Casselberry City Hall is just off of 17-92 and has a pleasant enough park next to it and a…read moresculpture garden on the grounds. Overall, it is a peaceful place and has good parking if you are here to do business.

At one point in the past, I used to frequent this particular library location often for the books…read moreand a variety of programs. If memories serve me correctly, I really enjoyed it and always had a good experience. I'm genuinely surprised that I never submitted a review. I recently attended a series of workshops at this library location and was reminded of why I enjoyed coming here. While the location is small, they still offer a variety of services including programs. If you have not had a chance to check out the OCLS or this branch, I recommend seeing what they have to offer and paying them to visit.

The Alafaya Branch of the Orange County Library System is on East Colonial Drive (State Road 50)…read more just east of where East Colonial Drive intersects with Alafaya Trail and is overall a decent Library, though a lot smaller than their downtown location. It is good seeing that libraries are still a thing, especially since we have sp much available through our phones and the internet. I have so many great memories of libraries in my childhood and it was nice walking through this Library and remembering those carefree days. For a Tuesday afternoon, it had a decent amount of people here. All in all, a good library.

The Christmas Community Center is on State Road 520 just east of the post office. It is not a large…read morebuilding, but Christmas is still a small enough community, so this building fits Christmas, Florida perfectly. I have been to a few things here and while it is nothing fancy by any means, it did fulfill its purpose and still does fulfill its purpose. Christmas, Florida is a small community east of Orlando, Florida. It is still surprisingly rural being so close to a city such as Orlando and with both Orlando growing and Titusville (the city east of Christmas) also growing, Christmas one day might be forced to grow and change. But for now, Christmas is still a wonderfully rural community and this community center fits it perfectly.

Very interesting.. I took a morning stroll prior to work and was very happy I did. Quiet and…read moreaccessible park. Information is posted to allow a self guided experience directing you to the trails. Hard packed dirt and well maintained boardwalk allows for exploring the old Florida ecosystem. I would advise a partner if you're unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the area; no park rangers were in sight. I'm local a , male with some protection onboard so I didn't felt concerned. Come enjoy the park and use some common sense while you enjoy the ecosystem,

This homestead is located in Shingle Creek Park. The home was built for Mollie and Judson Steffee…read more They moved from Kentucky to Florida in 1883 with their children. Mollie was sick and needed the warmer climate of Florida. In Florida they planted citrus and raised horses and cattle. In 1911 they built their shot gun house. Their first home burned down and the house that now stands was the replacement The house had a porch on three sides and was remodeled and enlarged through the years. Down the trail a short distance from the house is the caretakers cottage built in 1920. Osceola County restored the buildings in 2009. The last family owner of the property was Elizabeth Steffee, an environmentalist and granddaughter of a 19th century steamboat captain. She passed away in 1997. After three years of negotiations with her heirs, Osceola County and the city of Kissimmee bought most of the property for $5.3 million. Forty four remaining acres was be purchased with $1 million from the South Florida Water Management District. The county and city offered the Steffee homestead and barn to the Kissimmee Valley Audubon Society to establish a nature study center on the property. Today when you visit the park you can hike and bike the trails. A short distance from the homestead is Paddle Creek where you can rent canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards so you can travel along the same waterway Mollie Steffee liked to fish over s hundred years ago. About a mile from the Steffee Homestead is a pioneer village with even more historic buildings to visit. Located close to Disney World Shingle Creek Park is well worth seeking out to see the "real" Florida.

Stopping for a minute to read a historic marker is a great way to learn more about the history of…read morean area. I have learned so much from these blue historical markers that can you find all around the state. This particular marker is located in H.H. Dickinson Azalea Park. One side of the marker tells about the park and the other side is about the nearby Washington Street Bridge. During the 1920's, Florida experienced a massive period of growth called the land boom years. As growth moved east in Orlando the little wooden bridge over Fern Creek could no longer with stand the increased vehicle traffic. In July of 1926, the Orlando City Council accepted proposals to replace the bridge. Concrete Steel Bridge Company of Miami Beach was chosen for their $10,400 bid. Orlando City Engineer Morton Hagartney designed a reinforced concrete arch deck bridge with walkways on both sides. The historically inspired light fixtures give the bridge its classical appearance. The bridge isn't very large but it is very pretty and is great for pictures, especially by the lamp posts. The Washington Street Bridge is the only bridge of its kind in the City of Orlando and was designated a Historic Landmark by the city in 1991. In 2014, historic marker F-808 was installed by The City of Orlando District 4 Commissioner Parry Sheehan, Girl Scouts of Citrus Council, Orlando Garden Club, Lake Lawsona Fern Creek Historical Neighborhood Association, Eugene & Lois Pawlak & Family, Dr. Howard Green & Family, The Van De Bogert Family, Deborah Kohan, The Magley Family, Robin & Nancy Lewis, Nancy & Walk Jones, Kathy Wickman, Theresa Smith and the Florida Department of State.

I love discovering these little historical markers that you can see in every city and town across…read morethe country. By seeing the blue historical sign, I learned a little bit more about the history of Orlando. The Washington Street bridge is located on the corner of Washington Street and Rosearden Drive in the downtown section of Orlando. It is right next to Dickson Azalea Park and this new bridge is going on one hundred years old. The bridge was built back in 1926 to replace a deteriorating wooden bridge over Fern Creek and was built for the sum of $10,400. Today, it is the only Bridge of its kind here in Orlando and was designated a Historic Landmark by the city back in 1991. It is hard to imagine what Orlando was like back in 1926. However, this bridge gives us a glimpse of that moment in history. How many people have walked across this bridge since its opening? Orlando is a city that continues to change and progress, but we can never lose sight of the past of the city.

The Clifton School House was built around 1890-1891 by Butler Campbell and Andrew Jackson, black…read moreland owners who homesteaded on north Merritt Island. A nearby neighbor by the name of Wade Holmes provided a one- acre lot as the building site, which was located in the north west corner of his property adjacent to the Campbell's. Prior to building the school house, the Campbell and Jackson children attended school in the home of a black man by the name of Mahaffey who lived nearby. They bought the lumber and building materials in Titusville and had them shipped by sailboat to north Merritt Island. Together, and with the help of Wade Holmes, they built a 12 x 16 wooden structure of heart pine lumber. Two sets of glass-paned windows were placed opposite each other on the north and south sides of the building. The front of the school house faced west which was fitted with a double paneled door, and the roof was made of cedar or cypress boards. The entire structure rested on wood pilings about one foot off the ground. By 1910 most of the Campbell and Jackson children were of the age to be out of school or attending a school in Titusville that offered a higher education, and the little wooden structure no longer was used as a school house. When the Government took over all of North Merritt Island in the 1960's the families had to relocate to other areas. Most of the structures were demolished or disassembled board by board until there was little visible evidence that any inhabitants had lived in that area. Somehow the old Clifton Schoolhouse was overlooked, or maybe thought not to be of any value, and would eventually fall to the elements of weather and time soon enough. Sometime in the late 1960's or 1970's, someone discovered the old wooden structure still standing under a heavy growth of vines, and after investigation of the site, found an old trunk inside, filled with old letters, post cards, receipts, greeting cards and other personnel items belonging to the Campbell family. IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO RESTORE SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT!

RIP to the Senator "Big Tree". I remember coming to this…read morepark many times as a kid. I remember watching the news report the day it happened! The park still has a great amount of trees and animals to view and is still a nice park to walk around. There are offspring of the Big Tree still growing in the park around there kids park area.

Big Tree is a historic marker in Big Tree Park in Longwood. It was erected by Seminole County to…read morecommemorate Big Tree which was later known as The Senator. Big Tree was an ancient bald cypress tree that once majestically stood here. Big Tree was the Florida State Champion Bald Cypress tree and was believed to be 3,500 years old. Native Americans like the Seminoles used the tree as a landmark and it was a tourist attraction throughout the 1800's. In 1925 a hurricane reduced the height of the tree from 165 feet to 118 feet. For most of it's life, Big Tree was located in a swamp and could only be reached by jumping from log to log. After the Great Depression , the Works Progress Administration built a boardwalk to the tree. In 1929 former President Calvin Coolidge and his wife who were frequent visitors to Mount Dora dedicated a bronze plaque at Big Tree. The plaque and portions of an iron fence were stolen by vandals in 1945. In 1927, after the death of Florida State Senator M.O. Overstreet, the tree and surrounding land was donated for a park to Seminole County. The Overstreet family owned the Overstreet Turpentine Co and were major landowners during the lumber and turpentine era. The donation from Senator Overstreet led to Big Tree's often-used nickname, The Senator. On January 16, 2012, The Senator was burned down in a drug fueled arson fire by Winter Park resident, Sara Barnes. Barnes started a fire to keep warm while smoking crystal meth in a hollow space in the trunk. In October 2013, Seminole County officials allowed a small, select group of artists and woodworkers to take pieces of wood from The Senator and create art from it that is now displayed in the Museum of Seminole County History. Today a memorial has been set up around the remaining trunk of The Senator. In the playground there is a play piece that mimics a bald cypress tree stump. Next to the playground a clone tree of The Senator was planted named The Phoenix.

Lake Jesus is the largest lake in Seminole County. It is 13 miles in length and consists of 16,000…read moreacres of open water and floodplains. The lake is roughly 8,000 acres and is part of the St. Johns River waterway. It connects to the St. Johns River at the north end by a narrow strait. Lake Jesup is notable for having the concentration of alligators in Florida. Lake Jesup is believed to have been named for General Thomas Jesup who served as the Commander of the Army of the South during the Second Seminole War from 1835-1842. The lake was discovered during the time the army was exploring the St. Johns River for transportation for troop and supplies lines. Long before the army found the lake however it had a rich Native American history. The southern shore of Lake Jesup is called Kitchen Middens. Middens are a kind of ancient garbage dump that can tell you a lot about the people who lived there. Early Native American inhabitants processed food and disposed of the waste in this area. Pottery shards and pieces along with animal bones have been discovered here. In the middle of Lake Jesup is a 30 acre island called Bird Island. The island was owned by Forest Michaels, who had a tomato farm on part of the island in the 1960s. Today the island is a nesting site for many birds including cattle egrets, white ibises, great egrets, glossy ibises, snowy egrets, eagles, and blue herons. SR 417 crosses Lake Jesup on a 1.5 mile bridge built in 1993. The bridge is part of the Seminole Expressway section of the 417 tollway which begins at the Seminole County line. This section run by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise is 17-mile-long and extends to an interchange with I-4 in Sanford at the end of the beltway. Driving across the Lake Jesup Bridge is very enjoyable. The view of the lake is spectacular and if you have the chance to look up there is a number of birds nesting on top of the light poles. I highly recommend a visit to Overlook Park at the southern end of the bridge for a close up view of Lake Jesup and its wildlife.

Lake Jesup Bridge spans Lake Jesup as you drive along Highway 417. It has been said that Lake Jesup…read moreis the most alligator infested lake in the world and you can often see alligators out there in Lake Jesup. Lake Jesup Bridge is a bridge that I would always associate with the thought that I was almost home whenever I would be traveling from some long-distance destination and heading home and I would cross Lake Jesup Bridge. Lake Jesup Bridge is a cool part of the highways of Florida and Lake Jesup Bridge will always be a part of my memories. I will give Lake Jesup Bridge five stars.