Ocoee Florida Information

History of Ocoee

It is believed that Dr. J. D. Starke was the first settler in Ocoee. He first settled on the East shore of Lake Apopka in the Crown Point area in 1857. He cleared land and planted sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes and sugar cane. The mosquitos were so bad that his slaves were dying of malaria. He decided to make camp on the west shore of Starke Lake, which he named. He continued to farm in Crown Point, but lived on the shores of Starke Lake.
Perhaps the next settler was Captain Bluford Sims who came by horseback in 1861. He also came first to the Crown Point-Fuller's Crossing area, then on the Ocoee. He bought 50 acres of land from Dr. Starke on the west shore of Starke Lake. He platted the land which is now downtown Ocoee.

Captain Sims built the first wood frame Courthouse in Orange County in Orlando-the first being of log with a dirt floor. Captain Sims started the first citrus nursery by cutting of the wild sour orange trees and grafting sweet stock in them. By 1870 he was shipping trees as far as California.

Captain Sims donated the land for the Ocoee Cemetery. He also donated the land for the Methodist Church in 1885. There have been numerous changes in the building, but all have been on on the same land.

The two main streets were named by him-Bluford, being his first name and McKey was his wife's maiden name.

The original name of this community was Starke Lake but was changed to Ocoee by Captain Sims who came from Ocoee, Tennessee, on the Ocoee River. This change was made in 1886.

Most of the early settlers in this area came first to Crown Point then moved to Ocoee. Many of these families planted groves in that area. Some of the families are: Minor, Pounds, Maguire, Roper, Hudson, Bigelow, Clarke, Vick, Seegar, Echols and Dann.

In 1880 General Temple Withers from Kentucky, looking for a winter home in a warm climate for his health came though Ocoee. He stayed with Captain Sims who persuaded him to buy land on the shore of Lake Starke to build his home. This he did in the late 1880's. This home known now as the Withers-Maguire house is on the National Registry of Historic Places in the United States.

The Christian Church was established in General Wither's home. He was responsible for the construction of the Christian Church on and donated by Captain Sims. The Church, of Gothic Architecture, was designed by an architect from Boston. The pews are the original ones in the church. The stained glass windows were shipped from Belgium to New York, then to Jacksonville, down the St. Johns River to Sanford, then by ox cart to Ocoee. The church bell came from a church in London. The church is the oldest Christian Church in Florida still in continuous use. General Withers did not live to see the church completed, but his family had it completed and furnished in 1891.

Mr. Bud Pounds, another early settler had the first saw mill. The saw mill was on wheels and he would take it to the home sites, cut down the trees, and cut the lumber for the homes. He built his home on the corner of Floral and Cumberland (next to the Methodist Church). It is a "dog trot" or "shot gun" style house. It has a large center open hall with rooms on each side.

The early school was in the area of the Methodist Church. It was first a brush arbor used by the school and church. Later a 3-sided frame building was constructed. The south side being left open so that children could be warmed by a bond fire in winter.

The first citrus exchange was established in Ocoee by David O. Maguire and T. J. Minor.

There are a number of houses that are 100 years old and still in use in Ocoee. The Bank building on the corner of McKey and Cumberland was the first brick building in Ocoee. It was probably built in 1918. Mr. Fred Maguire was the first President of the bank as well as being the first Mayor of Ocoee. The Marshall Block was constructed it the early 1920s.

The 1887 Orange County Gazetter showed the population of Ocoee as 115, Oakland as 200 and Maitland as 400.