The Ups and Downs of a Wonderful Place the Winter Garden
Located along the southern shores of Lake Apopka, first attracted settlers in the 1850s who aspired to farm the abundant soil. Citrus groves and vegetable plants thrived, and 30 years later on, the Orange Belt Railway built with this component of the state supplied a practical method to ship every one of that marvelous fruit and vegetables north. Settlers continued to flock to the region and in 1908, Winter Garden was included as a city.
After that, the area expanded. When fire wiped out most of the community’s timber framework structures, the city rebuilt with the iconic red block that can still be seen today throughout the historic midtown location. The building boom proceeded through the 1920s when the Edgewater Hotel opened to offer the growing tourist industry. While the citrus service was still king, Lake Apopka additionally started drawing rich site visitors wanting to fish its abundant waters. Indeed, Florida’s 4th largest lake emerged as the East’s “largemouth bass capital,” reportedly enticing stars of the day such as Humphrey Bogart, as well as Clark Gable for remaining at the Edgewater.
While development proceeded through the initial half of the century, things began to slow down in the 1960s, as Lake Apopka’s as soon as excellent waters suffered the impacts of air pollution from close-by ranches. Additionally, the building and construction of significant highways suppressed site traffic through the location.
A group of worried citizens determined they weren’t going to allow the city to drop without a battle; however, also the 1990s introduced a time of stewardship as well as renewal for Winter Garden.
In 1996, community leaders, as well as locals, successfully campaigned to have Historic Midtown Winter Garden noted on the National Register of Historic Places, thus preserving nearly 10 acres of the city’s main commercial district.
Around the same time, the city of Orlando, Florida started taking action to tidy up Lake Apopka. It would be a long procedure, which included reducing the amount of phosphorus going into the lake by buying surrounding farmland and recovering the all-natural wildlife balance. The multi-year, multi-step method has considerably boosted the health and wellness of the lake over the past 20 years.
With buildings safeguarded, as well as the restoration of Lake Apopka well underway, the focus shifted to the West Orange Trail. The 22-mile-long paved trail, completed in 1999, parallels the old railway from Apopka southwest to Lake Area and runs throughout the center of the historical district. Visitors as well as residents who pertain to bike or walk the path always appreciate a quit at local shops, as well as restaurants, and remain in the Edgewater Resort, which was brought back, as well as reopened at 2003.
