Lake Co. Communities and Settlements
Clermont
The highest point in Lake Co. is just at the edge of Clermont
on
Sugar Loaf Mountain in one of the most beautiful parts of Florida.
South Lake Co. has wonderful rolling hills. The
town of
Clermont has many elevations. The crossroads of Highways 27
and
50 split the town.
In 1956, the Citrus Tower was built as a Florida Attraction. Sitting atop the hill as you come into Clermont, the tower rises 226 feet from the ground. An elevator takes you to the top for a panoramic view of the area. When it was built it was amid orange groves almost as far as the eye could see to the north and east.
Freezes in Florida have changed the landscape but the view is still spectacular.
Some of the hardy Floridians have kept the dream of owning orange groves alive by replanting several times when the trees froze. This does not happen all that often. In order to do significant damage the temperature must stay below 26 for at least 4 hours. Florida does not have that kind of temperature in this central part of the state.
As a young state, one such freeze occurred in 1894. Many farmers and citrus owners left their homes when they realized they had lost everything. Some did persevere and that accounts for the many groves. Packing houses and juice plants sprung up to handle the abumdance of fruit. Not only oranges were grown but also tangerines and grapefruit.
As urban sprawl has caught up with the area, more groves are sprouting houses instead of orange blossoms. Clermont is close enough to Orlando for an easy commute making it a popular bedroom community now.
The town named for Clermont, France was founded in 1884 and incorporated in 1916. The downtown section is much as it was 50 yrs ago, however the town now caters to the tourist heading for Disney World and other central Florida attractions.
In 1956, the Citrus Tower was built as a Florida Attraction. Sitting atop the hill as you come into Clermont, the tower rises 226 feet from the ground. An elevator takes you to the top for a panoramic view of the area. When it was built it was amid orange groves almost as far as the eye could see to the north and east.
Freezes in Florida have changed the landscape but the view is still spectacular.
Some of the hardy Floridians have kept the dream of owning orange groves alive by replanting several times when the trees froze. This does not happen all that often. In order to do significant damage the temperature must stay below 26 for at least 4 hours. Florida does not have that kind of temperature in this central part of the state.
As a young state, one such freeze occurred in 1894. Many farmers and citrus owners left their homes when they realized they had lost everything. Some did persevere and that accounts for the many groves. Packing houses and juice plants sprung up to handle the abumdance of fruit. Not only oranges were grown but also tangerines and grapefruit.
As urban sprawl has caught up with the area, more groves are sprouting houses instead of orange blossoms. Clermont is close enough to Orlando for an easy commute making it a popular bedroom community now.
The town named for Clermont, France was founded in 1884 and incorporated in 1916. The downtown section is much as it was 50 yrs ago, however the town now caters to the tourist heading for Disney World and other central Florida attractions.
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This page last updated April 15, 2012
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