| Time line 1822. U.S. acquired Florida as a territory on March 30th. 1842. "An Act to provide for the armed occupation and settlement of the unsettled part of the Peninsula of East Florida." The Florida Armed Occupation Act of [4 August] 1842 (5 Stat. 502) was passed as an incentive to populate Florida. The Act granted 160 acres of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South. (an East/West line about three miles north of Palatka and about ten miles south of Newnansville) to any head of a family as long he satisfied the following conditions: 1. Be a resident of Florida and not have 160 acres of land in Florida when asking for the permit; 2. Get a permit from the Lands Office; 3. He/she or heirs reside for five consecutive years on the grant ; 4. Clear, enclose and cultivate 5 acres of land during the first year; 5. Build a house on the lot during the first year; 6. That the land should be two or more miles away from a garrisoned military post. This last statement implied that the person should bear arms for his own protection. Note; Claimants had to act relatively quickly, since the law was only to be effective for nine months after it was signed. (During the nine month period in which the law was in effect 1,312 permits were issued; nine hundred and forty-two at Newnansville and three hundred and seventy at St. Augustine) http://www.floridabar.org/divcom/jn/jnjournal01.nsf/Author/4D91AABEBC94D4A48525752F00546557 The total land to be granted should not be more than 200,000 acres under the act. Actual was ??? 1843. Robertsons arrive - our area’s first two homesteading pioneers of the Florida Armed Occupation Act . Thomas Robertson became a resident of Florida in April 1843. He was a soldier of the War of 1812, having served in Captain Walter's Company, South Carolina Militia. He received a bounty land warrant from the Federal government for 80 acres of land for this service, which he sold. He received first a permit for land, and when he had proved up his claim, and presented his certificate, the official grant was issued by the president of the United States. Thomas Robertson received permit No. 843 on July 27, 1843, to homestead 160 acres. Actually 149 acres because 11 acres were in Lake Griffin and surrounding swampland. John Marmaduke Robertson received permit No. 933 on August 5, 1843 to settle on 160 acres (in four 40-acre parcels) south of his father, but not touching his land. Their patents were issued Patent number 357, 22 May 1851 and Patent number 357, 24 December 1850. Together, the father and son homesteaded most of the area encompassing North Boulevard and on the south end of town, most of Palmora Park, now comprising the heart of Leesburg, from Lake Griffin to Lake Harris. John's land was described as the East Half of the Southwest Quarter, the Southwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section 26, and the Northeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of Section 35, in Township 19, S. Range 24 East. 1844. Marion County was created from three counties. 1845. Florida became a state, the 27th, on March 3. 1853. Sumter County was created from Marion County; the county seat was at Okahumpka, then Sumterville. 1854. Robertsons, father and son, sold their land on June 1. Then wearying of his life's work, he moved north to Marion County, where he died in 1858. In 1860, John M. Robertson and family lived in Marion County, P.O. Ocala. By 1870 he and family were in Sumter County, P.O. Sumterville, in the area of Whitney. June 1, 1854, Thomas Robertson sold his land, plus some more land. to James C. Fussell, for $1,440. Shortly after this James C. Fussell died. John M. Robertson, selling the same day, bought 80 acres at the edge of what is now Leesburg, adding land to it on the west until he is credited with being the founder of Whitney. He received his Patent: 1 Jul 1875. Authority: May 20, 1862: Homestead EntryOriginal (12 Stat. 392), 80.2 acres, T19S, R24E, Sec 20; Application Nr: 1956; Homestead Cert Nr: 427. 1857. Lees arrive. Then came Evander Lee, and bought from James C. Fussell’s estate on December 5, 1857, for $350. 1860. Sumter County census Post Office: Palmyra and Lake Harris and Lake Griffin A dock was built on Lake Griffin where mail and passengers landed. In the early days of Leesburg, it was quite an important piece of real estate. It was the site of the area’s first church service and was once an important destination for pioneers moving into Leesburg and Lake County because steamboats began landing there around 1867. That steamboat dock was basically Leesburg’s first post office because the bag of mail was thrown there. Folks would sort through the mail and take what belonged to them. Some would also deliver mail to their neighbors. 1866. Lee brothers start general store. Soon after, other businessmen began buying lots and opening stores along Main Street. The plat for Leesburg was not drawn until just before Lake County was created in 1887. 1867. Even before that, Lone Oak Cemetery area was being used for church services by the 3 Protestant denominations and for the school. The first recorded burial was 1867. Saying to me that the population was greater in that area. 1868. Leesburg was Sumter County seat from 1868 until 1882. 1875. Leesburg was incorporated July 12, 1875, by vote of 23 - 2. 1882. Edward H. Mote arrived in Leesburg in 1882. In January, 1883, Mr. Mote entered the livery business at Leesburg, which he followed with success for a number of years. The Leesburg town hall was located over his stable in the early days. In connection with his livery business, he operated a stage line from Leesburg to Wildwood. In 1885 he sold his livery business [Lot 5, to Joe Earman] and purchased the predecessor of the present Lakeview Hotel, which he greatly enlarged and operated for a number of years. At the same time he was also engaged in the mercantile business in Leesburg, which he continued until the freeze of 1895. Mr. Mote has been one of the real builders of Leesburg, at a time when it took courage to build, having erected among other buildings, the Mote Block, which when it was built, was the largest business building in the town. For many years Mr. Mote has dealt extensively in the citrus business and has shipped as many as three hundred and fifty carloads in one season. Commencing about 1900, he devoted much of his time and energy to developing grove properties east of Leesburg. He was the owner and developer of "Treasure Island," near Leesburg. Mr. Mote has given much attention to civic affairs. He established the first waterworks in Leesburg, and in the early days he served as fire chief. He was also mayor for seven or eight terms, holding this office longer than it has ever been held by one person. He also served in the Lower House of the State Legislature for one term. His fraternal affiliations are with the Masons and Knights of Pythias. 1887. Lake County was created on May 27th. 1890. Mote builds Mote Block, now known as the Opera House. 1892. The Mote House was completed on land purchased February 1889 at cost of $9000. The two-story home has been owned and lived in by three families. 1908. Morrison family moves in. Bishop Henry Clay Morrison bought it as a retirement residence. First Methodist Church was renamed Morrison Memorial Church at his death in 1921 because of his tireless work to support the church. 1918. John S. and May James Morris moved in. A member of the Morris family would live in the house for the next 70 years. They owned Yalaha Nurseries, primarily a fernery. He also was part owner and manager of the Florida China Clay Company at Okahumpka. 1974. Home placed on National Register of Historic Places. 1988. Morrison United Methodist Church bought the house in August 1988 and offered it to whomever would move it. Jim Hill said: “The city challenged the committee and the community to raise $100,000 to buy the lot. We had to raise it within 6 months. Boy was that a job. We had several large donations that helped tremendously.” Prep for move by Youngblood and Sons. 1990. On September 1, 1990, the Mote-Morris House was relocated to 1195 West Magnolia Street from 1021 West Main Street. More than 400 people watched as the 150-ton house was moved one block south and two blocks west. Per Jim Hill. One interesting part of the move was that the mover (Youngblood and Sons), put full glasses of water on every corner of the buiding. When I asked him why he was doing that he said that he wanted to show everyone that he would not lose a drop of water out of the glasses during the move. ... and he didn't. Many pigeons made the trip down, also, and did not fly away when it started moving. 1996. Restoration complete. Open house. The restoration of the house has been paid through state historical grants and private donations. After almost six years of work, the historic Mote-Morris house in downtown Leesburg is almost ready for its grand opening Nov. 23, 1996. A designer's showcase will be held in conjunction with the grand opening on Nov. 23. Tours of the house will be held on Nov. 24, Nov. 30, Dec. 1, Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 from 2 to 6 p.m. At the designer's showcase, the furniture brought by the designers will be priced for sale. 2003. Curator hired by city in November 2003. Left about July 2008. Rick Reed said: “Opening the house to the public was a early goal after I was hired. We decided on twice a month because they averaged two weekend weddings most months.” 2008. Rick Reed left city employment, summer of 2008, and Glorianne Fahs took over as manager of Leesburg Historical Museum as President of Leesburg Heritage Society. ............... GFahs |