Lovell's Landing At Lake Apopka - Florida Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

This marker commemorates the beginning of commerce in 1872 by William A. Lovell.

In the 1870s, the early settlers of Northwest Orange County look to area waterways as commercial highways. Lake Apopka, the head of the Ocklawaha chain of lakes, offered access to the St. Johns River near Palatka and a way for citrus and vegetable growers near the banks of the lake to transport their products. In 1872, William A. Lovell (1828 – 1903) purchased 225 acres of land on the northwest side of the lake. At this location, he established a landing to serve as a hub for freight service on Lake Apopka and the surrounding region. Before steamer service began on the Ocklawaha in 1882, fruits and vegetables from 17 landings around the lake were brought to Lovell’s Landing for delivery by oxen to Clay Springs and areas further north. As commerce through Lovell’s Landing increased, the community constructed its own school, which operated from 1884 – 1895. In the 1920s, Apopka built a dock, clubhouse, and picnic grounds at the landing. In 1926, Orange County built a road connecting Apopka to the area. Waterway commerce from Lovell’s Landing subsequently declined as more and faster methods of transporting fruits and vegetables came to the region. A Florida Heritage Site
Sponsored by the Apopka Historical Society
the Orange County Board of County Commissioners
and the Florida Department of State.

Marker Number: F-714 Date: 2011 County: Orange Marker Type: Plaque Sponsored or placed by: Apopka Historical Society Website: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/15/2018 hart612 visited it 12/19/2012 Markerman62 visited it

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