Leesburg is located in central Florida, between Lake Harris and Lake Griffin.
City Hall is located in the heart of downtown, overlooking beautiful Fountain Lake.
To the south is Lake Harris and to the north is Lake Griffin.
History:
“Leesburg was first settled in 1857 by Evander McIver Lee. Several of Evander Lee's brothers followed him to the area. One of these brothers, Calvin Lee, was credited with giving the town its name.
The city of Leesburg was first incorporated in 1875, and was the county seat of Sumter County for a time until Lake County was formed in 1887.
In the early 20th century, Leesburg was an important center for watermelon production. In 1930, Leesburg held its first Watermelon Festival, an annual tradition that would last until watermelon production in the area dwindled to the point that watermelons for the last festival in 1957 had to be brought in from outside the area.
In 1938, the WPA began work on the Venetian Gardens waterside park, on the shores of Lake Harris. The canals and gardens of this park have been a centerpiece of the community ever since.
Lake Square Mall, the city's major shopping mall, opened in 1980.
On March 19, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Randy Rhoads, as well as the band's cook and bus driver, were killed in a plane crash at Flying Baron Estates.[4]
The citrus industry was the principal business in Leesburg for many years, until devastating freezes in December 1983 and February 1985 persuaded growers to move their groves further down the Florida peninsula.
In 1997, Leesburg Bikefest started. It has since become an annual spring tradition, with upwards of 250,000 people visiting the motorcycle festival.
Today, most of Leesburg's growth and economic development is the result of the increasing popularity of the area as a retirement destination and the rapid growth of nearby Orlando.” From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (
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