Published by The History Press
Charleston, SC
www.historypress.net
Copyright 2016 by Gary McKechnie and Nancy Howell
All rights reserved
Cover images: Donnelly House and lighthouse photos by Nancy Howell. Football team image courtesy of the Mount Dora Historical Society.
First published 2016
e-book edition 2016
ISBN 978.1.62585.652.4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015954749
print edition ISBN 978.1.46711.842.2
Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the authors or The History Press. The authors and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This book is dedicated to historian and author James Laux, whose research and published works offer invaluable insights to Mount Doras past.
It is also dedicated to Dave Felts, past president of the Mount Dora Historical Society and founding chairman of the Mount Dora Historic Preservation Board. He continues to be a primary source of information regarding Mount Doras history and deserves credit for his role in saving valuable landmarks.
Dave Felts. Mount Dora Historical Society.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
I wont ever forget the first time I drove into Mount Dora. Id spent quite a bit of time in Lake County, from Groveland to Tavares to Leesburg, and one afternoon I found myself driving down Donnelly Street into the heart of this little city where oak trees lined the sidewalks and colorful awnings adorned quaint shops. There has to be a story behind this place, I remember thinking at the time. It was like no other place Id been to in Lake County.
Sure enough, there are quite a few stories behind Mount Dora, and Gary McKechnie and Nancy Howell have it all right here in this fun and highly accessible book. From the history of its earliest settlers (including Annie and J.P. Donnelly) to Mabel Norris Reese (the famed editor of the Mount Dora Topic) to the filming of the infamous and star-studded Honky Tonk Freeway, Gary and Nancy truly capture the beauty and quirkiness of this gem of a central Florida city.
Anyone whos ever been to Mount Dora knows that theyve been to a special place in Lake County, and this book is a worthy and indispensable look at the citys culture, history, politics and, most importantly, its charm.
GILBERT KING
October 2015
PREFACE
Even if an event happened five thousand years ago, its effects never really diminish. There will always be new information, another discovery or a different interpretation that changes the way we understand what happened all those years ago. The same is true with the ongoing history of Mount Dora. Often rumors become stories, then stories become legends and, finally, legends become facts. Thankfully, researchers and historians dig for truth the same as prospectors dig for gold.
Having lived in Mount Dora since 1992, we gained a better sense of the community by becoming deeply involved with the chamber of commerce, the Mount Dora Historical Society, the Library Association, the music festival, city council meetings, committees and other civic and nonprofit associations. Through our participation, we acquired a fairly good sense of the towns recent history and added another layer of historical awareness through friendships and conversations with Mount Dora natives and longtime residents.
For events preceding our arrival, we turned to historians and authors who shared a desire to chronicleand sometimes correctthe tales from Mount Doras past. Much of the information youll read was found in The Story of Mount Dora, Florida, written by R.J. Longstreet in 1960. The book was a project of the Mount Dora Historical Society that, in large part, was formed to produce a work that gathered the historic highlights of the town as well as applaud the people who played a role in Mount Doras creation.
Other sources include James Lauxs well-researched book A Short History of Mount Dora, Florida (2001); Memories of Mount Dora and Lake County: 1845 to 1981, by David Edgerton (1983); Vivian Owenss The Mount Dorans (2001); Mount Dora: The Rest of the Story, Plus!, by Reverend Eugene Burley (2000); and Judy Pendletons The Lakeside Inn (1998). Thanks to their efforts, Brief History of Mount Dora, Florida had a head start with a wealth of material that looked at similar events, but almost always from a different perspective.
The Mount Dora Historical Societys archives, housed at the W.T. Bland Public Library, provided additional insights through articles, photographs, pamphlets, papers and assorted ephemera. Seventy years of the local newspaper, the Mount Dora Topic, are preserved on microfilm at the Eustis Memorial Library. Those volumes proved to be an indispensable source of information and led to one conclusion.
Mount Dora is a small town with a big history.
For additional information, images and stories related to A Brief History of Mount Dora, Florida, visit:
www.mountdorahistory.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In addition to the authors of the aforementioned works, we extend our gratitude to Jane Trimble, Steve Williams, Patti Wightman, Darlin Berry, William Sievert, David Cohea, Beth Forbes, Jim Clark and Gilbert King. We also appreciate the assistance of Carolyn Green and the Mount Dora Historical Society, the Lake County Historical Society, the W.T. Bland Public Library, the Eustis Memorial Library and the State Library and Archives of Florida.
INTRODUCTION
Mount Dora. Today, the town appears to be running on cruise control as locals, weekenders and snowbirds filter into the downtown historic shopping village to hunt for art and antiques; check out the latest fashions; relax at a day spa; and sample beers, wines, coffees, teas, foods and desserts at cozy pubs, eateries, sidewalk cafs and award-winning restaurants. You can crack open a good book at an honest-to-goodness independent bookstore, settle back for a concert and, quite often, join tens of thousands of festival-goers celebrating art, music, crafts, collectibles, antiques, plants, food, bicyclesor anything else residents believe deserves a celebration.
Radiating out from the shopping village, neighborhoods reflect an eclectic quilt of architectural styles ranging from charming boathouses turned rustic residences to 1920s vintage cottages, 1950s ranch ramblers, Victorian homes and lakefront mansions. Speedboats, sailboats, catamarans and pontoon boats glide across 4,475-acre Lake Dora, often under the watchful eyes of red-tailed hawks, egrets, herons, bald eagles and curious alligators. Walk along the shoreline and you will find families picnicking in Gilbert Park, visitors exploring the waterfront boardwalk, people snapping photos of an adorable inland lighthouse and nature lovers admiring some of the most majestic sunsets in Florida.
