Customer Reviews

Flashbacks : The Story of Central Florida's Past

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"Flashbacks: The Story of Central Florida's Past," by Jim Robison and Mark Andrews is a wonderful look at Central Florida's rich historical past. This book was made possible by a grant to the Orange County Historical Society from Walt Disney World and is co-published by the Orlando Sentinel. It was a wise investment...Central Florida's history is truly amazing.

I took interest in the subject because I visit Central Florida frequently and wanted to check out its history. To this end, this book is good, easy and fun reading and a great place to start if you want a comprehensive historical understanding of Central Florida. The authors explain that the remants of the "true" natives (not killed by Europeans) were absorbed into offshoots of the Creek and Cherokee tribes who assumed the name "Seminoles." They also report that Oceola County is named for a legandary Seminole warrior and that Orlando is likely named after a soldier killed by Indians near Lake Eola in 1835.

Robison and Andrews also inform us that Kissimmee's boom-town pioneer days were personified by swamp-empire builder Hamilton Disston whose land deal not only saved the State of Florida bankruptcy but turned a cow camp and trading post settlement into a steamboat and railroad hub of the 1880's. Kissimmee was officially born on Election Day 1883 and it quickly earned a reputation as a town of saloons for ranchers and cowboys. It also boasted the nation's first ride-up-saloon.

However, the story of Central Florida cannot be told without including entertainment magnate Walt Disney. Within five years after the 1955 opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California executives began to think seriously about expanding East. The story goes..."Disney and several of his top executives were flying in the corporate jet over Central Florida, scouting out potential locations when they located a vast stretch of virgin land near the junction of Interstate 4 and the Florida Turnpike...this is it!" they shouted.

Disney wanted to stay away from the beaches where there would be too much competition for tourists' time and money. He also wanted to avoid the mistake he had made at Disneyland: failing to control the land just outside the park's gates where garish development pushed right up to the property line and others made millions running hotels, restaurants and other tourist-related businesses.

This book is an excellent source of information about the growth of Central Florida's citrus and cattle industry. It also provides an outstanding historical accounting about the growth of Orlando, Winter Park, Kissimmee, Apopka, Maitland, Eatonville, Goldenrod, Pine Castle, Edgewood, Belle Isle, Windermere and many other Central Florida communities. Highly recommended.

Bert Ruiz

The book Flashbacks Story of Central Florida's Past was perfect
in condition. I am greatlly pleased. I ordered it for a gift and it is great. It arrived quicker than I expected and I thank the seller.