In “Romeo and Juliet,” Shakespeare pondered, “what’s in a name?” He argued that a rose, called by a different name, would still smell the same. One of the debates forwarded by the play is that what people, things, and places are called isn’t essential. Let’s look at Orlando’s name origin to figure out if this is true.
The pioneers of 1845 Central Florida weren’t particularly happy with the name of their county. When Florida earned state status in the same year, Mosquito County earned a new name: Orange County. Even though the number of mosquitoes far exceeded that of oranges and people in the area, residents and politicians alike agreed that the new name was much more inviting.
So, when was Orlando fl founded? According to Orlando, Florida history, it was founded in 1842, long before Walt Disney ever set foot in Central Florida. There was a prosperous farm in the area established by a man from Georgia named Aaron Jernigan. To show honor to this successful family, the community decided to take on the name of Jernigan.
In 1850, the first post office ever in the history of Orlando (still Jernigan at that point) was opened in the area. The community had a name change seven years later and officially adopted the name Orlando. The municipality of Orlando was then incorporated in 1875 by its twenty-nine residents.
What Is Orlando’s Name Origin?
There are several theories about this.
Towns in Florida, Orlando included, were built around forts constructed during the Seminole Indian Wars in the 1830s. These forts were strategically placed a day’s walk apart from each other to protect soldiers from night attacks.
Fort Gatlin was the site of Orlando’s origin. Other towns in Florida have maintained their fort names from the Seminole Indian War days, including Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, and Fort Myers.
When looking at Orlando’s name origin, many people believe that the city is named after Orlando Reeves, a soldier killed in 1835 by Seminole Indians. It is widely thought that Reeves lost his life in an attack to protect other soldiers as they camped outside Fort Gatlin. While most people agree that this was how the town was named, in 1884, a story in the newspaper identified the soldier who died as Orlando Jennings.
One of the most puzzling aspects of this story is that the War Department roster listing 1,466 soldiers who lost their lives during these wars does not contain the name Orlando Jennings or Orlando Reeves.
Another Orlando?
Adding more confusion to the matter is that there was an Orlando J. Rees in the 1830s who lived near Fort Gatlin. His nickname was “Colonel” Rees, and he was a wealthy plantation owner. He, however, did not serve in the military.
In a letter dated 1837, Rees disclosed that his 110 slaves were “stolen” by the Seminole Indians. The census in 1840 shows that Rees wasn’t in Central Florida operating his cattle ranch at the time.
A few questions arise from this observation. Was Rees the “soldier” people knew as Orlando Reeves? Does the middle initial on Rees’s name stand for Jennings? Could the Seminoles have killed Rees after he disclosed that he was having trouble with them? Did Reese move before the 1840 census, or was his plantation abandoned by everyone else after he died?
Historians are still figuring out the answers to these questions.
Another Legend
Orlando’s name origin has another legend associated with it. According to this legend, a man died close to Fort Gatlin while directing an ox caravan to Tampa. This man was called “Mr. Orlando”. The man died and was buried at the exact spot. When people passed by the spot where he was buried, they would say, “there lies Orlando.” From then on, the name stuck. This story has subsequently been questioned due to concerns about its accuracy.
And now, let’s get back to the connection to William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare Connection?
In 1854, a judge named J.G. Speer moved to Florida. Once there, he assisted in the organization of Orange County. By 1856, he had moved the county seat to Orlando from Enterprise. Some people believe that Judge Speer named the town for a character in William Shakespeare’s comedy titled “As You Like It” because he liked him.
While this story about Orlando’s name origin is built around circumstantial evidence, it may be the real deal. In the play “As You Like It,” Orlando has a lover called Rosalind. In downtown Orlando, there’s a main street called Rosalind Avenue.