Kissimmee: Gateway to the Kissimmee River Valley, Florida (Making of America Series)

by Jim Robison, Osceola County Historical Society

Overview

Kissimmee, Florida traces its name to the Jororo tribe, among the first to settle along the river valley. Riverboat captains, entrepreneurs, and speculators found Kissimmee and nearby Lake Tohopekaliga irresistible, and soon settlers followed. The 1880s marked this city's first brush with tourism, as the Tropical Hotel became the largest resort hotel south of Jacksonville. As the cattle town struggled to survive floods, the Depression, and downtown neglect in favor of spillover Walt Disney World business, committed citizens fought back and spiritedly rekindled the town into a favored tourist spot.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738524375
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	10/01/2003
Series:	Making of America Series
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.78(w) x 8.46(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

Jim Robison, editor, reporter, and history columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, is a fourth-generation Floridian. He and the Osceola County Historical Society join forces here to compile a comprehensive history. Robison's passionate narrative is accompanied by vivid historic images, presenting an entertaining, informative account of this central Florida city.