Sunday, March 18, 2018

Florence CLARK Milton of Lake Jessamine




Pine Castle’s William Wallace Harney provided a wealth of Orange County history in his 19th century writings, but planted as well clues about many of the region’s history makers. When writing about the first church built south of Orlando, for example, Harney included the name, “Mrs. Milton.”

UCF History Professor Paul Wehr, author of ‘Dateline: Pine Castle, Stories of Orange County,’ published by Pine Castle Historical Society, Professor Wehr wrote: “The area south of Orlando was still without a church (mid-1870s), but the energy of Mrs. Milton, an active Christian lady, keenly alive to the moral and religious destitution around her, soon remedied that shortcoming.” 

Florence (CLARK) Milton had been successful in her endeavor. In fact, Harney even described her church: “The structure, which seated one hundred persons comfortably and one hundred and fifty by crowding, stood about two hundred yards from the margin of Lake JESSAMINE. The local Presbytery expected to dedicate (the church) in August 1876.”

Mrs. Milton’s fund raising endeavor, as described by Will Harney, “applied to her old home, the bluegrass region of Kentucky.” Among the donations received was $20 from a minister, “Mr. Young, of Nicholasville.” The town of Nicholasville is located in JESSAMINE County, KY.

Florence Clark, born 1848 at Washington, DC, was born in DC because her father, a native of Kentucky, worked there as a law clerk. Florence married William A. Milton in 1869 at Kentucky. Featured in my latest book, Beyond Gatlin: A History of South Orange County, Florence CLARK Milton was one of many Kentuckians influenced by Will Wallace Harney to buy land near his Pine Castle community.

I do hope you attend my 2 PM FREE presentation today at Orange County SOUTH CREEK branch library. Click on the Event page link below for details.

BEYOND GATLIN: A History of South Orange County
Orange County Public Library Presentation
Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 2 PM

Visit Facebook Event Page

Tomorrow: Franc of Lake Ivanhoe’s Fair Oaks & Lord’s Arcade

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