Kissimmee: Gateway to the Kissimmee River Valley

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.

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.

Product details

• Authors: Osceola County Historical Society, Jim Robison
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (SC)
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.10.2003
• EAN: 9780738524375
• ISBN: 978-0-7385-2437-5
• No. of pages: 160
• Dimensions: 173 mm x 244 mm x 10 mm
• Weight: 431 g
• Series: Making of America (Arcadia); Making of America (Arcadia); The Making of America
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > History