Harmony's Human History
History of Florida
Florida's human history begins 12,000 years ago when people first started to inhabit a land very different from what Florida is today. Because the sea level was much lower then, Florida was twice the size it is now. These Native American cultures developed cultivated agriculture and traded with other societies throughout the southeast. Spanish exploration began in the early 1500's bringing Ponce de Leon to St. Augustine in 1513 and Hernando de Soto to Tallahassee in 1539. The late 1500's attracted the French and English. Between the two periods of Spanish occupation, Florida was briefly ruled by Great Britain. In 1821, Spain officially ceded Florida to the newly formed United States under the conditions of the Adams-Onis Treaty.
Through periods of Native American occupation and European exploration and colonization, Florida continued to grow. Florida became the 27th state in the Union on March 3, 1845. During the Civil War, Florida provided soldiers and supplies and was relatively spared compared to other states in the Confederacy. The latter half of the nineteenth century brought large-scale agriculture to the state. Florida's growth originated from the cheap land and railroads that were being built throughout the state. Florida continued to growth through the post-war "boom" and attracted tourism, cattle, and citrus industries. Today, it is the 4th most populous state.
For more Florida history, visit the Florida Division of Historical Resources' Brief History of Florida.
History of Osceola County
Osceola County was created in 1887 by combing parts of Orange and Brevard counties. Until 1917, it reached all the way down to Lake Okeechobee. Today, it serves as the south-central boundary to Central Florida.
Osceola County is named after the famed Chief Osceola who was one of two Seminole chiefs who resisted from being removed from lands of central Florida during the second Seminole War, 1835 to 1842.
Harmony's Human History
At the beginning of the 20th century, Holopaw was the center of activity for harvesting native pine trees for turpentine and other naval stores. Before long, central Florida turned to agriculture.
Harmony's human history roots itself in agricultural beginnings. In 1951, the Edwards brothers purchased 10,000 acres of land at $25 an acre, naming it the Triple E Ranch. They developed this land as a cattle-feeding operation, managed by A.W. Birchwood. As feed prices increased over the yearrs, the Triple E Ranch changed over to hay production. Operations changed many times throughout the late 1900s to what is now the Town of Harmony.