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Local Throwbacks

NEW BOOK SHINES LIGHT INTO MT. DORA HISTORY

12/11/2015

1 Comment

 

Mount Dora, known for its southern charm and New England look, boasts history that is just as engaging.  On January 11, the book of two local authors, "A Brief History of Mount Dora", will hit book store shelves.

Gary McKechnie's and Nancy Howell's relationships with local historians and longtime residents led to great stories.  They collected and used the most entertaining and intriguing historical facts in their new book.  This is the first local history to be published since 2001, yet it reportedly is more comprehensive than previous works.  It's also written in a casual style that makes it light and entertaining reading.

The authors moved from Orlando to Mount Dora in 1992, and  jumped into the small town with both feet with a desire to enhance things culturally.  Today,  the couple is very involved in the Mount Dora Music Festival and owns a piece of local history, The Coconut Cottage, a bed & breakfast in the historic district of Mount Dora.
 
Mount Dora,  also known as the "New England of the South", began with the arrival of pioneer families such as the Drawdys, Williams, Simpsons and Tremains and Pages.  In the 1880s, it became a popular destination for Chautauqua events, when visitors gathered beside Lake Gertrude and Lake Dora for educational and cultural enrichment.

In the twentieth century, Mount Dora was home to a boating industry, weathered economic setbacks and racial conflict.  At one point, the historic downtown was painted pale pink for the campy 1981 box office flop, "Honky Tony Freeway".

Today, it's a thriving artists colony and popular vacation get-away.  This beautiful lakefront community welcomes thousands of visitors to its numerous festivals, events and active shopping village. 

"A Brief History of Mount Dora" will be available locally at Barrel of Books & Games on 4th Avenue in downtown Mount Dora beginning January 11.

For a timeline of history of Mount Dora, click here,
For more news on Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.
For breaking news, click here.

Picture
Above:  Authors Gary McKechnie and Nancy Howell.  Below:  The cover of the new book
Picture
1 Comment
Hal Penley
3/12/2016 03:00:07 pm

I don't see anything in the history of Mt. Dora section about Mt. Dora Growers Cooperative. For than 40 years, until it closed, it was one of the largest employers in Mt. Dora, at times the largest. It was also the last industry in Mt. Dora to actually utilize the railroad through town, for shipping fruit up north. Contact me for more info and pictures.

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  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Real Estate
    • Outdoor Life
    • Real Estate Buzz
    • Government & Education
    • Profiles
    • Newsworthy
    • What's Hot...
    • Development Buzz
    • Who Knew?
    • Buzz Polls
  • Calendar
  • Festivals & Events
    • Annual Festivals
    • Monthly Events
    • Fall Festivals & Halloween Events
    • Best Local Pumpkin Patches
    • Holiday Event Guide
    • Mount Dora Community Toy Drive
  • The Best of....
    • Best of Mount Dora
    • Best of Eustis
    • Best of Tavares
    • Best of Mount Dora Take-out
  • Things to Do
  • Dining
  • Live Music
  • Lodging
  • Photos
    • Doors of Mount Dora
    • City Scenes
    • Colorful Cottages of Mount Dora
    • Holiday Lights
    • Views from Above
    • Palm Island Boardwalk
    • July 4th Americana
    • Vintage Photos
    • Donnelly House
    • Sydonie Mansion
    • The Howey Mansion
  • History
  • Mobile App
  • Contact
    • News Desk
    • Advertising Inquiries
    • Writing Services & Content Marketing
    • Design Services
    • Social Media Services
    • Suggest a Restaurant Visit
    • Submit Pic of the Day
  • Subscribe