Orlando's First Settler, Aaron Jernigan

Orlando's First Settler, Aaron Jernigan (HM1EDH)

Location: Orlando, FL 32805 Orange County
Buy Florida State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 28° 30.766', W 81° 23.247'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 847 views
Inscription
(side 1)
Aaron Jernigan moved to what is now Orlando in 1843 after the passage of the Armed Occupation Act of 1842 that opened vast areas of Florida for settlement. According to the law, one could move onto land at least two miles from an established fort, erect a home, and become a citizen-soldier. After defending the land from Indians for five years, the homesteader would receive title to 160 acres.

Jernigan cleared land and built a cabin on the northwest shore of Lake Holden, about two miles from Fort Gatlin. Early in 1844, Jernigan moved his wife Mary and their children, his Negro slaves, and 700 head of cattle to his homestead. When Florida became a state in 1845, he was elected Orange County's first representative to the state legislature. In all, Jernigan acquired 1200 acres of land.

Although the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, Indian uprisings and cattle rustling continued to be a problem. In 1846, Aaron had to leave Tallahassee to protect his herds. He built a stockade on the north shore of Lake Conway in 1849, and 80 residents plus their slaves quickly moved in for protection and remained there for almost a year. Jernigan became the captain of a local militia that patrolled the area for renegade Indians in 1852 but was able to disband the same year once the Seminoles were convinced to stop their raids.
(Continued on other side)

(side 2)
(Continued from other side)
By 1850, the Jernigan home had become the nucleus of a village named Jernigan which had a U.S. Post Office and was indicated as a settlement on early Florida maps. But, as more settlers moved to the area, the new town of Orlando replaced the small village.

Jernigan and some of his sons were accused of killing a man at Orlando's log cabin post office in 1859. Orlando had no jail, so the Jernigans were transported to Ocala where they escaped. Legend has it that Aaron moved to Texas where he lived for 25 years. He eventually returned to the area and died in Orlando in 1891. He was buried at the Lake Hill Cemetery in Orlo Vista, Florida.
Details
HM NumberHM1EDH
Tags
Placed ByOrange County:
Richard T. Crotty, Mayor
Linda A. Stewart, Commissioner District 4, Orange County Board of County Commissioners
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, October 24th, 2014 at 11:53pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17R E 462086 N 3154067
Decimal Degrees28.51276667, -81.38745000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 28° 30.766', W 81° 23.247'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds28° 30' 45.96" N, 81° 23' 14.82" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)407, 321
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 2900-2910 Alamo Dr, Orlando FL 32805, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?