Mount Dora, Florida - A Short History

By: James M. Laux

How a unique small town in Florida has thrived since the 1870s.

The Central Florida town of Mount Dora grew with oranges and retirees. It survived killing freezes and the expansion of nearby Orlando to become an oasis of charm and attractiveness, a real community rather than an accidental collection of transients.

How did Mount Dora get its name? Who settled there and why? How did the white and black races get along? How did its people make their living? What is it about Mount Dora that attracts thousands of visitors every year? How did it avoid succumbing to automobile traffic? How has it managed residential and commercial growth? How did it keep its downtown attractive and profitable? How does it expect to retain its traditional character?

James M. Laux is a retired professor of history at the University of Cincinnati who has published many books and articles on European and American history. Here he describes and analyzes his twelve-year hometown.