In 1879, the new post office south of the steamboat wharfs on Lake Jesup was named Oviedo for a city in northern Spain to blend with the old La Florida. Oviedo has grown from a farm town to become the cultural and commercial center for Black Hammock, Geneva, Chuluota, Snow Hill, Slavia, Jamestown, Gabriella, Mills Lake, and Taintsville ("taint" Oviedo, "taint" Chuluota). Around Oviedo is more than a title--it is a sense of place. Lakes, rivers, and conservation lands surround Oviedo, forever preserving its frontier Florida heritage. Neighboring University of Central Florida has drawn...

Visitors flock to Central Florida for its mild winters, pristine waterways, and proximity to Atlantic and Gulf beaches, and in the heart of Central Florida lies Altamonte Springs, the largest city in Seminole County. Taking its name from the many spring-fed lakes and sand hills that make up the area, Altamonte Springs is now home to more than 40,000 residents. Developed into a winter resort town in the late 1800s during the area's first tourism boom, Altamonte Springs became a sunny playground for the wealthy and an oasis for those requiring a "healing" environment in which to recuperate from...

In the heart of Central Florida lies St. Cloud, an amiable city with a bright future and a colorful past. Located in Osceola County, only a short distance from the Sunshine State's most-visited tourist attractions, the city has benefited greatly from its unique locale. But long before the city attracted sightseers, it was a booming sugar exporter and a haven for retired Civil War veterans. The town, named for a Paris suburb, was incorporated in 1911 as a "soldier's colony" and was touted for its "health, climate, and productiveness of the soil." Today, St. Cloud celebrates its diverse...