The History of Winter garden

According to Blackman’s 1927 History of Orange County, many Winter Garden settlers were descendents of the Beulah Pioneers located two miles south of Winter Garden where Henry Harrell Farms was located in 1857.

First incorporated in 1903 through Orange County, the town’s charter was not adopted until September 25, 1908 with 25 residents present to vote on incorporating; 23 for and 3 against.  The initial incorporated limits ran one mile east and west, and one mile and a half north and south.  The name was first established as the Town of Winter Garden in 1908.  The first elected officials included; A. B. Newton as Mayor, G. T. Smith as Clerk, J. S. Merritt as Clerk, G. J Strozier, J. L. Dillard, R. R. Roper, B. T. Boyd and L.D. Jones as Aldermen.

There are several versions on the origin of Winter Garden’s name; back in the 1880’s when several sawmill workers were having lunch they spit tomato seeds onto the ground and they grew well throughout the mild winter and when a good crop was produced, they named the area around the mill Winter Garden; A. B. Newton’s doctor recommended he move to Florida for his health and after it proved to be beneficial he named the area after his doctor, Dr. Gardiner; a group of growers met for a picnic at Plant and Main Streets, built a small railroad depot and needed a name for the stop; a prominent owner on the western shores of Lake Apopka, David E. Washburn, named the town; and yet another suggests the late Mrs. Frank Davis, of Apopka (then Mrs. Waite) named the town.