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Here is a brief history of North Central Florida?

At the end of the Civil War, aside from the cattle, cotton, and coastal lands, much of Central Florida was wetlands. It took a major drainage project financed by businessman Hamilton Disston in the 1880s to make these wetland areas available for settlement.

Sanford was incorporated in 1877 as a port city at the intersection of Lake Monroe and the St. Johns River. It was envisioned as a transportation center, the city’s founder, Henry S. Sanford, nicknamed it “the Gate City of South Florida”. It became a hub for shipping agricultural products, which earned the city another nickname “Celery City”.

Kissimmee, originally named Allendale, after Confederate Major J.H. Allen who operated the first cargo steamboat on the Kissimmee River boomed in the 1880s. It was the headquarters of Hamilton Disston’s drainage company. The city was an important regional steamship port, owing to that status to its location on Lake Tohopekaliga. The expansion of the railroads into Central Florida eliminated the need for Kissimmee’s steamship industry.[14]

The Great Freeze of 1894-1895 ruined citrus crops, which had a detrimental ripple effect on the economy.

The hard-packed sand of Volusia County’s beaches lent itself to auto races beginning in 1903 before paved roads were common, leading to the area’s reputation for cars and racing. Ormond Beach was a popular spot for those who liked fast cars after the turn of the 20th century because the hard-packed beach was ideal for going fast. The same beach had led to the development of a tourist resort by Henry Flagler. It later attracted Flagler’s former business partner John D. Rockefeller, who had a winter home in Ormond.

During and after World War II, the U.S. Army Air Forces (U.S. Air Force after 1947) and the U.S. Navy established several training facilities and operational bases in the region, mainly aviation activities, later followed by space exploration sites. In the late 1940s, the U.S. military established a missile testing facility on Merritt Island near Cape Canaveral because the land was largely undeveloped and the agreeable climate allowed for year-round operations.

When NASA later searched for a long-term base in the 1960s from which to launch spacecraft, it chose the adjacent Merritt Island site next to Cape Canaveral for its access to the testing facility and to nearby communities. NASA purchased over 100,000 acres (400 km2) of land for the Kennedy Space Center.

Deltona was developed in 1962 as a planned retirement community. It is now the largest city in Volusia County.

Yulee Sugar Mill, is located in the Central Florida town of Homosassa. The Florida State Park is the site of David Levy Yulee’s 5,100-acre sugar plantation. The mill operated from 1851 to 1864 and served as a supplier of sugar products for Southern troops during the Civil War.

The construction of the Walt Disney World Resort was a transforming event for greater Orlando. Walt Disney wanted a location with abundant available land that was more accessible for the residents of the eastern United States to visit. Not only was there ample land in Central Florida, but it was inexpensive and the inland location offered some protection from hurricanes. Plans were announced in 1965, and the theme park opened to the public in 1971.