Throughout the 1700s, small bands of Creek Indians made their way south to Florida's fertile farmlands and game-filled forests. These breakaway groups joined with escaped slaves and other Indians to forge a new identity in Florida known as the Seminole. From 1835 to 1842 the vastly outnumbered Seminole Indians fought the U.S. Army to a stalemate in the longest and bloodiest Indian war in U.S. history. The few surviving Seminole retreated deep into the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp where they developed a culture suited to the climate and terrain of south Florida.

Orlando’s history dates back to 1838 when the U.S. Army built Fort Gatlin south of the present day Orlando to protect settlers from attacks by Seminole Indians. A small community grew up around the Fort, known as Jernigan, named after the Jernigan family who were the first permanent settlers in the area. Jernigan had a post office, established May 30th, 1850 and changed its name to Orlando in 1857. Cattle ranching was the primary way to make a living and there were Indian wars, cattle rustling, gun fights, gambling and other evening pursuits. 

In 1880 the South Florida Railroad extended its line down to Orlando from Sanford and central Florida’s new citrus industry would rapidly expand with this easy access to Northern markets. Orlando changed dramatically and became the hub for commerce and business in Central Florida. By the mid-1920s Orlando was a bustling city with a population over 10,000. With the Florida land boom and the advent of affordable automobiles in the 1920's, Orlando began to develop the beginnings of its tourist industry.

During World War II, Orlando became a major training center, with the construction of army bases, housing for servicemen, and training facilities. The airport was enlarged and equipped with barracks, a military hospital, administration buildings, and mess halls. By 1944, Orlando had a second airport and was known as "Florida's Air Capital," home to major aircraft and aviation-parts manufacturers. Thousands of servicemen did part of their hitch in Orlando, and, when the war ended, many returned to settle here.

In 1964, Walt Disney began secretly buying entral Florida farmland. As vast areas of land were purchased in lots of 5,000 acres here, 20,000 there, rumors flew as to who needed so much land. Speculation continued almost to the day when Uncle Walt arrived in town and announced his plans to build the world's most spectacular theme park. In 2 years of construction effort, Disney employed 9,000 people and the total cost of the project by its October 1971 opening was $400 million. In Walt Disney World's first 2 years, the attraction drew 20 million visitors and employed 13,000 people.