Narcoossee, Florida facts for kids

Narcoossee is a small community in eastern Osceola County, Florida, in the United States. It's not an official town with its own government, but a place where people live. You can find it on the east side of a large lake called East Lake Tohopekaliga. The main road through Narcoossee is County Road 15, also known as Narcoossee Road. This road connects to a bigger highway, U.S. Route 192. For many years, Narcoossee hosted a fun event called the Battle at Narcoossee Mill. This was a Civil War reenactment held every spring. The event stopped in 2024 because the park where it was held is being developed.

History of Narcoossee

Narcoossee started in the late 1800s. A person named E. Nelson Fell began a settlement there. It was built on a large piece of land next to East Lake Tohopekaliga. The name "Narcoossee" comes from the Creek language. It means "black bear."

Early Settlers and Growth

English settlers began arriving in 1883. They saw newspaper ads that praised the area. These ads talked about the good land and citrus groves. They even promised a lot of money from the fruit. In 1888, a railway came through the area. This was the St. Cloud & Sugar Belt Railway. It later became the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The railway helped farmers ship their citrus. This made the local economy stronger.

One important English settler built Saint Peter's Episcopal Church. It opened in 1898.

Challenges and Changes

The community faced some tough times. In the 1890s, very cold weather caused hard freezes. These freezes destroyed the citrus groves. Then, in 1908, there was a severe drought. Many settlers became discouraged and left Narcoossee.

In 1910, E. Nelson Fell bought more land. This was about 144 square miles (373 km2) in Indian River County. He started a new town called Fellsmere. Many Narcoossee settlers moved with him to this new town. Only two families stayed behind in Narcoossee. The church also closed down. In 1930, the church building was moved. It went to St. Cloud and joined another church there.

Modern Narcoossee

Today, Narcoossee is growing again. New homes are being built. People are moving there from nearby cities like Orlando and St. Cloud. The main part of Narcoossee is at the intersection of Jones Road and Highway 15. This road is still known as Narcoossee Road. Narcoossee is part of the larger Orlando–Kissimmee area. This area is called a Metropolitan Statistical Area. It means many towns and cities are connected by their economy.