Kissimmee in Osceola County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
A British Officer Finds Paradise in Florida
— Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek —
Colonel Cadman's story is typical of other wealthy "second son" families who migrated to Osceola County during the late 1800s. Investors were enticed to Florida by promises of its natural bounty and beauty, temperate climate, and commercial opportunity. Arthur Fell, a friend of the Cadman family, purchased 12,000 acres in the Narcoossee area from the Florida Land and Improvement Company. The Colonel eventually purchased 10 acres of land including 6 acres of orange groves from the Fell & Davidson company for $3,000.
“ In the Fell & Davidson settlement, at Narcoossee, there was a close community of English who characteristically built their tennis courts first, much to the surprise of a hard-headed American nurseryman who afterward set out their orange groves. He just naturally couldn’t understand it; it didn’t seem businesslike.”
Unknown Author Cadman Papers
Home and Gardens
The Cadmans' home was fondly called "the Bungalow." When the Colonel purchased the property, it included the house kitchen, outhouse, stable and buggy house, a one-acre garden, and a citrus grove with 250 trees ready to bear fruit. The yard around the home was lush with bamboo and other tropical plants. The family's possessions were shipped from England to Narcoossee and included more than a steamboat full of furnishings. Once they were settled, the well-to-do family, including the older children, worked the Florida soil alongside hired laborers.
Cadmans at Play
Like the Cadmans, many of the new settlers in Narcoossee were English. These fellow countrymen played as hard as they worked. Favorite pastimes included croquet, tennis, golf, and horseback riding. William and Jane were involved in the community and known for hosting parties. On Christmas Eve, they decorated with Chinese lanterns, and guests enjoyed an elaborate affair with traditional English food and champagne.
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Cadman Family
Lt. Col. William Edwin Cadman, his wife, Jane, sons William, Reginald, Godfrey, and his daughter, Margery, posed for this portrait shortly before traveling to America. William Edwin Cadman was retired from his recent post; he was Lt. Col. 3rd PWO (Princess of Wales Own) Yorkshire Regiment. He was fondly called the “Colonel” in the States.
Courtesy Osceola County Historical Society
The Colonel, Jane, and Margery Cadman
The family enjoyed afternoon tea daily — indoors or out depending on the weather. Margery seen here at age 20, returned to England for a year to complete her education and be presented to Court. After her return, she may have worked on the grove or helped her mother entertain. She never married.
Image Courtesy of Orange County Regional History Center
Cadman Children, 1901
Bumble puppy, a tetherball-like game, is only one of the recreational activities the Cadman family enjoyed.
Image Courtesy of Orange County Regional History Center
Erected by City of Kissimmee and Osceola County.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Entertainment • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.
Location. 28° 19.108′ N, 81° 27.361′ W. Marker is in Kissimmee, Florida, in Osceola County. Marker is on Babb Road, 0.2 miles north of Princess Lane. Marker located within the Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2491 Babb Rd, Kissimmee FL 34746, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Congregations (a few steps from this marker); A General Store (a few steps from this marker); Discover Frontier Communities (a few steps from this marker); Community-Centered Schools (a few steps from this marker); Cadman Kitchen (within shouting distance of this marker); Bunk House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Village Depot (within shouting distance of this marker); Ranch House (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kissimmee.
Also see . . . Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek. (Submitted on September 14, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 14, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 215 times since then and 40 times this year. Last updated on November 16, 2023, by Steven Owens of Lake Alfred, Florida. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 14, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.