Mount Dora The Beginning Years

Mount Dora The Beginning Years. Someplace Special. , Dora Ann Drawdy , Dora Ann Fletcher was born on May 12, 1826 in Irwin, Georgia. Dora married her husband James Drawdy in 1843 and had three children. Tragically, James died shortly after the birth of their last child Martha Ann in 1848. A year later, Dora married James' cousin William Drawdy and had six more children., According to family legend, William and Dora wanted to live the frontier life. At that time, Florida had recently joined the Union and was mostly unexplored wilderness. The Drawdy family built a raft and ferried their possessions down the Suwannee River and then by horse and wagon to Central Florida. William and Dora placed a claim on 164 acres in what would be known as Mount Dora. (Pictured Left), Dora and her children continued to live on the settlement and would often feed and house traveling government surveyors. In return for Dora's southern hospitality, the surveyors named Lake Dora in her honor., Lake Dora became a popular destination for both visitors and settlers. The first post office was built in 1880 but required an official town name. The Postmaster called the town Royellou, after his children Roy, Ellen and Louis. The town was officially named Mount Dora on February 12, 1883 after Lake Dora and the town's high elevations., (captions) , Above - Ladies enjoying Coca-Cola downtown in 1914. , Right - Post office assistants.