History

The rich history of Marion County spans back beyond recorded civilization to today’s milestones, creating a story like no other...

One of the earliest people to inhabit the area were the Timucuan Indians, whose culture was mentioned in the writings of Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer who toured the area in 1539. While their exact location in Marion County is unknown, the Timucuan’s largest village was called “Ocali.” Due to contact with the Europeans, the Timucuans, and those native populations who followed them, had been decimated by the mid 1700s.

When the United States purchased Florida from Spain in 1821, the many settlers relocating to the area found the new territory inhabited by Seminole Indians, which included Indians and runaway slaves from Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. The rich lands were perfect for American farmers’ needs, and in spite of attempts by the Indians to live in peaceful co-existence, troubles began and the United States embarked on a long and costly struggle to remove the Indians. In 1827, Fort King, located about three miles east of downtown Ocala, became an important military post and was the site for many dramatic events during the Seminole War of 1835-42. The original site of the fort was recently discovered and named a National Historic Site.

After the Second Seminole War in 1842, the Armed Occupation Act encouraged settlers to move into Florida by offering 160 acres of free land. Many of these early settlers came from South Carolina, where their local Revolutionary War hero was

General Francis Marion, “The Swamp Fox.” For this reason, on March 25, 1844, Marion was chosen as the name for the county. Prior to this, Marion County had been a part of Alachua, Mosquito (Orange) and Hillsborough counties, but after Florida became a state in 1845, Marion County quickly became the hub of a rapidly growing state, thanks to the abundance of tobacco, rice, sugar cane, cotton and cattle. In 1846, the county seat was planned and named “Ocala.”

View our video featuring Ocala's best locations and rich history:

History Resources:

• Marion County Clerk of the Circuit Court

• City of Ocala Historic Highlights

• City of Ocala Historic Districts

• Historic Ocala Preservation Society (HOPS)

• Marion County History Museum
  (352) 629-2773 | 306 SE 26th Terrace – Ocala

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