Narcoossee is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in eastern Osceola County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, United States. It is located on the east side of

East Lake Tohopekaliga East Lake Tohopekaliga (East Lake Toho for short) is a lake in Osceola County, Florida, United States. It is the primary inflow of Boggy Creek, which rises in the Orlando International Airport at above sea level. Three places surround the lake, ...

. The only major road which runs through Narcoossee is County Road 15, commonly referred to as

Narcoossee Road Narcoossee is an unincorporated community in eastern Osceola County, Florida, United States. It is located on the east side of East Lake Tohopekaliga. The only major road which runs through Narcoossee is County Road 15, commonly referred to as N ...

, which connects to

U.S. Route 192 U.S. Route 192 (US 192) is an east–west route of the United States Numbered Highway system in central Florida. It runs from U.S. Route 27 ( State Road 25) in Four Corners, Lake County, east past Walt Disney World and through Kissimmee, S ...

. Every May, the community holds the annual

Battle at Narcoossee Mill A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, which is a

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

reenactment.

History

Narcoossee began in the late 19th century as a settlement by E. Nelson Fell, on a huge tract of land on the shore of

. The town name is derived from the Creek Indian word for "black bear." English settlers began to arrive in 1883, drawn by newspaper advertisements extolling the virtues of the area and its citrus groves, promising an annual income of $10,000 once the groves matured. In 1888 the St. Cloud & Sugar Belt Railway (later renamed the

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...

) came through the town area, expanding the citrus shipping possibilities and improving the local economy. One of the prominent English citizens built Saint Peter's Episcopal Church which opened in 1898. After a series of hard freezes in the 1890s that wiped out citrus groves and a severe drought in 1908, many settlers gave up and left the area. In 1910, Fell acquired title to in

Indian River County Indian River County ( es, Condado de Río Indio, link=) is a county located in the Treasure Coast region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 159,788. Its seat is Vero Beach. It is Florida's 7th richest county ...

, founded the town of Fellsmere, and took many of the Narcoossee settlers with him. Only two families remained and the church closed. In 1930 the church building was dismantled and moved to St. Cloud where it was joined to the existing church there becoming the church of St Luke and St Peter. Like the Central Florida area around it, population growth has spread to Narcoosee both from Orlando and from St Cloud with housing developments springing up. The heart of the 'town' rests at the blinking light which is the intersection of Jones Road and Highway 15, also known as Narcoossee Road. Narcoossee is part of the

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...

–

Kissimmee Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

References

Unincorporated communities in Osceola County, Florida Greater Orlando Unincorporated communities in Florida {{OsceolaCountyFL-geo-stub