Just so you know, the city of Kissimmee was incorporated on March 23, 1883, when 33 of the 36 eligible voters in the small trading settlement of Allendale, located on the northwest shore of Lake Tohopekaliga, voted to incorporate and to be known from that time on as Kissimmee City.

After Florida became a state in 1845, the settlement, to later become Kissimmee, was established and became an important trading center for the area and a supply center for those wishing to travel to south Florida through the lake and its connecting waterways. During the Civil War, the settlement and the surrounding area had become important to the Confederate Army by providing cattle to feed the hungry troops. The local men that worked the cattle during that conflict, became known as the “cow calvary” and their efforts established the settlement as the heart of cow country. The sound of “cracking” cow whips used by these men to drive the cattle through the palmettos and underbrush led to them being called “crackers” and further led to the designation, “Florida Cracker.”

In the 1870’s, cargo steamships were a major form of transportation for this area. In 1882, with the extension of the railroad to the settlement, from Sanford, Florida, north of here on the St. John’s River, the steamships became even more important.

The dredging of a river highway from Lake Tohopekaliga to the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers, on the southwest coast of Florida, in 1884 and the further extension of the railroad from Kissimmee to Tampa, Florida in 1885 made this area a center of commerce and trade.

The railroad also brought about Kissimmee’s entry into the tourist industry, long before there were any thoughts of theme parks. The Tropical Hotel was built on the lakefront to accommodate visitors to this area. The hotel provided various tours and side trips for the tourists to better acquaint them with Florida.

On May 12, 1887, Osceola County was formed by the Florida State Legislature and on February 6, 1888, Kissimmee City was chosen by 421 of the newly formed county’s 451 eligible voters to be the county seat and the city where the Osceola County Courthouse would be built to serve it’s residents. The courthouse was built and then dedicated on May 6, 1890, and it is today, the oldest courthouse in the state of Florida still in use for the purpose it was originally built.

Well, that’s enough about that! We hope while you’re here in Historic Downtown Kissimmee, you’ll take the time to visit our Farmers Market (every Thursday from 7 am to 1 pm), see our courthouse, and walk to our beautiful lakefront. On your way to the lake, we hope you enjoy seeing “The Monument of States” and “The Bataan Corregidor Monument.” We also invite you to visit our many businesses and restaurants listed in this brochure. Again, welcome to Historic Downtown Kissimmee and enjoy your visit to a genuine Florida Downtown Community!