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1845
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1
16
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Florida Statehood.
Map
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1845
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1
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Aaron Jernigan elected as Orange counties first representative to
state legislature.
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1846
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16
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County boundary adjustment.
Map
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1849
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16
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Putnam county created out of portions of St. Johns, Alachua,
Orange, Duval and Marion counties.
Map
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May 30, 1850
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1
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Jernigan granted a post office. Wright Patrick of South Carolina appointed as first postmaster.
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1850
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1
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John J. Worthington builds the first log house (12 x 8 ft) in the Orlando downtown area.
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Sept 1852
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18
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Tropical storm hits Orange County with sustained winds of 69 mph.
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1854
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16
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Volusia county created from Orange county.
Map
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1854
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1
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Judge James G. Speer moves to Orlando area.
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1855
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19
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Seminole Chief Billy Bowlegs attacked a military survey party, starting the Third Seminole Indian War (1855 - 1858).
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1855
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1
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James P. Hughey moves to Orlando and settles near Lake Lucerne. He established Orlando’s first
drainage system. He was one of the first mail carriers and became county clerk in 1857.
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1856
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1
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Town officially named Orlando. Origin of the name is uncertain. Pick any one of a dozen stories.
However, Judge James G. Speer, who move to the area in 1854, supported the name change and the
moving of the county seat from Enterprise to Orlando. The issues were to be settled in a popular
election in 1856. On a trip to Sumter county, he ran across some soldiers who were camping there.
As a judge, he declared that any U.S. soldier had a right to vote wherever he happened to be on
election day. With the promise of a good picnic dinner, the soldiers came and voted. They came, they
voted and they ate well, and the village of Orlando became the new county seat.
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1857
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1
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John J. Worthington builds the first wood frame house in Orlando.
He opened a store and was the first to sell goods over the counter
in Orlando.
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1857
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1
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B. F.Caldwell donates four acres of land for a courthouse site.
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1858
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1
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First Baptist church organized with 12 members. It disbanded during the Civil War.
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1858
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19
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End of the Third Seminole Indian War. Chief Bowlegs and over 100 Seminoles were captured
and transported to the Indian Territory in Oklahoma.
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Sept 1858
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18
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Tropical storm hits Orange County with sustained winds of 58 mph.
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1859
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1
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Arron Jernegan indicted for murder after a brawl at the post office. He was jailed
in Ocala, escaped and moved to Texas. After 25 years he returned to Orlando.
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Jan 1861
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9
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Florida holds a special convention in Tallahassee and seceded from the Union. Florida was the third
state to leave the union. It later joined the Confederate States of America.
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1861
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9
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War between the states begins. Central Florida provides soldiers, horses and food
to the Confederacy. Florida was considered the Confederacy's bread basket since most
of the other Confederate states were ravaged by war.
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Nov 1861
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18
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Tropical storm hits Orange County with sustained winds of 69 mph.
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1863
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1
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A two story log courthouse is built on the corner of Magnolia and Central facing east.
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1865
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9
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War between the states ends.
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1865
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1
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William H. Holden and purchases land from Arron Jernegan adjacent to a lake now named Lake Holden.
He owned 1200 acres and tried to raise cattle, but recurring indian raids caused him to abandon the
venture. He planted sugar, citrus and vegetables. He was the first to raise grapefruit commercially
in Central Florida.
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1866
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1
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John J. Worthington builds Worthington Hotel at southwest corner of Central Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue.
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1866
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16
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County boundary adjustment.
Map
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1868
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1
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Courthouse burned down probably due to arson during a conflict over cattle taxes.
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Aug 1871
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18
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Category 2 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 104 mph.
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Aug 1871
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18
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Category 1 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 81 mph.
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Oct 1872
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18
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Tropical Storm hits Orange County with sustained winds of 58 mph.
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1872
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16
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County boundary adjustment.
Map
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Sep 1873
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18
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Tropical Storm hits Orange County with sustained winds of 58 mph.
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1873
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16
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County boundary adjustment.
Map
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Oct 1873
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18
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Category 1 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 92 mph.
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1874
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16
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County boundary adjustment.
Map
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Jul 31, 1875
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1
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Orlando becomes incorporated. Boundaries were: Fern Creek Ave to the East,
Copeland Ave to the South, Kentucky Ave (later Orange Blossom Trail) to the
West, and Marks Street to the North. The first survey was performed in
1875 by E. R. Trafford. William Brack, a cattleman from South Florida
became the first mayor.
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1875
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9
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City of Mellonville incorporated.
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1875
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1
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George Macy arrived and opened a blacksmith shop on the northeast corner
of Hughey Ave and South Street.
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29 Sep 1875
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9
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City of Sanford becomes incorporated.
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Oct 1876
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18
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Category 1 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 92 mph.
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1876
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1
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Charter issued for first Masonic order in Orlando with Charles Jacocks as the first Master.
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1876
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1
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The First Presbyterian Church organized by Reverends William Telford and W.D. Dodge.
Reverend Henry Keigwin was the first pastor.
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Sep 1876
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18
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Category 1 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 81 mph.
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1879
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16
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County boundary adjustment.
Map
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Aug 1880
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18
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Tropical Storm hits Orange County with sustained winds of 69 mph.
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1880
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1
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The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, is organized by Reverend Thurlow Bishop.
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1881
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1
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The Orlando Telephone Company installed the first telephone exchange in Orlando with eight phones.
The first was installed by Perry Foster.
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1883
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1
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First board sidewalks laid along W. Church Street and west side of Orange Ave.
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Nov 4, 1885
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2
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Rollin College in Winter Park officially opens. Winter Park was selected as the site after
intense bidding by a number of communities. The college is named after Alonzo Rollins, its
largest benefactor.
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Jul 1886
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18
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Category 2 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 98 mph.
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May 12, 1887
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16
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Osceola county created out of Orange and Brevard counties.
Map
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1887
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1
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Holy Nativity Catholic Church built under the leadership of Father Felix SwemBurgh.
It was renamed to St. James Catholic Church in 1888.
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1887
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16
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Lake county created out of Sumter and Orange counties.
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Oct 1891
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18
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Tropical Storm hits Orange County with sustained winds of 40 mph.
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Oct 1892
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18
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Tropical Storm hits Orange County with sustained winds of 46 mph.
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1892
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1
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George Macy establishes a blacksmith shop, the first commercial establishment in the Parramore area.
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Aug 1893
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18
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Category 3 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 121 mph.
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Sep 1894
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18
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Category 2 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 109 mph.
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Dec 24, 1894
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1
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The first Great Freeze lasted 36 hours with temperatures as low as 14 degrees F.
It totally destroyed the citrus crops in central Florida.
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Feb 7, 1895
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1
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The second Great Freeze lasted two days with temperatures in the teens. January had been
quite warm so the citrus trees were full of sap, covered in buds and flowers. The freeze
caused the trees to split and burst open explosively. The first freeze killed the crop, the
second freeze killed the trees. 97% of Floridas' Citrus production was completely destroyed.
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Oct 1896
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18
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Category 1 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 81 mph.
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Sep 1897
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18
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Tropical Storm hits Orange County with sustained winds of 35 mph.
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Oct 1897
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18
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Tropical Storm hits Orange County with sustained winds of 46 mph.
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Aug 1898
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18
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Category 1 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 81 mph.
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Aug 1899
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18
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Category 3 hurricane hits Orange County with sustained winds of 121 mph.
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