Editing Mount Dora, Florida (section)

==History==
[[File:Lakeside Inn Mount Dora Florida.jpg|thumb|The front entrance of the Lakeside Inn]]
The town of Mount Dora began in 1874 when the area was settled by David Simpson, his wife, and two children.<ref>{{Cite web|title = History Of Mount Dora Florida|url = http://www.florida-backroads-travel.com/history-of-mount-dora.html|website = Florida Backroads Travel|access-date = November 30, 2015}}</ref> In 1880, Ross C. Tremain became the town's first postmaster, and later a major real-estate developer for the area.<ref name= tremains>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1995-04-05-9504050129-story.html|title=TREMAINS COME TO LAKE FOR HEALTH AND HELP CREATE ROSY PROSPERITY|first=Ormund|last=Powers|website=OrlandoSentinel.com}}</ref> A post office called Mount Dora has been in operation since 1883.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=FL&county=Lake | title= Lake County | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | access-date=June 7, 2015}}</ref> Tremain named the unincorporated village ''Royellou'', after his children, Roy, Ella, and Louis.<ref name=tremains/> The community was renamed for Dora Ann Drawdy, who was an early settler of the town in the mid-1880s. In 1846, the surveyors named Lake Dora after her, and in 1883, the town was renamed after the lake.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title = Mount Dora, FL - Official Website - History of Mount Dora|url = http://ci.mount-dora.fl.us/index.aspx?nid=317|website = ci.mount-dora.fl.us|access-date = November 3, 2015}}</ref> The Mount in Mount Dora reflects the fact that the town is on a [[plateau]] 184 feet above sea level.<ref name=":0" /> In addition to this, Dora is memorialized through Dora Drawdy Way, an alleyway located in the downtown area. The town’s original name is honored in a similar fashion through another alleyway simply named ''Royellou''.

The town became a popular winter retreat for hunters, fishermen, and boaters, and in 1883, the Alexander House, a two-story hotel, was opened. The Alexander House has been renamed several times and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. A railroad came to town in 1887, followed by an [[orange (fruit)|orange]]-packing house, fertilizer factories, and a [[cannery]]. The town was granted a charter in 1910 with John Philip Donnelly as its first mayor; the town had 371 residents at the time.<ref name=":0" />

In the 1920s, Mount Dora began to grow significantly, both in residential development and business development. Mount Dora began investing in public infrastructure, including streetlights, a water system, curbs, and paved roads.<ref name=":0" /> The first two public parks were created and the Mount Dora Community Building was built largely from funds raised by Mount Dora residents. The building has since served as the city's performance and meeting venue.

In 2013, the City of Mount Dora began to develop an area of land called the Wolf Branch Innovation District.  That plan was developed as the Wekiva Parkway started to expand and State Road 453 opened right into Mount Dora. The Wolf Branch Innovation District is currently being developed to become a high-technology and life-sciences business area. Expansion of infrastructure and roadways continues as Mount Dora prepares for future growth.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

===Historic sites===
The following are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]:
* [[Blandford (Mount Dora, Florida)|Blandford]]
* [[Donnelly House (Mount Dora, Florida)|John P. Donnelly House]]
* [[Lakeside Inn (Mount Dora, Florida)|Lakeside Inn]]
* [[Old Mount Dora Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station]], home to the town's [[chamber of commerce]]
* [[Witherspoon Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, No. 111]]

The [[Mount Dora Historic District]] is a U.S. historic district in downtown Mount Dora. The district is roughly bounded by 3rd Avenue, 11th Avenue, Clayton Street, and Helen Street. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 1, 2009.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.nps.gov/nr/listings/20091009.htm | title= National Register of Historic Places Listings | website= NPS.gov | date= October 9, 2009 }}</ref>