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OCALA’S ORIGINAL HORROR STORY
PHOTO OF THE SOUTH SIDE, JUST OFF THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE, FROM MAY 1883, MONTHS BEFORE THE FIRE. BUILDINGS INCLUDE THE POST OFFICE, THE BANNER LACON OFFICE AND THE ROBINSONS STORE. THE OCALA HOTEL, NOW HOME TO THE HILTON GARDEN INN. A THREESTORY HOTEL OCCUPIED THIS SITE FROM 1848 UNTIL IT WAS DESTROYED BY THE THANKSGIVING DAY FIRE OF 1883.
OCALA MAIN STREET INVITES YOU TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GREAT FIRE OF 1883 AND HOW OCALA EARNED ITS BRICK CITY NICKNAME. WRITTEN BY MELISSA PETERSON
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A FIRE STATION MADE OF BRICK WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1894 ON SOUTHEAST OSCEOLA AVENUE BETWEEN BROADWAY AND FT. KING STREET AT A COST OF $5,000.
stopped into local watering holes for favorite local cocktails; “The heART of the Community,” which was a family-friendly tour providing access into local galleries; and a Valentine’s Day-style tour. All tours are scheduled for the year in January and are posted on the OMS website and social pages. October’s walking tour will be led by Jessica, and the tour will stop into The Tipsy Skipper and Anti-Monopoly Drug Store, the speakeasy located in The Lodge. The ticket price, which is $35 per person, includes three drinks from these establishments. The tour is adult themed. “OMS is proud to host these tours to not only share the unique history of Ocala [with] our residents and visitors, but to support our local small businesses and generate foot traffic into
Photos courtesy of Ocala Main Street
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cala’s beautiful downtown was incorporated as a town in 1869 with significant development happening during the 1880s, creating the downtown square we know and love today. On Thanksgiving Day 1883, while most of Ocala’s residents were celebrating the holiday on Lake Weir, a fire started and swept through the center of town destroying five blocks of the business district. During the rebuilding process, wooden structures were replaced by brick and other fire-resistant materials, giving Ocala a new moniker. With October 9-15 being National Fire Prevention Week and Halloween at the end of the month, Ocala Main Street’s Executive Director Jessica Fieldhouse says the story of The Great Fire was a perfect fit to showcase one of Ocala’s most terrifying events and the origin story of why our city is now called The Brick City. “Join us as we share the original horror story of Ocala following along the treacherous path laid by The Great Fire,” says Jessica. “This downtown Ocala walking tour is a two-hour event and approximately one mile long, with stops into local bars to enjoy three fiery drinks.” Ocala Main Street (OMS) has partnered with the Historic Ocala Preservation Society, the Florida Historic Trust and the City of Ocala to create self-guided walking tours of many downtown historic properties. The OMS board decided to host in-person tours for our community, which are held once a quarter. All tours are themed to focus on different historic buildings and stories. Past tours have included “Waterways and Watering Holes,” which followed the Floridan aquifer below the city streets and
the historic district,” says Jessica. The Great Fire Historic Walking Tour will take place on October 15 from 4-6pm, and tickets can be purchased at ocalamainstreet.org. “OMS wants to instill a sense of place for our residents and for them to be tied to their culture and history,” says Jessica. “With downtown businesses called “Brick City Center for the Arts” and “Big Hammock Brewery and Bites,” how many of our residents truly understand the origin of what makes Ocala, specifically downtown Ocala, unique? With neighboring cities pulling tourism and even residents away, we want our locals to stay and help activate the continued economic growth of Ocala that we are now experiencing. Many of the buildings that are standing and have been revitalized in downtown are original structures created after The Great Fire in 1883, and we are proud to showcase our historic assets and tell the stories of old Ocala.” THE GREAT FIRE HISTORIC WALKING TOUR October 15, 4-6pm Learn more and purchase tickets at ocalamainstreet.org.