One place, many definitions

Many years ago, Ruth Linton told me it was impossible to define Pine Castle in geographic terms. "It's more of a state of mind," she said.

To be sure, folks struggled to define the region surrounding the Conway chain of lakes south of Orlando as far back as recorded history survives around this little corner of heaven.

Government surveyor Benjamin Whitner flattered the man who signed his federal contract in the 1830s by naming the chain "Conway" after him.

But, according to one of the letters in my current anthology project, Will Wallace Harney claims the Seminoles called the area "Okehitanatchee." According to him, this translated as "land of fair waters." (Can anyone confirm or refute this?)

Harney originally dubbed his vast estate on the shores of Lake Conway, "Okatoulypes." As noted in a previous post, I have no idea what that word might mean. Sounds Greek, no?

Anyway, Harney eventually settled on the more rustic term, "Pine Castle." His neighbors liked it so well, they began applying it to the entire area.

At different times since then, Pine Castle has extended as far north as Michigan Street in Orlando and as far south as the Osceola County line.

For a brief time, from the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s until the Great Depression, Pine Castle was an incorporated town.

The name "Pine Castle" still survives today, and is celebrated with an annual festival. (See http://pinecastlepioneerdays.org)

But, you never hear anyone using the name "Okatoulypes" or "Okehitnatchee" anymore . . .

Coach Corn Pone's latest ramblings

So, the sweaty dinosaur ye socks see lumbering up and down the sidelines at FSU football games has once again found himself unwittingly at the center of a debate in this little corner of heaven.

Who's better: Tim Tebow, or Charlie Ward?

Please.

Eventually, the records of the two athletes will stand side-by-side and a true comparison may be made.

But, the last time I checked, Ward was working as an assistant coach at some private high school out in Texas. And, Tebow was still racking up his stats.

The day will come when that question can be discussed intelligently. But, it's not here, yet.

The day has come, however, for some people to retire. It's starting to get more than a little embarassing . . .

Brick Walls - - - genealogically speaking

Anyone who has engaged in the pursuit of genealogy for any amount of time has encountered a "brick wall."

That's the term we root-searchers use to label "end of line individuals," those most elusive of ancestors who seem to have appeared out of thin air because we can't find any documentary evidence of their origins.

Anyway, one of my brick walls has been a young lady by the name of Mary Eliza Robertson. She married a fellow named John Patrick in Wayne County, Georgia, back in 1836. Sadly, she was killed by those dastardly Seminoles who were raiding Nassau County up in North Florida in May 1840. And, that's about all I know of her.

Her widower John quickly remarried to his sister-in-law Linnia Robertson, and the two of them came down here to Central Florida. In fact, they homesteaded land not far from where I live in Apopka.

But, I digress.

Despite many years of digging, I have not been able to find anything about the origins of Mary Eliza. (Or, her sister Linnia, for that matter!)

That is, until today. I think I am finally beginning to assemble enough pieces of the puzzle to at least form the hypothesis that they were daughters of a dude named Josiah Robertson.

Here's a link to the notes I've collected so far. Any input would be appreciated!

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~oldpinecastle/robertson/robertsonnotes.html