Formed on May 12th, 1887 from portions of Orange County and Brevard County, Osceola County became Florida’s 40th county. Named after the famed Seminole leader, this area was a transportation hub in the late nineteenth century for riverboats and railroad. It readily began a cattle, sugar, and lumber-based economy.

Osceola County’s 1,506 square miles include the cities of Kissimmee (incorporated in 1883 and the county seat) and St. Cloud (incorporated in 1911), as well as numerous communities. The city of Kissimmee has always had a strong historical association with the Florida cattle frontier, and the city of St. Cloud has roots that trace back to a northern land baron who began a sugar plantation in 1881.

Osceola County’s oldest communities include Narcoossee and Kenansville. Narcoossee was home to numerous British immigrants who brought with them a love for the sport of polo. In fact, a team was created in 1888 and grew to more than 100 members just two years later. Kenansville is in southeast Osceola County and was named for railroad mogul Henry Flagler’s third wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler, once he donated five acres and $6,000 to build a schoolhouse in 1911.