The Colonel NORTON home of Eustis

 

The Norton Residence at Eustis 

Gould Hyde Norton (1840 – 1903)

9^th in this series of Historic Lake County Homes

 

Little assistance is required today to imagine 19^th century visitors arriving to Colonel Norton’s impressive 1881 residence. For starters, a large courtyard surrounding the home today allows the passerby to appreciate the architectural splendor without being distracted by an intrusion of more modern-day structures. Still on the outskirts of downtown Eustis, the expansive Norton grounds today invites the mind to drift back to a time long before automobiles, back to a day when guests came calling aboard their handsome horse drawn carriage - surreys with a fringe on top.

Gone are row after row of Norton’s countless sweet-smelling citrus trees, and no longer can one gaze down upon an enchanting Crooked Lake from the Colonel’s lofty compound. But still, the Norton mansion is otherwise identical to that of seven decades ago, when the home of Gould Norton was the centerpiece of a sprawling 160 acres known as “The Oaks”.

The neighborhood is indeed more developed today, but the clustering of nearby residences was begun by G. H. Norton himself. In fact, his historic residence was not yet ready for occupancy when, in 1880, he sold 12 acres of his land to Dr. Albert Fahnstock (1834-1924), a Chicago Dentist. Fahnstock Avenue currently runs alongside the Norton’s residence. The Colonel sold several parcels of around 12 acres each in the early 1880s. Deeds for the land sales were recorded at the Orlando courthouse, because Eustis was at that time in Orange County.  

A mysterious and yet inviting entryway into yesteryear:

West of Colonel Norton's 1881 residence, but on the one-time homestead of Gould Norton, are the remnants of an entryway leading back to West Crooked Lake. Colonel Gould sold these 12 acres on 17 December 1878 to J. M Hutchins of Winchester, Tennessee. There is no house standing on this property at the present time.  

 

Born at Varysburg, New York, February 17, 1840, a small town southeast of Buffalo, the Norton family relocated to Illinois soon after Gould’s birth. The War between the States started while Gould was attending Illinois State Normal University, and so he dropped out and enlisted with the Illinois 33^rd Infantry. Commissioned an Officer in September 1861, on March 17, 1863, then a Full Captain, Gould Norton was wounded during the Siege of Vicksburg.

Norton stayed at Vicksburg after War’s end, where he married Annis J. Wilder on March 26, 1867. The first of their six children, Henry Hyde Norton, was born at Vicksburg just prior to the family moving to Arkansas City, Kansas. Gould Norton served as the first Postmaster of the newly formed town of Arkansas City. Three Norton children were born at Kansas before Gould responded to an interesting editorial that had been written by land agent John A. MacDonald.

“I settled Colonel G. H. Norton, of Crowley County, Kansas,” wrote MacDonald in his 1882 book entitled “Plain talk About Florida”. MacDonald authored numerous articles published by newspapers around the nation, editorials reciting the merits of homesteading at the ‘Great Lake Region’ of Orange County, Florida. Having no money to start a business said MacDonald, he wrote editorials in hopes his letters would be printed. And his idea built a successful central Florida land business.

“Norton”, added MacDonald, “got his brother interested and several others.” Gould’s brother, Orlo W. Norton (1825-1898), did buy land at Eustis but remained a resident of Stillman Valley, Illinois. As for the “others” mentioned by MacDonald, he was likely referring to Dr. Fahnstock, J. M. Hutchins, Franklin J. Starbird, and John A. Diedrich, those who bought a piece of Norton’s homestead prior to the formation in 1887 of Lake County.

"First I will mention Frank Starbird, for a history of Eustis without a mention of Frank Starbird and his fiddle would be incomplete." Eustis Lake Region newspaper, April 18, 1889

Gould Gregory Norton, fifth child of Gould & Annis Norton, was born near Lake Eustis in May of 1877. The Norton’s had arrived at Lake Eustis prior to the railroad, and before a town called Pendryville had changed its name to Eustis. In fact, Gould Norton became involved with the organization of Eustis as a town and served as an original Council Member.

The Ocklawaha Hotel of 1877 Pendryville became Eustis of 1883

Downhill from his residence, on a narrow spit of peninsular separating East Crooked Lake from West Crooked Lake, Norton established Interlaken Nurseries. In addition to growing oranges, Norton also became successful in distributing budded Orange and Lemon trees locally as well as internationally. In April 1897, for example, one shipment alone was for 8,000 orange trees to Jamaica. By the turn of the century, G. H. Norton himself became involved in growing citrus in Cuba, where he died, June 9, 1903.

Gould Hyde Norton was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, but here in Eustis, Florida, he is remembered as the pioneer who assisted in the formation of the City of Eustis and the creator of The Oaks, his family’s marvelous Italianate style residence on Lakeview Avenue, listed with the National Register of Historic Places.

5 Stars: "A well-written book, heavily based on government records of land transactions. Very interesting and informative. Highly recommended for the locals and those with a family history in Lake County."

5 Stars: "Excellent book! Thank you so much for sharing your passion for local history and your exhaustive research on Lake County."

 5 Stars: "Great book. Lots of research went into it. Highly recommended."

TAVARES: Darling of Orange County, Birthplace of Lake County

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