"Jernigan": Orlando's first name came from a militia captain who patrolled against Seminoles (Lake Holden, 1843–1857)
Record: the document says itPattern: documents line upLens: our readingOpen: not yet proven
Year: 1843 · Places: Florida
SUMMARY"Jernigan": Orlando's first name came from a militia captain who patrolled against Seminoles (Lake Holden, 1843–1857) [Connections: Tallahassee & Orlando, Nov 5, 2026]
RECORDAaron Jernigan moved to Orange County in 1843, settled on Lake Holden, and brought "some 700 head of cattle" from the Tallahassee area; "the town was called Jernigan until 1857." He was "captain of the local militia that patrolled against native Seminoles." A 1971 plaque honors him as "Orlando's first settler."
PATTERNThe "first settler" honored at Orlando arrived right after the Armed Occupation Act and led armed patrols against the people already living there
LENS (WW9)The "first settler" was the man with the rifle, not the first person on the land
OPENWhether Jernigan held an Armed Occupation permit, and whether he brought enslaved people, are not on the page: check the Armed Occupation permit records (FamilySearch catalog 540006) and the 1850 census and slave schedule
SOURCEAaron Jernigan (Wikipedia), citing Rick Baker, Beyond the Sunshine (2018).