Appliance Repair Eatonville

Three Union officers, Captain Josiah Eaton, Captain Lewis Lawrence and another officer who is unknown, founded the Town of Eatonville. Following the Civil War, these men left America to settle in South America but during their voyage they turned back and settled in Florida. To give a little background, at this moment in time there were black in Central Florida who had been brought there by Seminole and Cherokee Indians. The Indians had stolen the black slaves from many states along the coast. Over time, many of the Indians and former slaves that did not move west, stayed in Central Florida.

Tony Taylor, a black man, was elected as the town’s first mayor. And another black man, Joe Clarke, was elected town Marshall. Clarke has envisioned an all black town and was determined to make it happen. He discussed the idea with Captain Eaton and Captain Lawrence, both of which supported the idea. After a year of planning, Eaton and Lawrence bought a parcel of land adjacent to Maitland and built a church and hall, for general assembly. Shortly thereafter, in August of 1887, the town of Eatonville received its charter of incorporation from Tallahassee.