Map of Florida Showing Orlando’s Central Location [and] Map of Orange County, Florida, Showing Good Roads and Lakes

Scarce promotional brochure for Orange County, Florida from the early 1920s.

“Orlando, “The City Beautiful”, is Inland Florida’s Greatest City because bountiful natures and a generous Providence have been kind to her; her children have been diligent and faithful in their task of building a city, and Orland is the Capital of Orange County which is filled with earnest, hard-working and progressive citizens who have developed the land.” – Introduction.

This fascinating and rare booklet was printed by the Record Company in St. Augustine, Florida in 1921 and distributed compliments of the Orlando Chamber of Commerce. The fledgling city (est. in 1885) recently claimed the title of the 7th largest in Florida (according to the 1920 Census numbers cited), and its civic pride is bursting through the pages.

Photographs and descriptive text provide a compelling argument for why one should consider visiting or moving to Orlando or Orange County – robust local industries, abundant agricultural opportunity, natural beauty, outdoor recreation, abundant clean water, and a salubrious climate – all backed by millions in recent investment.

A centerfold map shows a rudimentary overview of transportation systems across the Florida panhandle (right side) and Orange County (left side). Orlando’s central location is highlighted, with a table of distances noting points to cities in Florida and further north. The back page of the brochure includes a street map of Orlando, noting nearly fifty different locations of interest (many of which are described in detail).