Orlando was formed in 1857. There are a lot of stories about it, but the most common one is that there was an army post here called Fort Gatlin with a US soldier by the name of Orlando Reeves who was killed on duty. It was named for him. The city was very much a station to various other ports. Since Florida is a peninsula, there are a lot of ports going out to other countries. Orlando was specifically known for its beach in its early years, but later it became a huge citrus town. Agriculture is still a very big part of central Florida's culture and economy, but as the city grew, people discovered it as a vacation destination. Beginning in the early 1970's with Walt Disney World, Orlando has built an entire economy on tourism. It has become our number one economy. In 2004, we had 48 million visitors making us one of the top destinations in the world. We have over 95 different attractions including Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World.
