as the first postmaster, founded the first newspaper, and functioned as the first mayor. These endeavors earned him the title "The Godfather of Winter Garden." Fishing Between the 1920s and 1960s, the fishing prospects of Lake Apopka drew many fishermen to Winter Garden. The still-operating Edgewater Hotel in Downtown Winter Garden opened to service fishermen during the fishing boom. However, by the end of the 1960s, heavy pollution of Lake Apopka resulted in the collapse of the industry. Citrus Citrus agriculture saw rapid growth in the state of Florida in the last few decades of the 19th century, including in Winter Garden. As with the rest of the state, the Great Freeze of 1894–1895 severely damaged the citrus industry in Winter Garden. Many settlers left town following this disaster, leaving a smaller population to recover the area's farms. Despite this setback, the industry recovered and saw many decades of growth. Through the middle stretch of the 20th century citrus defined Winter Garden's economy and culture. In the 1980s back-to-back freezes greatly reduced the profitability of citrus farming in the county. Citrus production in Winter Garden and Orange County never recovered. Since then, the center of citrus production in Florida has shifted south from Orange County. The increasing development of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Area made it more profitable to sell grove lands to developers rather than attempt to restart them. Today, little citrus activity occurs in the city limits of Winter Garden. Yet, the town is proud of its citrus history; oranges and grapefruits continue to be symbols of the town. 21st century growth Since 2000, Winter Garden has seen incredible growth despite the decline of citrus and the economic stagnation in the 1980s and 1990's. Developers, entrepreneurs, and city government made efforts to rejuvenate the downtown district, attracting locals and tourists with a mix of small town atmosphere and trendy businesses. This population and development growth endured through the Great Recession and continues today. Geography Winter Garden is located at (28.560328, –81.584069). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.28%) is water. Winter Garden is bordered on the south by the town of Windermere, on the east by the city of Ocoee, on the west by the town of Oakland and on the north by Lake Apopka. Topography The terrain is characterized by a gentle to moderately