Sorry I’ve been gone for awhile, have been a bit under the weather and today is the first day I’ve felt well almost human.
why SAM? http://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Outlander-DVD-Extra-About-Sam-Heughan-Casting-36975649
MINATURE BELL CREAM WITH COBULT PAINT OF WINDMILLS MADE IN HOLLAND Price: US $10.00 http://www.ebay.com/itm/261760399942?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
TODAY: WE’RE LOOKING AT SORRENTO, FLORIDA
According to PLACES IN THE SUN/Bloodworth & Morris this city received it’s name in 1875 from the book AGNES OF SORRENTO
The book I found was from the author who wrote Uncle Tom’ s Cabin a book some felt help contribute to the conflict between the states and whose writer (along with her family) spent some time in Florida. However in THE LOVER’S GUIDE TO FLORIDA/McCarthy, Editor—it says that the novel was Italian, so I looked again. (it’s also mentioned that the book was popular at the time—but this book was written in 1862).
But no Italian writer, just Stowe’s book: “This story revolves around Agnes, a beautiful young girl, in Italy. When reading this book you can lose yourself in Italy and its people by Stowe’s use of poetic language. One can almost touch the characters and smell the landscapes with her descriptions. Come to Italy with Harriet Beecher Stowe!” (https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/phpworx/index.php?cmd=catalog-product&product_id=27&product_category_id=4) This ad may be a bit misleading though as I find no record of her ever leaving the US so her descriptions may be a bit –inaccurate?
Oh the Book Lover’s book did mention that the name was drawn by a blindfolded person from a box of names put in by multiple persons.
So after all that pretty much all I have been able to establish I that Sorrento is a town east of Mt. Dora and had a population of less than 800 in 2000.
The area is basically scattered residential.
What I found: A BRIEF HISTORY OF SORRENTO, FLORIDA By Miss Hattie Allen
According to her obituary (“Eustis Lake Region News,” November 20, 1958): “She had been a resident of Sorrento for 76 years, being a member of one of Sorrento’s pioneer families. Her grandfather, William Allen, operated one of the first general stores in Sorrento during the 1880’s.
“She was a member of the Presbyterian Church; DAR, serving as a state officer and as Regent [1938-1940, Historian, Treasurer, Vice Regent, and Chaplain] of Ocklawaha Chapter. She was organizing president of the Major Francis L. Dade Chapter of the U.S. Daughters of 1812; member of the Lake County Historical Society and had written a history of Sorrento. She was also a member of the Mayflower Society, member of Founder and Patriots of America, Presbyterian Aid Society and Sorrento-Mount Plymouth Civic Club.
“Miss Allen had been very active in DAR affairs for many years and for 17 years was a delegate to the Continental Congress of DAR. …” http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=41945211
She describes the area: “Sorrento is located nineteen miles west of Sanford…The country is high and rolling and before the turpentine stills and lumber mills took their toll, was covered with forests and stately pines.”
and goes on to note that the first settlers to the area were blacks:
“first white settlers found several colored families living about a mile north of Sorrento. They were slaves and children of slaves from the plantation of Mr. Delk at Rock Springs. When freed at the beginning of the Civil War, some joined the Union Army, but at the close of the war they returned to settle near the home of their mother, Aunt Hettie Weir, from whom many of the early settlers bought their first orange trees. Two other colored families lived on the Rock Springs road – Uncle Pete and Aunt Mary Frazier and their children and Joe Jenkins and his family. Their descendants still live in this section. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Felcchamber.com%2Ffiles%2FA_BRIEF_HISTORY_OF_SORRENTO.doc&ei=GJf0VND1LozbggSa4oOIAw&usg=AFQjCNEJiPKBFgNi9bSQWEdbUXlB28Ov5w&sig2=w5xc75k_lhVUbK2qzav1yw
Oak Haven Farms 32418 Avington Rd, Sorrento, FL 32776 http://berriesandwines.com/ Est. 1996. It includes a country kitchen (U-roast hot dogs, soda, chips and home-style strawberry shortcake, milkshakes and ice cream) on Sundays and full weekends in late Dec-early April (Strawberry season). In 2010 it added a vineyard with an onsite winery (authentic Sorrento wines including Strawberry, Blueberry, Mead and Muscadines: ‘Carlos’ and ‘Noble’.
“Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men.”
― Joseph Conrad