The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-02-02
OCALA HAS SHELTERED MANY
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS

has been visited by many men and
women, then and since famous in song
and story.
During the early Indian war Fort
King, OF course, was the headquarters
for some of the most distinguished of
ficers of the United States army, and
in 1857, the year of the second Semi
mole outbreak, Capt. Stephen D. Lee,
who afterwards rose to the rank of
major general in the Confederate
States army, was paymaster. and the
Ocala House was his headquarters for
several months.
Soon after the civil war Mrs Harri-
ct Beecher Stowe visited Ocala and
wrote a very animated description of
Silver Spring.
She said that 1t was more beautiful
than the blue grotto" of Naples,
which for a thousand years has held
the blue ribbon" as one of the nat
ural wonders of the world
In 1874 Ocala was visited by Elliott
Roosevelt and J. West Roosevelt, who
like their more strenuous cousin, were
here in search of big game and en-
joyed bear hunt in the big scrub,
now a government reservation.
In March, 1876, Mr.. F. E. Spinner
of Mohawk, n. Y, accompanied by
his nieces, Miss Libbie Stoner and
Miss Nellie Griswold, spent more than
week with us, and were guests at
the Ocala House.
Mr.. Spinner was for a long time
treasurer of the United States, and his
greenback issue of the civil war Pc
riod.
In January, 1876, we were visited
by Belle Boyd" the famous Confed-
crate spy. She did not head an army,
but her career was almost as marvel
Gus as Joan of Arcs.
In 1879 we We're visited by Fay
Templeton, since become world-fa.
nous as an actress. She was born
at Orange Springs. Her troupe then
consisted of John Templeton, her
father, Alice Vane, her mother, Isabel
Vane, her aunt, w NJ Fuller, Burton
Adams, Nellie Stanwood, Nellie Hey
wood, Florence Brezales, d. r. Allen,
viii J. Duffy, John Ganzelhoff, Geo.
+. Bird and w. A. Ward.
We mention the names to show that
we were visited by as big troupes in
those days as We are now, and they
were as well patronized, and some
times remained with us for week.
A little later on in the season we
were visited by the Wallack Pinafoce
and Tripologue Company. who gave
nightly performances fer a week in
the Cox building, now occupied by
knight & Lang
After winning fame in the Confed-
crate service, and under the khedive
of Egypt, General w. W. Loring be-
came a visitor, and was so charmed
that he remained for several months.
General L. S Grant ended his ia
nous trip around the world by visiting
Silver Spring, and spent a day and
night in Ocala.
His name appears on the Ocala
House register for Sunday, January
II, 1880.
General Grant was accompanied by
Lieut.. Col. Fred D. Grant of the L. S.
army; Joseph Seligman, at that time
one of the biggest bankers in New
York Mr. Geo. w. Seligman, also a
banker; Byron Andrews of Chicago.
a famous newspaper spondent;
J. L. French of the treasury depart
ment at Washington, and Judge Thorn
as Settle, judge of the United States
court for the northern district of
Florida.
y reception was rendered General
Grant, and he said that he enjoyed
his visit very much. He said he was
especially delighted with the beau
ties of Silver Spring, which surpassed
that he had seen on his trav-
els. The general had his japanese
valet with him.
General and Mrs. Fitzhugh Lee
stopped with us for quite stay and
were the recipients of many courte-
sizes
Lord Parker OF England made us a
protracted visit as did Count Nicol-
letti of Italy
Both gentlemen were enraptured
over our climate and as the orange
industry was then just having its be-
ginning predicted for US a wonderful
future.
In looking over the old hotel roofs.