This page is dedicated to Florida historical markers near DeLand Circa 1885. There are many historical markers in Florida. This marker in Volusia County is an excellent example.
Circa 1885
This Florida Historical Marker is entitled Circa 1885, located in DeLand in Volusia County, Florida. The location is 201 North Woodland Boulevard. Marker is at the intersection of North Woodland Boulevard (U.S. 17/92) and Rich Avenue, on the right when traveling north on North Woodland Boulevard.
Inscription on the Marker
The inscription reads:
Circa 1885. . In 1883, two young boys, Samuel Jordan and Wylie Swift built a circular skating rink in a tent on this corner. It was a popular entertainment site when DeLand was little more than a pioneer village. Around 1885 this brick building was erected to house a confectionery shop. In 1940 it became the V.W. Gould Agency, Inc., Its founder, V. Ward Gould, Sr., was a lad of 15 when he moved to DeLand in 1885 with his parents. An entrepreneur of the first rank, he began his first real estate agency in 1907 on W. Indiana Ave, where he ushered clients around in a one-cylinder, hand-cranked Cadillac. Gould also was a gifted writer who left behind a valuable record of DeLand’s early history.
Marker Sponsor and Install Date for Circa 1885
Placed by the West Volusia Historical Society.
Maps & Location Views
Using mapping services from Google, we can show detailed location maps and street views if they are available.
Sometimes you will be able to see the Circa 1885 Marker in Google Maps. A 360-degree view of the area near the marker is available on the link below. You can see the marker or monument and read it in many cases.
The History of DeLand

More than a century before the Pilgrims set foot at Plymouth Rock, in 1513, Florida began its modern-day history, of which Orlando is a part.
During this period, Florida was still part of the United States Territory and not yet a state; therefore, many Native American tribes occupied land throughout Central Florida, including Seminole Indians who had migrated there from Georgia during the First Seminole War (1817-1818).
In 1838, the U.S. Army built Fort Gatlin south of the present-day Orlando City limits to protect settlers from attacks by Indians during the Second Seminole War. During the Civil War, Orlando’s role included supplying the Confederacy with food, cattle, and horses from the vast plantations in the region.
Today Orlando is recognized as a global tourist attraction and entertainment city
About the Florida Historical Marker Program
One of the most well-known and noticeable public history initiatives of the Division of Historical Resources is the Florida Historical Marker Program. It is intended to increase residents’ and visitors’ enjoyment of Florida’s historic places and to increase public knowledge of the state’s rich cultural past.
About Floridamarkers.com & Florida Historical Markers Near DeLand Circa 1885
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