Orange Park, Florida, once known as Laurel Grove Plantation, was incorporated in 1879. Luring people with its healthy climate, therapeutic spring, and charming views of the St. Johns River, the town has played host to the rich and famous as well as the poor and humble. In early days, steamboats carried the likes of Harriet Beecher Stowe, Pres. Ulysses S. Grant, William Astor, and B.J. Johnson to the grand Hotel Marion for recreational or health benefits. Later, one of Florida's first integ...