Marion County history begins before recorded civilization. The largest artesian water system (by flow) in the world, Silver Springs has been the site of discoveries of the traces of early man as well as the mastodon, mammoth and saber toothed tiger.
The Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto, mentioned Timucua Indian culture in his writings about his expedition in 1539. The largest of their villages was called "Ocali."
In 1821, Spain ceded Florida to the United States. Conflicts between the United States and the Indians were found even before the First Seminole War in 1817. Fort King, located near SE 36th Avenue and Fort King Street in Ocala, became an important military post, first occupied in 1827.
In an effort to control the Seminole, the Armed Occupation Act of 1842 encouraged white settlers to move into Florida, offering 160 acres free to eager settlers. Many early pioneers came from South Carolina, where their local revolutionary war hero was General Francis Marion "The Swamp Fox". Florida became a state in 1845, and Marion County was one of the first names confirmed at the first meeting of the assembly. Marion County was quickly the hub of a rapidly growing state. Tobacco, rice, sugar cane, cotton and cattle flourished. In 1846 the county seat was plotted and named "Ocala".
During the Civil War, Florida and Marion County played a major role by furnishing the Confederacy with needed provisions. However due to the privations of war and Union shipping blockades, the growth and development of Marion County stood still during the Civil War.
By 1890 Ocala was one of the largest towns in Florida. Silver Springs had become an international tourist draw and the first Florida tourist attraction.
Marion County boasts over 1,000 farms and training centers including approximately 450 thoroughbred farms, and is home to nearly 50 different horse breeds.
