Aaron David Jernigan (September 14, 1813 – August 25, 1891) was the first white settler of what is now Orange County, Florida. Originally from Camden County, Georgia, he lived for a time in the Tallahassee area before moving to Orange County in 1843. He was influential in the city of Orlando's early development; the town was called Jernigan until 1857.
Jernigan and his wife, Mary, settled on the shore of Lake Holden, purchasing Шаблон:Convert and moving some 700 head of cattle down from Tallahassee area where Jernigan and his brother Isaac (who also moved to Orlando) continued to own land and raise cattle.[1] Jernigan cleared a spot near Lake Conway and built a small cabin, and began planting crops including corn, cotton, rice, sugar cane, pumpkins, and even melons. Jernigan was a successful tradesman and merchant. He was also a captain of the local militia that patrolled against renegade Seminoles. Jernigan's settlement quickly grew and he was elected a county representative in 1846. By 1850, according to state files, the Jernigan home had become the nucleus of a settlement and designated a post office.
He died in 1891, and was buried at Lake Hill Cemetery in Orlo Vista. A memorial plaque placed at his grave in 1971 honors him as "Orlando's first settler."
