Orange Lake - In the Heart of New Port Richey - Florida
In the center of New Port Richey-Florida, sits a very pretty lake known since the early 1900’s as Orange Lake. Originally thought to be a sinkhole rather than a man-made lake, it was originally called Blue Sink but there were several other lakes known as Blue Sink so the name was changed.
The area around Orange Lake was heavily forested and was known as the Jungle or the Devil’s Woodyard because cattle would wander in and never be seen again. Orange Lake is situated close to the Pithlachascotee River - lots of alligators were found there back then; and occasionally even now.
This photo is from the 1930's.
The Sass Hotel was built in 1911-12, and it had a large veranda overlooking the lake.
In the 1920’s a small golf course was develped around the lake (rumor has it that golfer Gene Sarazen, who lived in New Port Richey, was involved).
These days, the city of New Port Richey owns Orange Lake and it is the place where all sorts of community events are held. We attended a Pet Adoption Fair there on Saturday with SPCA Suncoast puppies. It’s a beautiful place to spend a day. And these are the residents of The Jungle today.
The old photos and interesting facts are courtesy of Fivay.org A History of Pasco.
A Slice of New Port Richey history by Toni Weidman. See More history.
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Orange Lake - In the Heart of New Port Richey - Florida
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