In the 1870s, early settlers of northwest Orange County used area waterways as commercial highways, and Lake Apopka, at the head of the Ocklawaha chain of lakes, provided access to the St. Johns River near Palatka and a route for nearby citrus and vegetable growers to transport their products. In 1872, William A. Lovell purchased 225 acres on the lake’s northwest side and established a landing there as a hub for freight service on Lake Apopka and the surrounding region. Before steamer service began on the Ocklawaha in 1882, fruits and vegetables from 17 landings around the lake were brought to Lovell’s Landing for delivery by oxen to Clay Springs and areas farther north. As commerce through the landing increased, the community built its own school, which operated from 1884 to 1895. In the 1920s, Apopka added a dock, clubhouse, and picnic grounds there, and in 1926 Orange County built a road connecting Apopka to the area. Waterway commerce through Lovell’s Landing then declined as more and faster methods of transporting fruits and vegetables came to the region.