People have lived near De Leon Springs for over 6,000 years, and since the late 1800s the spring has attracted visitors from around the world. Until 1982, De Leon Springs was privately owned, and in 1980 owner George Thofehrn sought to sell the property, which he operated as a private recreational park. The Dogwood Circle of the De Leon Springs Garden Club began a movement to persuade the state to buy the park, leading to the formation of Save Our Springs, a group dedicated to preserving De Leon Springs for the public. Under chairman Meg Johnson, Save Our Springs pressed the effort by making trips to Tallahassee, organizing local residents in a letter-writing campaign, and gathering 13,000 petition signatures, while Volusia County pledged $200,000 toward the purchase. After two years of work by Johnson and Save Our Springs, Thofehrn and state representatives signed the contract on June 2, 1982, and the property immediately became De Leon Springs State Park when the State of Florida flag was raised at the entrance. On August 6, 1982, Governor Bob Graham attended the official dedication of Florida's newest state park, which today is visited by almost 250,000 people each year.