Okeechobee County was formed Aug. 7, 1917, from St. Lucie, Osceola, and Palm Beach Counties. Long a haunt of the Seminoles, the area saw almost no white penetration until the 2nd Seminole War, 1835-42. Much fighting occurred in the county during the war, including the Battle of Lake Okeechobee on Dec. 25, 1837. The county has become a major truck crop area. The vicious 1928 hurricane led to flood control on the lake.