This geocache is part of the Harvest & Ranch Trail of GeoTour – Sebring Area Florida’s Hidden Gem (GT48D). Visit https://visitsebring.com/activities/geocaching/ for complete information. Print off passport from link provided and log codewords from each geocache part of the GeoTour in order to obtain a free trackable coin.
In the late 1880, Joshua and Louisa (along with their five young girls), moved from Georgia to various places in Florida. While hunting 1890, Joshua Lastinger Lake Wales Ridge and its many lakes on the south end and instantly fell in love with the area. He returned home and told his wife he had found the “garden spot of Florida” and would make it their home. The next year they headed towards Zolfo Springs and Charlie Creek and Crewsville. They camped near Henscratch where only a few scattered pioneer families found the untouched wilderness. At the time, Henscratch was known as Guano Hammock. They would start their homestead near Lake Stearns. While scouting out the area Joshua spotted an old sawmill that would later become useful.
Joshua and his five daughters (Sallie, Linda, Dannie, Loka, and Bessie) would cut down enough trees to make benches, tables, and a small shanty. Louisa began to cultivate the first fruit trees here, which was renamed Lake June-in-Winter during the 1920s to be more appealing to the yankees. The family also was one of the first to cultivate citrus and some of their trees reportedly survived into the 1980s!
Joshua would remember the sawmill he had previously found and cut down trees at Henscratch, carting the cut lumber to the western shore of Lake June — near what is now Leisure Lakes. He would tie several trees together to form a makeshift barge and floated the planks across the water to their homestead on the bay at the northeast corner of the lake, which for over a hundred years was referred to by locals as Lastinger Cove. From these boards, they were able to construct the first proper home in Lake Placid! The Lastinger family is known as the first white settlers of Lake Placid.