By Ken Jackson
Staff Writer

In the early 1900s, a “cowhunter” in Osceola County earned $1.50 per day to drive cattle from scrub land and across the area’s expanses of then-open ranges.

Today, those folks might be herding tourists across the U.S. Highway 192 corridor, but a link to that part of the county’s history and heritage is now preserved and on display with the opening of the Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum.

Designers, exhibitors and other local dignitaries declared the museum open on Thursday with a ribbon cutting and soft grand opening.

The center, at 4155 W. Vine Street in a former Roadhouse Grill location, is free to the public to tour and experience its 8,000 square feet of exhibits, interactive displays and historical artifacts.

The location is important, as the county and the Osceola County Historical Society, which will operate the facility, hope to directly link it to the adjacent Shingle Creek Regional Park. County staff on hand noted a spur of a new bicycle trail with picnic areas is planned to pass close to the welcome center to make it a part of the park.

The $1.8 million project was built with Tourist Development Tax funds and incorporated local workmanship, with Quinn Commercial of St. Cloud and Dale and Charles H. Parsons of Kissimmee handling the construction and architectural design.

Dale Parsons lauded the commitment and support between county leaders, the historical society and other contributors during the project.

“The County Commission set its vision and staff participated in every step, but let the designers do their thing,” he said. “This hasn’t been about a brick and mortar building, but about passion. You can see lots of personal pride in this project, connecting what Osceola County has always been and what it can be. Somewhere along the way in our relationship with Disney, that got put on the back burner.

Inside the museum, a “smokeboat,” a replica paddleboat that gives a nod to the area’s heritage as a boating transportation hub at the northern end of the Everglades watershed, welcomes visitors and houses a small gift shop.

Farther inside, displays give a vibrant nod to the county’s history of cattle, logging and nature, along with its place in Florida, considered “the last frontier east of the Mississippi.”

The role in working and traversing the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in populating and employing residents is well documented, as is the growth of the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud from 1890 to 1930 and the role of Native American residents during that time.

Among the nature highlights include a replica of a bald eagle’s nest, and a gopher tortoise tunnel that visitors can crawl through — and experience a couple of surprises.

The new exhibit is a source of pride for County Commissioner Mike Harford, whose district includes the center. Beyond that, he is a lifelong resident of the area and can clearly recall a different Osceola County, and is excited to bridge the gap between the area’s past and present.

“I get chills just being in here,” he said. “People can walk through Osceola’s past, a place where nature and history meet, and it’s a way to highlight our eco-tourism and adventure opportunities in an engaging way. We have a lot of natural jewels here, this is a way for us to polish them.”

Harford said the county was lucky to find such a high-visibility location available fronting both one of its regional parks and a major thoroughfare.

“It’s a place that can bring residents and tourists together, and I know many of our British and other international tourists are interested in our history,” he said.