Tavares was founded in 1880 by Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, a newspaper and railroad man from a Creole family in New Orleans . Landmarks include Tavares, Eustis & Gulf Railroad, Harry C. Duncan House and Union Congregational Church. Tavares is the birthplace of Fireball Roberts, racecar driver.
Tavares, Florida gifts and souvenirs: 29 designs made from Tavares's own map, landmarks and history, from $10 to $95. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Tavares Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Tavares Vintage Travel Poster | from $40 |
| Tavares Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Tavares Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Tavares Town Line Mug | from $26 |
| Tavares Market Tote | $37 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon, in 4 styles
Its landmark photo in a classic travel-poster layout
A local landmark photo as a gallery print
Classic large-letter postcard art, filled with local photos
The town's story in dates, from its own records, for home or classroom
Map of local landmarks, washable fabric
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Large-letter postcard art filled with local photos, 11 oz ceramic
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
A local landmark photo with the town name, 18″×18″
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Large-letter postcard art on a sturdy tote
Foam-front trucker, printed (not embroidered) with local photos
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
6″×4″ postcard, glossy front
The town's earliest Sanborn fire-insurance map, drawn building by building and hand-coloured, from the Library of Congress
Population 2010: 13,951 → 2020: 19,003
From Wikidata (CC0).
Organized in 1885, and completed in 1888 on land donated by St. Clair-Abrams, the Union Congregational Church was the first church in Tavares.
Tavares was founded in 1880 by Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, a newspaper and railroad man from a Creole family in New Orleans . He gave it the surname of a Portuguese ancestor. In 1883, a post office was established; by the next year, a hotel, three stores, a sawmill, and eight cottages were built. Investing over half a million dollars of his own money. St. Clair-Abrams's dream of Tavares as the state capital was not realized, but in 1887, it was designated the county seat of Lake County. St. Clair-Abrams later chartered a railroad from Tavares to Orlando. In 1919, Tavares incorporated as a town.
In 1949, the Groveland Four were wrongly accused of raping a white woman in 1949. One was killed after fleeing, and three were convicted at trial in Tavares. The two adults were sentenced to death and the minor to life in prison. The Supreme Court of the United States overturned the verdict and ordered a new trial for the two capital defendants. One was killed while being transported to Tavares in 1951. Walter Irvin survived the shooting by the sheriff and was convicted again at trial. In 1955, his death sentence was commuted to life. He was paroled in 1968 and died in 1970. In 2016, the city of Groveland and Lake County formally apologized to families of all the men for injustice; in 2017, the Florida Legislature issued a formal apology and exonerated the men, calling on the governor to officially pardon them.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Tavares, Florida, revision 1373520692 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Tavares sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
3 free coloring pages of Tavares, each traced from a photo of a local landmark. Print them at home, at school or for story hour.
Tavares's population was 19,003 in the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 13,951 in 2010.
Lake County
Tavares, Eustis & Gulf Railroad
A view of Tavares