Neimeyer
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John “Pappy” and Elsie Dunbar, Longwood Pioneers
In the late 19th century, Central Florida was a frontier of pine forests, citrus groves, and quiet railway towns that drew northern settlers seeking warmth, health, and fresh beginnings. Among the most beloved settlers in Longwood’s early decades were a father and daughter from Connecticut: John Holt Dunbar and Elsie A. Dunbar. For four decades, the Dunbars’ lives were woven into the town’s everyday fabric and development. They were each dear friends and town leaders. From hand-crafting orange crates in a Warren Avenue shop to founding Longwood’s first public library, the Dunbars left a physical and civic legacy that continues…