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There is every reason in the world to expect to run into a variety of artists, birders and history buffs atop a high hill in North Marion County overlooking one of the region's largest lakes.
The sun rises in the distance over placid blue waters and towering green palms, turning the sky into a kaleidoscope of red, gold and purple. Scores of trumpeting sandhill cranes alight in unison from their grassy runways. And enthusiasts of iconic Old Florida haunts curiously poke around to discover the past, both ancient and recent.
In November 2019, Alachua Conservation Trust, an accredited nonprofit land trust with 35 years of conservation experience and history, purchased these lands, known locally as Orange Lake Overlook, protecting them forever. Located just south of the town of McIntosh in Marion County and referred to as OLO, the 71-acre property was conserved by ACT with significant support from the local community. This conservation purchase was made possible thanks to a $1 million loan from The Conservation Fund, an additional loan from a private supporter and $300,000 in donations from individuals and organizations. The property's well-remembered history as a former orange grove and citrus shop during the height of the citrus boom in Florida make it a memorable stop for many travelers along U.S. Highway 441 even today.
The historical significance of OLO dates back even further to the 17th century when it was likely utilized by the Timucua people. The town of Potano is believed to have been located just west of Orange Lake, near Evinston. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it became part of Florida's very affluent and prestigious agricultural scene. The entire 300-acre hill was planted with citrus, and from 1941 through 1953, the citrus shop was leased by the Huff Family to May and Raymond Axford, who packed and shipped citrus gift baskets out of state.
In the 1950s, O.D. "Buddy" Huff Jr. continued to manage the groves and packing house, while his wife, Ollie, ran the Ollie Huff Citrus Shop, which offered fresh-squeezed orange juice to travelers passing through North Central Florida on U.S. Highway 441. The groves suffered setbacks in the 1980s as a result of several hard freezes that decimated the crops. Following Buddy's death in 1984, the Huff family left the citrus business and leased the land for cattle grazing.
The site later became a hotspot for local artists and photographers enamored by the view of Orange Lake from atop the hill.
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