| After our exhilarating airboat ride and swamp | | | | Jizimi and Tisimi, may be the source of the |
| buggy tour at Boggy Creek, we snaked our way | | | | modern place name Kissimmee." A 1752 Spanish |
| north towards Orlando and decided to have a | | | | map used the name "Cacema" which has evolved |
| picnic lunch in the Orlando suburb of | | | | into today's spelling, Kissimmee." |
| Kissimmee. This town is located at the | | | | |
| doorstep of Walt Disney World complex and | | | | Kissimmee's main strip features a variety of |
| offers a variety of tourist class | | | | local merchants and restaurants. The town was |
| accommodations near historic downtown | | | | festively decorated and even the police |
| Kissimmee. The historic downtown districts | | | | department showed itself in a festive |
| feature walking tours, antique shops, | | | | pre-Christmas mood: |
| shopping, dining, or sightseeing. | | | | |
| | | | Kissimmee is located at the north end of Lake |
| According to the City of Kissimmee's web | | | | Tohopekaliga and one of its squares is |
| site"local historians have offered many | | | | appropriately named "Toho Square": |
| variations of the origin of the city's name. | | | | |
| Most agree that Kissimmee is a modern | | | | We noticed several murals throughout town, |
| spelling of a tribal word. The book Florida | | | | illustrating the town's history. My husband |
| Indians and the Invasion from Europe by | | | | tried to check if he could blend into the |
| Jerald T. Milanich, links "Kissimmee" to a | | | | mural without being noticed, I am not so sure |
| village of the Jororo, one of Florida's | | | | that it actually worked: |
| lesser-known tribes. Historian John Hann | | | | |
| researched Spanish documents about missions | | | | On a brief walk along Lakeshore Boulevard we |
| estabilshed to convert the Jororo and other | | | | discovered a war memorial that commemorates |
| groups to Christianity in the late 1600's. | | | | the Second World War: |
| Spanish records indicate that a mission was | | | | |
| built near the tribe's main village, also | | | | For more information about Kissimmee contact |
| called Jororo. Another mission was called | | | | its Convention and Visitors Bureau. Call |
| Atissimi. Milanich writes, "Hann suggests | | | | 800.333.KISS (5477) or visit their website |
| that the name Atissimi, sometimes given as | | | | for more information. |