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Visitors flock to Central Florida for its mild winters, pristine waterways, and proximity to Atlantic and Gulf beaches, and in the heart of Central Florida lies Altamonte Springs, the largest city in Seminole County. Taking its name from the many spring-fed lakes and sand hills that make up the area, Altamonte Springs is now home to more than 40,000 residents. Developed into a winter resort town in the late 1800s during the area's first tourism boom, Altamonte Springs became a sunny playground for the wealthy and an oasis for those requiring a "healing" environment in which to recuperate from various ailments. Times were good, but this was just the beginning of the once tiny village's growth and prosperity. From the era when rolling pineland along the lakes drew the first settlers to the area that would became Altamonte Springs, this community has attracted visitors and new residents from far and wide. The early railroad transported winter tourists who sought the medicinal qualities of local springs, and this influx of people led to the development of many businesses, including Fuller's Store, the grand Altamonte Hotel, and the Jasmine Theater. After surviving the challenges brought about by the Great Freeze of 1894-1895, the city continued to grow, and its citizens, with an unyielding spirit, continued to work, worship, socialize, and raise families in the community they called home. Today, Altamonte Springs is the bustling retail center of Seminole County.