The exact meaning of Astatula is something of a mystery, and there was also some discrepancy over the name of the town, at least with the United States Postal Service and the Florida State Gazetteer and Business Directory. The town was listed as Astabula in Volume 1published in 1886. That’s also the name given by the U.S. Post Office when service began May 17, 1882. The post office officially changed the name to Astatula on July 24, 1894, and it remains to this day.
Empire Church was four miles south of Mascotte and established in 1871. It was the first church in south Lake County. The oldest church in Mascotte was built in 1904 and was later occupied by the Mascotte United Methodist Church on corner of West Myers Boulevard and North Bay Lake Ave. King David Jones was the original pastor.
One of Leesburg’s most famous residents was sportsman David Newell. A world-renowned explorer, big game hunter and fisherman, Newell wrote five books, many articles and stories and contributed material to the production of around 13 films and 80 TV programs. At various times in his career, Newell served as editor-in-chief of Field and Stream, roving editor of Sports Afield and as a special correspondent for the New York Times. Newell’s father, William R. Newell, served as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Leesburg. Elected a member of the elite Explorers Club in 1931, Newell often wrote about Lake County, describing the area as a sportsman’s paradise.