Then….and Now

At one time there was a fountain in the Ocala downtown square. Legend has it that for a few years certain high-level city employees would secretly add green dye to the fountain to mark St. Patrick’s Day. There is not much history easily available about the fountain. Only a few old postcards and a couple of archive photos are available online. [State Archives of Florida]

The fountain was removed sometime in the 1980s after it fell into disrepair. The square was left open and a replica of a historic gazebo, which stood on the square decades earlier, was erected. The open square has hosted hundreds of events, including concerts, political rallies and protests since the fountain was removed. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]