1875 – The town of Orlando was incorporated on this date. The total population was 85 inhabitants, 22 of whom were qualified voters; William Jackson Brack was elected as the first mayor. The town originally had an area of only 4 square miles. It was later incorporated as a city in 1885. Although the origins of the name Orlando are disputed, it is clear that first European settlement began during the Second Seminole War with the construction of Fort Gatlin. When Mosquito County was broken up in 1845, Orlando became the county seat of the newly created Orange County. Today, the greater Orlando metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million people, and the city limits encompass over 110 square miles in the heart of central Florida.