Tavares was founded in 1880 by Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, a newspaper and railroad man from a Creole family in New Orleans[citation needed] .

In 1883 a post office was established; by the next year, a hotel, three stores, a sawmill, and eight cottages were built.

The Supreme Court of the United States overturned the verdict and ordered a new trial for the two capital defendants.

Walter Irvin survived the shooting by the sheriff and was convicted again at trial.

In 2016, the city of Groveland and Lake County formally apologized to families of all the men for injustice; in 2017, the Florida Legislature issued a formal apology and exonerated the men, calling on the governor to officially pardon them.

The city of Eustis borders Tavares to the northeast, and Lake Harris is to the west.

Florida State Road 19 joins US 441 through part of Tavares, but leads northeast 5 miles (8 km) to Eustis and southwest 14 miles (23 km) to Florida's Turnpike in the outskirts of Groveland.

[12] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,003 people, 7,610 households, and 4,337 families residing in the city.

[16] As of the 2010 United States census, there were 13,951 people, 6,070 households, and 3,749 families residing in the city.