In 1827 the U.S. army outpost of Fort King was built near the current site of Ocala as a buffer between Seminoles and white settlers. The fort saw service during the Second Seminole War and was later used as the first courthouse for Marion County in 1844. Fort King was the beginning of the current city of Ocala, which was established in 1846. Greater Ocala is known as the "Kingdom of the Sun". Rail service reached Ocala in June 1881, encouraging economic development. Two years later, much of the Ocala downtown area was destroyed by a fire on Thanksgiving Day, 1883. Buildings were rebuilt with brick, granite and steel rather than lumber. By 1888, Ocala was known state-wide as "The Brick City".