Popular Culture | Boom and Bust | From Concentrate | Folk Art | Video
The expansion of railroads into southern Florida contributed to the growth of the citrus industry in the late 19th century. With the railroads came an increase in population and in acreage devoted to citrus cultivation. Boosters promoted Florida as a paradise on earth: the climate cured all aliments and the soil produced wealth with little effort. Citrus figured prominently into the selling of Florida as a retreat for yeoman farmers, tourists and invalids. Many settlers caught orange fever and assumed they could reap substantial profits in no time, while they and their groves basked effortlessly in the Florida sunshine.
Image number: PR04175
General note: The photograph was taken 2 miles east of Hawthorne on the old Palatka Road. Pictured, left to right: David S. Berkstresser, his wife Elizabeth, their granddaughter Mary (born 8/6/1882), and Emma, wife of their son William H.
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General note: Looking from Florida Avenue.
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General note: Sampson English (left) was grove foreman for the Owanita Citrus Association.
Dreams of easy money in the citrus industry came to an end for many during the great freeze of 1894 and 1895. Earlier freeze events, such as one in 1886, signaled a warning of things to come. In December 1894 and then again in February 1895, temperatures plummeted throughout the state. Many growers saw their investments crumble as frozen limbs snapped and fruit fell to the ground. Before the great freeze, Florida produced five million boxes of citrus. Production would not reach the five million figure again for almost two decades following the winter of 1894-95. With the memory of devastating freezes fresh, growers devised various methods to help trees and fruit resist the cold.
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General note: Streaty Parker's orange grove is pictured. Many groves in the state looked like this after one of two freezes that occurred in the state on December 27, 1894. The second, which froze many of the trees as well, began with a blizzard on February 7, 1895, which was followed by temperatures in the low 20's for three successive nights.
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General note: Trees were sprayed to protect them from a freeze. They sprouted out in the morning but were all killed in the Feb. 8, 1895 freeze.
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The citrus industry again moved southward after the 1894-95 freezes. Groves that survived the great freeze gained widespread notoriety. This period of recovery gave way to a second citrus boom, lasting until the 1970s. The town of Keystone City was renamed Frostproof after its trees weathered the freeze. Dummett's grove on Merritt Island emerged untouched once again, further bolstering the reputation of Indian River citrus. Growers around the state sought to use the Indian River label in order to associate their product with Dummett's legacy. In the 1930s and 1940s, state and federal authorities defined an "Indian River" area and pursued retailers who peddled fraudulent fruits.
Image number: RC05454
General note: The device, invented by 78 year old James B. Crum, was made in 3 sizes to sell at $35, $40 and $45. The estimated capacity was 40-60 crates of fruit per hour. It was operated by a light pedal.
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Popular Culture | Boom and Bust | From Concentrate | Folk Art | Video
