When Citrus Was King

Once upon a time ... more than 200 years ago ... the barren lands of Florida were void of humans except for tribes of indigenous people who lived alongside the key deer, black bears, gators, Florida panthers, and the many creatures that called Florida 'home'.

In 1842, the Florida Armed Occupation Act was passed which granted settlers the opportunity to receive 160 acres of land provided they clear and cultivate five acres of land, build a home, and reside on the land for five consecutive years. The settlers were also expected to provide military support in order to control the activities of the warring Seminole Indians. After the five years, each would receive 160 acres of land, free and clear. This incentive prompted pioneers to migrate to Florida and settle amongst the pine and palmetto forests.

Were there groves of citrus in Florida at that time? Probably not. However, thanks to Spanish explorers who brought seedlings to Florida in the 1500s, these early settlers were, no doubt, instrumental in nurturing the young saplings and promoting their growth into what would one day become Florida's principal industry.

Few settlers were living in the Largo area prior to the Civil War. By the late 1800s, however, many pioneer families had settled in this part of the peninsula. Citrus groves soon dotted the landscape from the bay waters on the east to the shores of the Gulf on the west. Taylor, Belcher and McMullen groves appeared to our north; Kilgore, Bayly, Ulmer and Walsingham's in the neighboring communities of Anona, Seminole and Indian Rocks to the south. Without a doubt, every homesteader in 􀀲he Largo area had a citrus tree or two in their backyard and many established groves of their own!

Local history tells us John  S. Taylor was instrumental in encouraging other grove owners to join forces and build citrus packing houses enabling them to process large quantities of fruit, not only for the local market but for shipment throughout the state and country as well. This endeavor was the beginning of Largo's place in history as one of the largest citrus centers in the State of Florida and offered the greatest employment opportunity for local folks who were responsible, in the long run, for seeing Largo's citrus industry prosper! The 1914 Polk City Directory alone lists a large percentage of the town's residents working in the groves, in the packing houses, or hauling and shipping citrus to
faraway markets.

Some of the earliest packing houses, businesses, and groves in the area included the Smyth packing house, Peninsular packing house, Largo Citrus Growers Association, West Coast Preserving Co., and J.P. Bayly's Sandsfoot Groves.

By 1910, John S. Taylor, Wm. Fletcher Belcher and John Campbell were the major stockholders of four large packing houses and approximately ten smaller ones in the Largo area. A few groves and enterprises which contributed to the local citrus industry included;
1912: Pure Fruit Products Co.
1914: West Coast Fruit Company
1914: Markley Groves
1915: Oakhurst Groves / J.S. Hill packing house.
1917: Thurston Groves on Ridge Road
1920: Indian Rocks Fruit Company - a large grove and packing plant located in Walsingham­ Oakhurst area owned by Harry Ulmer.
1924: Citrus City Growers Association
1929: Fire destroyed Taylor's 1902 packing house. No sooner were the embers extinguished, a new packing plant was built on the northwest corner of what is now Largo Central Park
1946: Orange Blossom Groves - Developed by Al Repetto following his military service in WW2.
1950: African American settlement in downtown Largo burned. Grove workers who resided in the "Quarters" moved south to properties owned by J.D. Baskin.
1964: Taylor packing house closed. Became warehouse for other entities as well as government offices. Sold to the City in 1993. Considered a "big eyesore .... not a part of history worth preserving", the last remaining building was demolished in 1994.

By the 1980s, citrus was no longer 'king'. Major hurricanes, citrus canker, citrus greening, and freezing temperatures had all but destroyed the groves. What groves remained were soon plowed under and the land sold to developers. Subdivisions, mobile home parks, and shopping centers began to sprout up on what was once grovelands. By the mid-1980s, J.S. Hill's packing house closed and his 60-acre grove sold to developers. One of the largest surviving citrus groves in Pinellas County in the 1990s belonged to Margueritte Thurston. When she died in 1998, her 37-acre tract was sold for development as well. By 2002, less than 40 acres of groves remained in Pinellas County, all of which belonged to Al Repetto.

Except for a few small family groves, the only citrus related business still in existence in the Largo area is Yellow Banks Groves. A newcomer to the citrus industry in 1951, the grove's commercial storefront is located on Walsingham Road. Fresh citrus and ... 'orange and vanilla ice cream cones' ... a specialty.

Sources: Largo, then 'ti/; Wise Cracker, December 2011; Taylor Collection, Heritage Village; Indian Rocks as it was; Images of America, Largo; Largo Leader; Florida Division of Citrus; Sanborn Map of 1926; Polk City Directories