Indian
River Citrus Museum / Schacht Groves
Indian River Citrus Museum
2140
14th Ave.
Vero Beach, FL 32960
Vero Beach, FL 32960
Schacht Groves
Family Owned and Operated
6100 12th Street
Vero Beach, FL 32966
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AT A GLANCE: Indian River Citrus Museum / Schacht Groves
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Date of Visit:
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Saturday, March 17,
2017
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Parking
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On-street parking
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Amount of time needed
to peruse exhibits:
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10 minutes.
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Amount of time needed
for gift shop
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Less than 5 minutes at
the Citrus Museum; 30 minutes at Schacht Groves.
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The “must have”
souvenir
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Coasters of Crate labels (Citrus Museum) and tiny oranges in tiny crates (Schacht Groves)
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Online shopping
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Both have an online
shopping presence. Sadly, neither
offers online shopping.
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Kid friendly shopping
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Definitely
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Kid friendly
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Yes
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Dress code
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Casual
shorts, t-shirts and sandals are perfectly acceptable.
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Be sure to…..
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Live
on the edge and try the grapefruit. It
might just change your mind.
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Nearby/other
establishments to visit
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Pocahontas Park and the Railroad Museum are close to the Citrus Museum. The Indian River is to the east of the museum. Schacht Groves has nothing nearby.
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Walkability, general
downtown area / amount of traffic
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There are restaurants
in the few blocks around the Citrus Museum that can easily reached on foot.
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Safety, in terms of
type and number of crimes committed in general area
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Both areas are generally safe. However, practice good sense and
stow your valuables out of sight and lock your car.
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I used to take the orange and grapefruit industries
for granted. A quick trip to the grocery
store provided me with substantial citrus offerings. I thought that oranges always grew in large
groves in Florida. I was so wrong. What happened to bring us where we are today,
with fruit, marmalades and juice readily available? I wanted to know how it was possible for the
orange and grapefruit industries to prosper in Florida, so we planned a trip to
the Indian River Citrus Museum in Vero Beach, Florida. They had a great deal of information
regarding the beginnings of the modern citrus industry, but I was still
curious. How did the land end up as
groves? Who owned it, and why are Indian
River citrus so special?
What follows is the story of uprisings, migrations,
renegades, swamps, wealth and railroads.
The mid-1800s were a violent time for the United
States. The country engaged in a massive
Civil War, which pitted Northern and Southern states against each other. As early as 1817, the US engaged in combat
with the Seminoles. Florida Seminoles
are a blend between two peoples: emigrating
Creeks from the nearby areas of what is today the states of Georgia and
Alabama, and runaway slaves. The US
wanted to recapture the runaway slaves that had become parts of Seminole
tribes. The runaway slaves didn’t want
to be collected up, and the US Army and the Seminoles entered the first of
three “conflicts” in 1817. It lasted
until 1818. Florida was a Spanish
territory, and not yet a state. The US
acquired the territory of Florida a few years after the end of the First
Seminole War.
Approximately 20 years later the US wanted the land that had been occupied by the many Native American tribes in Florida, so the US government proposed moving the Native American to empty land situated west of the Mississippi. The Native Americans were happy where they were and didn’t want to move. Even though it’s called the Second Seminole war (aka the Florida War) other tribes fought in this conflict, which began 1835. It eventually ended with most Native American peoples agreeing to be moved to new lands. However, the Seminoles held firm. The Second Seminole War ended in 1842 with the remaining Seminoles agreeing to move to land on the north side of Lake Okeechobee in Florida. The Army accepted this compromise as the war had lost the backing of US citizens. In providing supplies and troops, it had also become too expensive. Florida became part of the United States in 1845.
Again, peace was short lived. In the years after Florida’s statehood, homesteading was encouraged on the newly acquired Florida land. The Seminoles had settled in southwestern Florida and homesteading was encouraged in the eastern side of the state, among other areas. Perhaps the remaining Seminoles felt like the surveyors and settlers were encroaching on their land, which resulted in friction, and by 1855 the Third Seminole war began. It lasted three years, until 1858, when the Seminoles agreed to migrate to the land west of the Mississippi River. However, a small group remained behind, unbeknownst to the US. They settled in Big Cypress Swamp on the Southwest side of Lake Okeechobee. The skirmishes and fighting ended in 1858. I attended a lecture two years ago given by a representative of the Seminole Nation in Big Cypress Swamp. He told a fascinating history of the Seminole Wars, and ended the lecture by asking for questions. I had one. I wanted to know why the Third Seminole War ended. Was it because someone “won” or was it because the issue of slavery became center stage in the years building up to the Civil War. He said it was probably a combination of both.
In summary so far, we have three Seminole Wars. In the first, the US government tried to capture runaway slaves. Twenty years later, the US government decided it wanted the land that was already inhabited by Native Americans, which was the reason for the second war. Third, Native Americans clashed with the early settlers over land, of which the US government assumed management resulting in the third war.
Stay with me. This will come together and make sense.
Jump ahead to the early 1900s. Standard Oil billionaire Henry Flagler had discovered Florida’s mild winters and decided he could make money by promoting the state as a healthy winter destination for wealthy. To do this, he needed a way to transport people and a place for them to stay once they reached Florida. Flagler wanted to build a railroad along the east coast of the US to reach into Florida. To do this, he needed land. It just so happens that much of the east coast of Florida had been vacated by the earlier Seminole Wars. Flagler purchased the land and began building his railroad, which ultimately under at Key West, Florida, which is a small island in the Florida Keys and is the furthest land south. Flagler had additional interests tied to the completion of the railroad: hotels. I recently wrote that the first travelers were generally wealthy, and stayed in hotels that were located near the railroad line. These are some of the hotels that Flagler built.
In 1905, the state of Florida declared “drainage districts” in an effort to stop Lake Okeechobee from overflowing its southern banks. Canals were built from the large lake to the Atlantic Ocean to alleviate the problem. Other areas along the way were also drained in the hopes of bringing an agricultural presence to the area.
Let’s backtrack now so we can take a look at how
the citrus industry in Florida evolved. Oranges
and grapefruits are not native to Florida, having been brought from Spain from
early explorers in the early 1500s.
Grapefruit came along over 300 years later, in 1823, introduced by a French
explorer. Farmers had much smaller
groves back then, as their crops were at the mercy of unpredictable weather.
Two things occurred in the first few decades of the
twentieth century that allowed the citrus industry to expand. First, growers benefitted from the actions
that came about because of the drainage district mindsets. Much of Florida has thin and sandy soil, but
the resulting drained land between Lake Okeechobee
and the Atlantic Ocean was of a richer and better quality having been swamp
muck a few years earlier. And it was
perfect for growing oranges and grapefruit.
This area was the forerunner of the Indian River district. Growers were now able to expand their groves
and make a go of it in the new citrus industry.
The unique qualities of the soil in the Indian River area resulted in
superb fruit, because of an intriguing blend of original soil mixed with swamp
muck.
The second thing that happened was Flagler’s
railroad along the east coast of Florida; right though all of the new orange
and grapefruit groves. This allowed
growers to transport their produce to larger markets, which in turn created an
increased demand, which encouraged more groves.
All of these things had to happen so we could have
the oranges and grapefruits that we enjoy today.
Is it possible to grow succulent oranges and grapefruits at home? Absolutely. Engage in three wars, and kick people off of their property. Drain that property. Savor the swamp muck, but also pick up a bunch of coquina limestone and an exceptionally large pot. A spray mister, to mimic the salt spray of the Atlantic Ocean, would be a good thing to have. A fan, too, to move the air around like it does in Florida. If the temperature dips toward the freezing point, haul the citrus trees indoors, because they don’t like cold weather. It may take a few years, but I feel somewhat confident that you just might end up with an orange or grapefruit. Building a railroad to transport your crops is optional. As for myself, I find it easier to go to the grocery store or, better yet, one of the many local orange groves, such as Hale Groves or Schacht Groves. If you want to experience FRESH fruit, you’ll do the same
What does all of this have to do with marketing or branding?
For starters, there’s a large university in Florida that has adopted the name of the rebellious Native American tribe: the Seminoles. What does this mean? The Seminoles were the only group who never agreed to migrate to the west side of the Mississippi River in the mid-1800s. A person dressed as Chief Osceola (a Seminole leader) rides a horse named Rebel onto the playing field before every game, and drives a spear into the ground. Legend has it that when it came time for Chief Osceola to accept the treaty, he threw his spear into the ground at the feet of the US representatives, and declared “Never.” Per the university’s web page, being a Seminole equates to pride, rebel, fighter, and unconquered along with education, of course. Visit Tallahassee, home of Florida State University, and view the large statue of the real Chief Osceola. One word is inscribed on the base of the statue: Unconquered
In spite of, or because of, its rocky beginnings when grower in Florida claimed they had Indian River citrus, the Indian River brand is known globally for exclusivity and quality. The US is the largest market for Indian River citrus, Japan is second, and Europe is third. That’s right. The small island of Japan imports more oranges and grapefruits from the Indian River than all of Europe (http://ircitrusleague.org/history/).
It’s tempting to retell the story of Florida and citrus to the next person who wonders why some oranges and orange juices taste better than others. Go easy on them, and touch on some of the highlights I’ve presented here. It may come across as condescension, pretentiousness or downright arrogance. Don’t worry about. We’re talking about the Indian River brand, which deserves respect.
PHOTOS
Indian River Citrus Museum
Schacht Groves
REFERENCES
Seminole Nation
This website is for the Floridian Seminoles. They consider themselves to be different from
the handful of Seminoles who migrated to Oklahoma, yet both populations are
called the Seminole Nation. It helps to
be specific.
Florida State University’s use of the Seminole name
History of the Indian River citrus industry
Here’s a fun fact.
Per the industry’s website:
“The Indian
River Citrus District’s premium crop has been, and will continue to be,
grapefruit. Currently, the District raises 70% of the total grapefruit crop
grown in the State of Florida. Three out of every four grapefruit that leave
the State of Florida fresh come from this District.”
Additionally, Indian River citrus accounts for 95%
of all of the fruit that is exported to Japan from Florida.
Drainage Districts
History of Vero Beach
Have a hankering for citrus? Here are recipes that utilize oranges:
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