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Sanford's little History...
The City of Sanford is approximately 23
miles from the City of Orlando. The city of Sanford sits on the south
shore of Lake Monroe at the head of the navigation on the St. Johns River.
During the Seminole Wars of the 1830's, the area was the site of an U.S.
Army post name Fort Mellon. As settlers moved into the area, the town of
Mellonville was established. With the coming of commercial steamboat
service, the town became a distribution point for goods essential for the
growth of Central Florida. When Orange County
(Formerly Mosquito County)
was created in 1845, Mellonville
became the county seat.
In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford bought the land west of Mellonville. His
plan was for a new city "the Gate City of South Florida," in which he
believed would one day act as the transportation hub for all of southern
Florida. In 1877, the city of Sanford was incorporated and Mellonville was
annexed six years later. In 1880, Henry S. Sanford formed a land company
in London to encourage investments in the new city. That same year
construction began on the South Florida Railroad with a terminus in
Sanford. By 1884, Sanford was a prosperous town with wharves, a railroad
station and a large hotel.
Mr. Sanford's greatest interest in Florida was the development of Belair,
a citrus grove and experimental garden near Sanford. More than 140 kinds
of citrus, including the Valencia orange, were tested for adaptability to
the Florida climate.
In September 1887, a bakery on 1st Street went up in flames. The fire
spread rapidly through the wooden buildings on the east side of town until
stopped by the volunteer fire department. When the town was rebuilt,
the new buildings were made of brick.
During the harsh winter of 1894-95, the citrus industry was crippled when
freezing temperatures wiped out the year's entire crop. Most citizens
faced economic ruin and left the area. Those who stayed built wells and
developed a subirrigation system that allowed commercial agriculture. By
the early 1900's, Sanford was one of the largest vegetable shipping
centers in the United States, and was given the nickname "Celery City" for
the most successful crop.
On April 25, 1913, Seminole County was officially established with Sanford
as the county seat. In the good and bad years that followed, Sanford
shared in the expansion of Central Florida.
From 1942 to 1968, the Sanford U.S. Naval Air Station drew many residents
away from agriculture and brought new people to the city. Today the old
station is called Orlando Sanford International Airport.
Sanford's Historic Districts...
Sanford has two historic districts listed
on the National Register of Historic Places. The commercial district, with
26 buildings, was listed in 1976 and the residential district, with 434
houses, was listed in 1989.
The Historic Preservation Board administers Sanford's historic districts.
Board members are citizens appointed by the Sanford City Commission.
Orlando Sanford
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