Cosmic Thoughts on the Demise of a Roadside Trading Post

I was driving home from the "Give Springs A Break" event in Northcentral Florida where my head was filled with lots of information about springs, much of which was not warm and fuzzy. Hydro geologist Todd Kinkaid, one of the premier scientists studying the flow of underground water in the state concluded that springs will become "ephemeral systems." That means they will no longer have enough water pressure to flow normally unless large rain events increase the amount of water bubbling to the surface. Depressing stuff.

I stopped at Wildwood just before the turnpike to gas up and I noticed a rundown trading post next to the "Florida Citrus Center" where I was pumping fuel. In a previous blog I explored the Cherokee Trading Post on the other side of Wildwood near the Turnpike.  I drove over to photograph the weathered signage on the side of the building and was surprised to find that the roof had caved in and the entire building was full of plants. The age of roadside "Trading Posts" has long passed; our culture has more sensitivity towards Native Americans and places like this are no longer politically correct. Exploring the crumbling structure felt like observing an archeological relic from the not-to-distant past. The overgrown interior reminded me of the resiliency of nature and how that when left alone, the earth's environment will bounce back with remarkable speed. Perhaps mankind is ephemeral, and the earth is just waiting us out to set things right.

Florida seems to be in the midst of tremendous growth spurt again, and the forces of change are at work all along the roadside. When viewed from the limited window of a human lifespan, the amount of damage mankind makes to natural systems can seem overwhelming. But as Todd Kincaid reminded us, the amount of time humans have been around compared to the age of the planet is infinitesimal and the havoc we wreak on the environment is just a blip on the radar of cosmic time. The detrimental effects of our short-sightedness may not ultimately harm the planet itself, but rather merely cripple our own species. Let's hope we see the errors of our ways before it's too late.

End of the season

One of my favorite bits of Old Florida still hanging on is the roadside citrus stand. While not in the great numbers as they used to be in the pre-interstate era, there are still some businesses selling the bounty from Florida groves, and stepping into these shops is like stepping back in time. This season I stumbled across a couple old businesses that sell Indian River Citrus, which is the "brand" known for high quality and great tasting fruit.

The first place I stumbled across earlier in the year was Davidson Brothers Citrus in downtown Daytona. The owner told me that Davidson's was Daytona's oldest business going back to 1922 and the shop, located near the Halifax Historical Museum, is full of great citrus memorabilia. The packing house is in the back and as I talked to the owner I got a quick lesson on Indian River Citrus and how many growers claimed to be from that region but actually weren't. We left with some delicious Honeybells or Tangelos – a blend of tangerine and grapefruit that are as sweet as candy. I must admit that for years I've not taken much interest in the types and varieties of citrus, and the more I learn, the more I appreciate the different tastes available every year.

When I visited Harvey's Groves in Rockledge last year it was not quite citrus season. This time, Harvey's was open, but just barely as this is the end of the season. Much larger than Davidson's, this roadside mecca on US 1, seemed to be full of snowbirds stocking up before they returned to the north. It was Easter weekend and for many of the folks who come down to sunny Florida for the winter, that marks the end of their stay. So I saw folks filling shopping carts full of the last fresh grapefruits and oranges grown in Florida this year.

Next season my goal is to frequent more of these great establishments and better understand the nuances and subtlety of different varieties of citrus. My recommendation for you is if you see one of these roadside institutions on your travels, by all means stop and get some citrus and enjoy the trip back in time!

Indian River Roadside Citrus

I like to drive the "blue highways" whenever I can to look for survivors of the development machine that constantly destroys or remodels anything old in Florida. I was cruising up US 1 in Brevard County, hoping to find mid-century motels or other commercial buildings from the era of the space race. A couple run-down seedy places survived but the best links to the previous century were examples of roadside citrus stands.

First was Harvey's Groves in Rockledge, a sprawling complex that at one time spanned both sides of the highway. Harvey's first opened as a small roadside stand in 1926. According to the Harvey's website, Roy and Blanche Harvey found themselves marooned in Brevard County after their car broke down on the way to Miami. Finding the Indian River area perfect for citrus, the Harveys grew their business by developing award-winning citrus and creating the Florida Gift Fruit Citrus Association.

Harvey's in 1949 from the State Archives of Florida

The Indian River Citrus District is a narrow strip running along the east coast of Florida from Daytona to West Palm Beach. Legal action in the 1930s limited the district to this six county area, as Indian River became a brand associated with premium quality citrus and today 75% of the state's total grapefruit crop originates from the district.

Historic images of Indian River citrus: citrus label, groves and a citrus stand. From the State Archives of Florida

I was pleased to see a great example of programmatic or mimetic architecture from Florida's citrus business in Melbourne. This round orange-shaped building was very likely originally used as a roadside citrus stand. Today, restored by the Melbourne Rotary Club, the iconic building sits on the lot owned by the Disabled American Veterans. Similar structures in California were recently added to the Falling by the Wayside list created by the Society for Commercial Archeology. I know of only one other in Florida near Mt Dora.

Sadly not all survivors form the heydays of Florida citrus are in good shape. The Marion S. Whaley Citrus Packing House in Rockledge, despite being on the National Register of Historic Places, looks to be slowly crumbling into the landscape. Most recently know as the Old Victory Groves Packing House, the large complex built in 1930 is said to be riddled with termites. Like the Bob White Citrus Packing Plant in De Leon Springs, the piece of Florida history will vanish unless action to preserve it takes place soon.




Off the blue highways, on the evil interstates, it is easy to see the contemporary relatives of these citrus stands. Florida Citrus Centers seem to share space with gas stations at all most every exit along 1-75 and I-95. Stocked with all varieties of citrus products from marmalades to candy, these businesses rely heavily on Florida kitsch like fake alligators to lure the roadside visitor into their store. While incredibly tacky, in a way I find it a refreshing adaptation of a grand Florida tradition.

Wildwood's Cherokee Trading Posts

About this time of year in Central Florida, when it starts getting really hot and muggy, and thunderstorms roll in almost every afternoon, it seems like everything outside gets damp and melty. I stopped by the Cherokee Trading Post where the Florida Turnpike intersects with 301 in Wildwood to capture a few images of some great hand-painted signage before it melted away forever. I've watched the distinctive billboards of this roadside business slowly disappear through the years, as if nature was reclaiming the land they were erected upon. I dug through the old photo archives from the pre-digital days to see if I could find any images of said billboards but with no luck. I did, however, find some photos of the signs in better condition.

Scans from color prints from the Visual Ephemera pre-digital archives

It appears to me that the the Cherokee Trading Post has been eclipsed by one of the Indian River Citrus gift shops/convenience/store gas stations that seem to be everywhere along all Florida interstate exits. Although the Wildwood store near the Turnpike seemed like it was still open, its pulse was faint. Further west by I-75, another Trading Post has succumbed, perhaps a victim of the economy or maybe just an outdated relic of Florida's roadside past.