Groveland
In 1889, C.C. and B.M. Taylor constructed turpentine still, labor quarters and a
commissary near what is now the intersection of State Roads 19 and 50. They
named the Settlement Taylorville and went on to establish another still and
settlement at Taylorville, now known a Stuckey Still, west of Mascotte.
In 1899, Elliott E. Edge purchased all the Taylor’s holdings and in 1905, built
a general store, the Edge Mercantile Company, and a post office, at the corners
of what is now Broad and Main Avenue.
 Before the turn of the century, Brown’s Ford School, a one-room schoolhouse was
established north of the town. R.B. Ervin was the first teacher. A second school
was built in 1904, a two-story wooden structure consisting of two classrooms and
an auditorium, located near the present Greenwood cemetery. A third school was
erected at the present Cherry Street site in 1922. The first school for African
Americans was constructed between Groveland and Mascotte to serve the needs of
both communities.
The first church, the Union Church, was constructed in 1904, and served three
different denominations for fifteen years thereafter.
During this period, most travel was by horse or mule. A sand road south of
Clermont led to a trading post of Kissimmee and followed a route through today’s
Disney World. Some area residents shopped in Leesburg, which was established in
1866 and boasted a hotel and six stores. The trip usually required three days by
wagon.
In 1907, the Edge Lumber Company started a sawmill in order to save the pine
timber that had died as a result of a devastating drought. The mill, later known
as the J.Ray Arnold Lumber Company, was destined to become the biggest sawmill
in the southeast, extending from the present Hwy. 33 to Hwy. 19.
In 1910, John W. Beach and his associates, including a number of Swedish people
from Rockford, Illinois, purchased twenty thousand acres of land from E.E. Edge
and formed the Groveland Development Corporation. The property, called
"Groveland Farms," was divided into small tracts and sold to Northerners,
primarily Swedish Americans. During this period, prior to the completion of the
Groveland Hotel, prospective buyers were housed along side-tracks in pullman
cars. Nationwide advertising was accomplished through brochures and newspapers,
and "Landseekers" excursions were provided free. In 1911, after having purchased
all of the unoccupied portions of Taylorville, Mr. Beach had the town platted.
The name was changed from Taylorville to Groveland in 1912. An "opera house",
featuring silent movies, became the first place of entertainment.
The first recorded minutes of a town meeting occurred on April 17, 1922.
Groveland was incorporated on March 31, 1922, at a mass meeting in the school
auditorium.
On the evening of May 9, 1925, fire destroyed the Arnold Lumber Mill. The flames
could be seen as far as Leesburg. The mill was rebuilt in 1926, but closed and
dismantled after 1932 because of the scarcity of timber and the depressed
economy. Following this, times were difficult for the people of Groveland.
Citrus prices were at an all time low and many groves died as a result of the
lack of cultivation and fertilization. During this period, Spanish moss was
pulled from trees and sold to a small moss drying plant in Groveland. In 1935,
J.R. Arnold experimented in drilling for oil south of Groveland without success.
L.D. Edge was elected to the state House of Representatives at age 21 and later
became Speaker of the House. His greatest triumph for his town was the routing
of Highway 50 through downtown Groveland.
During the ensuing decades, Groveland’s economy has been up and down, dependent
mainly upon the citrus industry until the devastating freezes of the eighties.
Despite that industry’s local decline, Groveland’s population has increased as a
result of growth of the Central Florida area.
Contact Information:
City of Groveland
156 S. Lake Ave.
Groveland, FL 34736-2597
Phone: (352) 429-2141
Fax: (352) 429-3852
http://www.groveland-fl.gov/
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