"Oranges, Oranges, Oranges... and two railroads to ship it all out of here!"

That's how we advise newcomers when they ask for a condensed version of West orange County's history to share back home. While those thirteen words distill 140 years into five seconds, the story of our citrus heritage is much larger and comprises many chapters.

In A Nutshell:

• Citrus was brought to the New World by the Spanish in the late 15th. century.

• Production was in force across much of the state by the end of the 19th. century, thanks in large part to railroads that criss-crossed warm, fertile growing regions.

• The Great Freeze of 1894-95 killed trees to the roots, causing the industry to grind to a halt. Many growers abandoned the state, while others stayed and thrived on vegetable and truck farming, waiting almost a decade for their newly-planted citrus seedlings to grow to fruition.

• The Florida Citrus Commission was established in 1935 to promote and nurture the industry. Frozen concentrate debuted immediately after World war II, leading to phenomenal growth: citrus groves carpeted Florida in every direction. By 1950, production of citrus topped 100 million boxes, and 200 million by 1970!

• Three killer freezes in the 1980s succeeded in destroying King Citrus. Production across West Orange County ceased by the early 1990s.

• Today, challenges like citrus greening disease continue to buffet our citrus legacy, though many in the field of agriculture continue to address this and several other challenges. It's difficult being an orange tree in Florida!

We are often asked by visitors to our museums where they might see a working grove. Sadly, we have to let them know that a long drive further south of here is where they'll find groves- not always healthy- but there is no longer a visible presence here in West Orange County- once the busiest citrus shipping center on the planet!

People who lived here through the 1980s fondly recall driving State Road 50 in Orange and Lake Counties during orange blossom season. With the windows rolled down, the heady, unforgettable scent of citrus filled our cars.

Here is a selection of images from our collection used in the past to promote the industry...

Ecstatically celebrating ripened fruit in a grove, 1890s.

Citrus dropped from the trees and rotted on the ground during the Great Freeze of 1894-95.

The Winter Garden Citrus Growers Association parade float, 1920s. The packinghouse operated at 2nd. Street along the Tavares & Gulf railroad tracks. Its second iteration still stands today, though repurposed.

The South Lake Apopka Citrus Growers Association packinghouse complex on Tildenville School Road. No longer operating, any remaining buildings have been mostly in the process of being repurposed. Oakland Park occupies the upper right corner of the photo, and further west. The iconic water tower fell during a violent storm a few years ago.

One of hundreds of crate labels produced by our powerhouse citrus industry. The brighter and more colorful the label, the better it was at attracting the attention of buyers in northern auction houses.

Keeping our military personnel healthy with Florida citrus juices brought to mind the deleterious effects of scurvy on men at sea...

After the war, Dad went to work to bring home the bacon, while Mom stayed home and kept her family healthy with... Vitamin C!

Ad agencies through the 1950s employed images of young women to help promote the patriotic benefits of drinking Florida orange juice.

By the late 1950s, images of gloved and hatted housewives helped sell citrus,

and the feminine mystique was in full force...

A 1995 New York Magazine ad promotes the healthful benefits of citrus. Though greatly augmented by fruit from California and South America, Florida managed to produce 20.2 million boxes of citrus in 2023–24, which reflected a rise of 12% from the previous season’s 18.1 million boxes. Though production is 1/10 of what it was in 1970,

the industry soldiers on despite many challenges.

Remember that when you enjoy a glass of Florida orange juice tomorrow morning!