Florida Historical Marker Details


HENRY SHELTON SANFORD GROVE AND EXPERIMENTAL GARDENS

City: Sanford   County: Seminole   Year: 1961
Location: 520 East First St. In front of the Sanford Museum,

In this vicinity, Henry Shelton Sanford, pioneer citrus grower, established the St. Gertrude grove in 1871. There, and at his Belair grove and experimental gardens, he advanced the industry through development of some 140 types of citrus. The Sanford gardens experimented with other tropical fruits, planting 30,000 exotic trees from South America and Africa. Much of the labor in the groves was performed by Swedish immigrants who settled at nearby New Upsala.