HomeMy WebLinkAboutRebuilding the Citrus Industry-1995 Pioneer grower inspired self-improvement
By Jim Robison budwood from Jamaica. of what a man with industry and
Or THE SOMNEL STAFF This new strain,which had been self-motivation can do for himself
I brought to Jamaica from the Phil- and his community.
OVIEDO-Pioneer citrus grow- ippines in the early 1800s, would A deacon at Antioch Baptist
thrive in Oviedo and later play a Church in Oviedo, he would be-
er and nurseryman Butler Boston major role in Florida's gift-fruit in- come a leader in the community.
inherited his family's freeze-dam- dos Although seedy, the fruit,
He was among the few registered
dustry.
aged groves when his father left across between a tangerine and black voters in the area. He was a
the state' orange,would be popular because board member for the segregated
Boston's father, Dr. Alexander of its spicy flavor and easy-to-peel school for children of black set-
Atkinson of Brunswick, Ga., skin tiers and a trustee for Eatonville's
moved his practice to Oviedo in About 1900, budwood from J.H. Hungerford School, now Wymore
1885 and began growing citrus Career Education Center. He sent
south of town near Lake Hayes.
King's Oviedo grove was taken m all eight of his children to college.
The area is now known as Boston a Winter Park grove. There, 15 Three became teachers.
Hill years later, W.C. Temple, a Pitts- He gave five acres of his home-
Boston would play a major role burgh steel industrialist who stead for a cemetery and planned
in helping rebuild orange groves would become mayor of Winter and built an addition to his
after the killer freezes of the win- Park,tasted the new fruit. church.
ter of 1899-95 wiped out many of Temple,who had help from the Boston also encouraged other
Central Florida's citrus trees. Florida Citrus Exchange,a cooper- blacks to save their money and
After the freeze, many growers ative marketing agency, advised buy farms and homes of their
gave up on citrus. Boston's father M.E. Gillett of Buckeye Nurseries mvii. Following Boston's advice,
returned to Georgia. to promote the new orange,which Henry Jackson homesteaded 90
Besides taking on the task of Gillett called"the Temple." acres on long Lake, now known
grafting new buds onto hardy Boston's part in the develop- as Jackson Heights. Jackson
rootstock in his own grove,Boston ment of the Temple orange is a would tell many that Boston took
worked for three other growers minor footnote in citrus history. great interest in helping others
who wanted to try a new variety of Still, his life serves as an example improve themselves.
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