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What does the crate say about the grower?
Starting in the 1920s and continuing into the ’50s, colorful illustrations (lithographs) pasted to the ends of the wooden citrus boxes, were an effective marketing tool for those who made their living selling Oranges, Grapefruit, and Tangerines.
The origin of the citrus crate label is rooted in the history of the citrus industry itself, notes Burnette. In 1513 the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon, credited as the first European to discover Florida, is reported to have brought with him citrus seeds, which he planted in the settlement now known as St. Augustine. Early Spanish settlers and Native Americans continued to grow and cultivate the fruit, which thrived in Florida’s warm, sunny climate and sandy soil. In the ensuing years, generations of pioneer families carved out homesteads and began selling fruit, creating a burgeoning citrus industry.
These early entrepreneurs initially relied on water transport to ship the fruits of their labor, packing oranges and grapefruit in wooden barrels cushioned with Spanish moss. Citrus growers in Indian River County built an 8-mile sandy road through lush jungle habitats on the barrier island, adjacent to the Indian River Lagoon. This early “highway,” now known as the Jungle Trail and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, gave mules a pathway from which to pull barges laden with fruit destined for docks at points north. Unfortunately, by the time the citrus arrived at Northern markets, via steamship, it was often rotted. Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway changed all that!
Following the arrival of rail service to Vero in 1893, citrus growers had a faster, more reliable means to ship their fruit to distant markets. They switched from wooden barrels to stackable wooden crates, which allowed for more air circulation and a guarantee of freshness upon arrival. The upgrade in shipping was a boon for Indian River citrus.
“Fruit from the Indian River Citrus District, which stretches 210 miles from Volusia to Palm Beach County, became world renowned for its super sweetness,” says Burnette, noting that the packinghouses still standing in our county are located adjacent to the railroad tracks.
“When other Florida citrus growers tried to capitalize upon the Indian River name, growers in the district won a cease-and-desist order from the Federal Trade Commission,” she adds. This prohibited the use of the term “Indian River” on citrus not grown in the Indian River Citrus District.
Early growers and packinghouses soon learned that marketing was the key to making their product stand out from the competition. Borrowing a tactic from their California agriculture counterparts, Florida growers created unique colorful lithographic labels that were glued to the sides of the wooden crates. The labels, featuring artwork by national artists, depicted native heritage, local flora and fauna, historical sites, cowboys, and—not surprisingly—beautiful women to attract the eyes of male auction brokers in dimly lit warehouses.
The colorful tropical images of the Sunshine State served as an early form of product branding for the citrus industry as well as tourism advertising for many citrus-centric Florida communities. “I call them ‘Florida’s first billboards,’” notes Burnette. The labels also informed customers about fruit grades. The highest-quality fruit, Grade A, had labels with a blue background. Grade B quality fruit had labels with a red background, while labels with green backgrounds identified citrus suitable for roadside stands and in-state sales.
The citrus crate labels were highly popular from 1920 to 1950, until crates were replaced by cardboard boxes when shortages of wood and metal followed World War II. Today, many of the citrus crate labels salvaged from the attics of early growers and old packinghouses are prized collectibles.
VeroBeachMagazine
The Evolution of Flo
Through the years, Flo’s swimsuit got smaller and smaller.
“For decades, men were largely responsible for growing, marketing, selling, and buying citrus,” says George Hamner of Indian River Exchange Packers, a longtime Vero Beach citrus grower and sponsor of the Flo label on the Indian River County Citrus Crate Label Trail. “Flo’s bathing suit caught the eye of the predominantly male auction buyers, and as times changed, the swimsuit changed until finally she was wearing a bikini!”
On the southern portion of the Jungle Trail, citrus crate labels are displayed at two historic areas of interest: the Captain Forster Hammock Preserve and the Jones Pier Conservation Area. The 110-acre hammock preserve is named for the well-traveled boat captain Frank Forster, who settled in Florida in the late 1800s and began farming the area. More than a century ago, Jones Pier, the county’s first dock, was a well-known stopping point for local fishermen and boaters to load up on Orchid Island citrus, food staples, and medical supplies.
“The citrus industry is embedded in our history,” explains Brenda Eubanks Burnette, former executive director of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and current board member of the Heritage Center and Indian River Citrus Museum, which houses a collection of original crate labels donated by local farmers and packinghouses. “As Indian River County celebrates its centennial this year, it’s important to keep history alive by telling our story through the labels used to market our most famous product.”
Burnette, a native Floridian, has been a tireless proponent for Florida Citrus growers since she was crowned Miss Florida Citrus in 1981. A 2024 Citrus Achievement Award winner, she is not only spearheading crate label trails throughout Central Florida but also recording the oral histories of citrus industry pioneers.
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