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An exhibit of citrus grower labels, dating back to the 1860s, as well as photos of the history of citrus growing will be displayed at the Pottberg Library.
By BARBARA FREDRICKSEN
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 14, 2001
More than 150 years ago, Pasco County's first orange grove was planted -- a cluster of 100 sour orange trees near Richland.
By 1980, despite killing freezes and other vexations, the groves had grown, multiplied and changed, and Pasco was producing 12-million crates of citrus a year.
For a while, the oranges and grapefruits were shipped in bulk, and no one could tell which grower produced what fruit. In the 1860s, proud citrus growers started placing labels on their crates to let people know who produced the contents. Before long, thousands of different 9-inch-square labels were showing up on the ends of the citrus crates throughout Florida.
An exhibit of about 75 of these labels, as well as photos of the history of citrus and citrus-growing families in Pasco County will be at the Pottberg Library on the campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College through Oct. 22.
The labels and photographs are on loan from the Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee, the Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City and the West Pasco Historical Society in New Port Richey.
The labels are as varied as the owners of the groves.
The Ladye label shows a nude woman with her arms tastefully positioned to keep her from being too risque. The Miss Florida label shows a young woman in a bathing suit and high heels on a ladder picking oranges. Then there are the Whoopee Brand and the Sans Souci Brand from Elfers, Sherlock's Delight from Holmes Fruit Co. in Tampa, Pasco Belle of Dade City, and the Mother-in-Law Brand with a gray-haired woman brandishing a rolling pin chasing a young man with an armful of oranges and the motto, "Too good to give up."
Each label has fanciful artwork. The Blue and the Gray Brands shows a uniformed Union soldier and a Confederate soldier shaking hands. The Tavern Brand of Palm Harbor shows -- what else? -- a tavern. The Yellow Kid Brand shows the famous, big-eared, big-eyed cartoon character. Others have dragons, dogs, birds, athletes, knights in armor or flowers. The Polk County Winner Brand shows a crouching prize fighter.
Other items in the exhibit are a bench-like grapefruit juicer, a canvas picking bag and field crates.
One wide, panoramic photograph shows a huge orange grove that seems to stretch forever. A small sign underneath it says, "A grove where now stands LaVilla Gardens, Centennial Library, Pasco Fine Arts Center and Baker House Museum."
Other photos show the Peter O. Knight home and Sans Souci Groves in Elfers, the J.F. Swartsel family's groves, and reproductions of popular post cards of the era.
The citrus labels lasted until the 1950s, when pre-printed boxes came into use.
WHAT: Florida Citrus Labels
WHERE: Pottberg Library, Pasco-Hernando Community College, 10230 Ridge Road, New Port Richey
WHEN: Today through Oct. 22. Viewing hours are 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.
TICKETS: Admission is free