Vero Beach in Indian River County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Historic Hallstrom Farmstead
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, April 10, 2019
1. Historic Hallstrom Farmstead Marker
Inscription.
Historic Hallstrom Farmstead. . In the early 1900s, Swedish immigrant and horticulturist Axel Hallstrom sought the warm climate of Florida for his wife's health and moved to this area to from tropical trees and fruits. He first planted pineapples on his new farmstead, in the area known as the olden Ridge, but gradually converted the plantation into a citrus grove. By 1918, Hallstrom had completed his brick home. In the 1930s, he became director of the St. Lucie County Bank and kept it open during the Great Depression. Due to his dedication and support of Swedish-American relations during the 1930s and through World War II, the King of Sweden awarded Hallstrom the Royal Order of Vasa in 1958. Hallstrom's only child, Ruth, continued her father's legacy of involvement in the community. She traveled by boat from Oslo, Florida, up the Indian River to teach in a one-room school house in Orchid. Upon her death in 1999, Ruth bequeathed the house to the Indian River Historical Society, and in 2002, the Hallstrom House was listed on the National Register of Historical Places. In 2015, pineapple slips from some of Hallstrom's original plants came home to the Golden Ridge, and were replanted on the Hallstrom Farmstead.
In the early 1900s, Swedish immigrant and horticulturist Axel Hallstrom sought the warm climate of Florida for his wife's health and moved to this area to from tropical trees and fruits. He first planted pineapples on his new farmstead, in the area known as the olden Ridge, but gradually converted the plantation into a citrus grove. By 1918, Hallstrom had completed his brick home. In the 1930s, he became director of the St. Lucie County Bank and kept it open during the Great Depression. Due to his dedication and support of Swedish-American relations during the 1930s and through World War II, the King of Sweden awarded Hallstrom the Royal Order of Vasa in 1958. Hallstrom's only child, Ruth, continued her father's legacy of involvement in the community. She traveled by boat from Oslo, Florida, up the Indian River to teach in a one-room school house in Orchid. Upon her death in 1999, Ruth bequeathed the house to the Indian River Historical Society, and in 2002, the Hallstrom House was listed on the National Register of Historical Places. In 2015, pineapple slips from some of Hallstrom's original plants came home to the Golden Ridge, and were replanted on the Hallstrom Farmstead.
Erected 2018 by The Indian River County Historical Society, Tourist Development County of Indian River, and the Florida
Click or scan to see this page online
Department of State. (Marker Number F-1022.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1918.
Location. 27° 34.262′ N, 80° 22.478′ W. Marker is in Vero Beach, Florida, in Indian River County. Marker is on Southwest Old Dixie Highway, 0.4 miles north of Highland Drive Southwest, on the left when traveling north. Farmstead is now the Indian River County Historical Society Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1723 Southwest Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach FL 32962, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2019. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2019, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 230 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 30, 2019, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
