Forest City

Forest City. . , The earliest settlers in this area arrived circa 1875. Among these settlers were Swedish families who relocated here from Sanford after their obligations to Gen. Sanford were met. It was known as Forest City by the time the area was platted in 1883. This platted area was 1/3 mile south of the intersection of SRs 434 and 436 and boasted a schoolhouse, a rail depot, a general store and a two story boarding house. Most of the surrounding area was planted with citrus trees. By the mid 1880s four railroads - a short line to Salt (Wekiva) Springs, the Orange Belt, the Florida Midland and a spur to the South Florida railroad, all served Forest City area providing a quick way for citrus to reach northern markets. (Continued on other side). Reverse: (Continued from other side). The great freeze of 1894/95 wiped out the citrus in Central Florida and resulted in the loss of most of the smaller communities in this area. Forest City survived with replanted citrus groves. Large citrus related businesses were located in Forest City in the 1920s. In 1926 Chester C. Fosgate packinghouse moved here followed by the first juice and canning plant in Florida in 1928. Citrus began to be displaced by urbanization starting in the 1970's and by the 1990's the packing, canning and concentrate plants were gone., In 1925 the 7th Day Adventist church purchased 500 acres in Forest City north of SR 436 between Bear Lake and Lake Brantley Road and started Forest Lake Academy. Originally a boarding school for children of missionaries, the school has grown and the campus now includes a church and a nursing home.