Sebastian in Indian River County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Roseland
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, May 5, 2015
1. Roseland Marker
Inscription.
Roseland. . The Ays Indians lived along the confluence of the St. Sebastian and the Indian River (Rio d'ays) when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. For hundreds of years after that, settlements in the Indian River area were restricted to the coastal areas where citrus, pineapples, and fishing were the primary industries. In 1816, George Fleming, an Irishman who had served in the army of Spanish Florida, received a large land grant on both sides of the St. Sebastian River. This grant was important in the growth of the area. Roseland's first citizen was Dempsey Cain, who settled on the north side of the river in 1877. Cain is credited with naming the community on the south side of the river Roseland after the wild roses that grew there in abundance. As more settlers arrived, a post office was built in 1892, and in 1893, a depot and water tower were constructed for Henry Flagler's East Coast Railway. In 1910, the A.A. Berry Land Development Company purchased the remnants of the old Fleming land grant. The original Berry Land Office Building still stands in Roseland, as does the 1926 Roseland Community Center, built of lumber salvaged from the first bridge to cross the St. Sebastian River. ,
A Florida Heritage Site.
The Ays Indians lived along the confluence of the St. Sebastian and the Indian River (Rio d'ays) when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. For hundreds of years after that, settlements in the Indian River area were restricted to the coastal areas where citrus, pineapples, and fishing were the primary industries. In 1816, George Fleming, an Irishman who had served in the army of Spanish Florida, received a large land grant on both sides of the St. Sebastian River. This grant was important in the growth of the area. Roseland's first citizen was Dempsey Cain, who settled on the north side of the river in 1877. Cain is credited with naming the community on the south side of the river Roseland after the wild roses that grew there in abundance. As more settlers arrived, a post office was built in 1892, and in 1893, a depot and water tower were constructed for Henry Flagler's East Coast Railway. In 1910, the A.A. Berry Land Development Company purchased the remnants of the old Fleming land grant. The original Berry Land Office Building still stands in Roseland, as does the 1926 Roseland Community Center, built of lumber salvaged from the first bridge to cross the St. Sebastian River.
A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 2014 by The Indian River County Historical Society,
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Tourist Development Council of Indian River County and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-813.)
Location. 27° 50.131′ N, 80° 29.75′ W. Marker is in Sebastian, Florida, in Indian River County. Marker is at the intersection of 83rd Avenue and Baird Street, on the right when traveling south on 83rd Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12973 83rd Avenue, Sebastian FL 32958, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 21, 2017. It was originally submitted on March 17, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 856 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on March 17, 2016, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
