History of Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida is a town on the Atlantic coast of the state with a history tracing back to the 1840s.
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History
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Settlers began making a home in Vero Beach in the 1840s. The building of Florida's East Coast railroad boosted the development of the town in the 1890s. Population growth gained momentum with the implementation of drainage districts in 1905. Vero Beach became incorporated in 1919. Indian River County was created in 1924 when Vero Beach business owners pushed for separation from neighboring St. Lucie County.
The Vero Beach Municipal Airport was the site of a Naval Air Station from 1942 to 1947. Piper Aircraft built a research and development center on the grounds of the former naval station in 1957.
Today, with 98 percent of Vero Beach developed or built-out, public concern has turned to preserving the natural beauty of the town with a focus on organized growth, green space and the preservation of wildlife and historical buildings.
Geography
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The city of Vero Beach consists of low-lying coastal mainland on the eastern side of Florida, and Orchid Island, an oceanfront barrier island -- a long, narrow strip of sand and sediment separated from the mainland by the Indian River Lagoon.
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Features
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Vero Beach is not just a resort town. It is a full-service city with traditional public services and many full-time residents who take great pride in their hometown. If you choose Vero Beach for your vacation or your new home, you will enjoy the many features of living in a temperate beach town.
Vero Beach Reef and Oculina Reef offer pristine coral reef diving with views of turtles, lobsters, manatees, sharks, rays, multiple species of coral and over 200 species of fish. Divers can explore the 1715 wreck of a Spanish galleon at the south end of the beach.
Nature preserves abound, and the natural ecosystem of Vero Beach can be explored at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, Blowing Rocks Preserve, Environmental Learning Center, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, McKee Botanical Garden, Pelican Island Wildlife Refuge and the Smithsonian Marine Station.
Fun Fact
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The Los Angeles Dodgers held their spring training at Dodgertown in Vero Beach from 1949 until 2009, when the team moved operations to Glendale, Arizona.
Famous Ties
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John F. Kennedy Jr. received his flight certification at the Vero Beach Municipal Airport. Other notable residents include Jon Bon Jovi, Gloria Estefan, Sandy Koufax, Jake Owen, Ivan Lendl, Prince, and John Walsh.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit www.gouldcooksey.com
