Cultivation of pineapples in Florida began in the 1860s, with Key West and Merritt Island being pioneers. Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs and particularly Marco Island grew pineapples in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
According to the State Archives of Florida and the State Library of Florida, the earliest pineapple cultivation started in Key West in the 1860s. Benjamin Baker grew pineapples on Plantation Key, shipping them to New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia and a Mr. Brantley was producing pineapples on Merritt Island around the same time.
The industry expanded rapidly around 1899, due to the southward extension of the Florida East Coast Railway. Pineapple plantations could be found across Florida, including in Lee, Volusia and Orange counties. It is estimated that there were 1,325 acres of pineapple plantations in Florida, producing 95,442 crates of fruit…