How Did The Town Of Frostproof Florida Get Its Name?

Though not technically a word, if anything needed to be “frost-proofed,” one would assume it would be done in a cold climate. So it’s just a bit unexpected to learn that Frostproof is a town in one of the muggiest states in America—Florida.

In order to understand the origins of the city’s name, it is essential to know the important role that citrus production plays in the economy of Central Florida, the area that Frostproof calls home. The impact of citrus on Florida’s economy today is an approximate $8.6 billion per year, and it has always played an essential role in generating economic activity and growth in the state.

So it was a marketing ploy to attract citrus growers that led the leaders to re-brand their town, then known as Keystone City, as Frostproof. The idea was that the name would signal to potential citrus growers and developers (who would likely be buying plots of land for big bucks and contributing a great deal to the local economy) that they would have nothing to fear from the weather for their crops if they chose to settle in Frostproof.

The scheme worked. Citrus developers moved in, and for a while, the city was spared any citrus-killing frosts. But a few years later in 1894, agricultural tragedy struck. A frost hit Frostproof, killing off some of the citrus crops.

Luckily for the city, not being able to live down its name didn’t do too much damage to the town or its reputation for citrus-friendly warm weather. Average temperatures in the city are extremely mild in the winter and humid in the summer, which is ideal for growing citrus.

But while Frostproof may not have to deal with snow or cold wrecking havoc on its crops very often, the city does have another weather demon to contend with—hurricanes. The city is frequently hit by multiple hurricanes in a row in late August, and 2004 set a world record for having three hurricanes in the same year.

So while the city may be Frostproof (at least most of the time), Florida’s most unusually named city can’t say they are immune to the vagaries of catastrophic weather—or that the citrus crops are ever absolutely safe.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

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