Manavista, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manavista, Florida
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 Manavista, Florida
Location in Florida
Manavista, Florida
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Manatee |
| Elevation | 3 ft (0.9 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code(s) | 941 |
| GNIS feature ID | 301137 |
Manavista was once a special area in Florida, known for its huge grapefruit groves. It was located near the city of Palmetto, on the north side of the Manatee River. This place played an important role in the history of Florida's citrus industry.
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Manavista was mostly known for being surrounded by the Atwood Grape Fruit Company. This company grew a lot of grapefruit!
The story of Manavista started in 1892. A man named Kimball C. Atwood (1853-1934) bought 265 acres of land. This land was about a mile east of Palmetto, right by the Manatee River.
His land had about 96 rows of grapefruit trees. Mr. Atwood also had a home across the river in the town of Manatee.
The Big Freeze
In 1894 and 1895, Florida had very cold winters. These freezes badly damaged the citrus industry. Many trees were destroyed. This pushed citrus farming further south in the state.
It took until 1897 for Atwood to get new trees. He bought them from the Reasoners, who ran a plant nursery. The new grapefruit types included Duncan, Royal, and Walter.
A New Post Office
On May 12, 1898, a post office opened in the area. It was given the name "Manavista." Lewis C. Randall was the first postmaster in charge.
A Famous Grapefruit Grove
After the freezes, the grapefruit grove grew back strong. By 1915, it was producing 80,000 boxes of grapefruit each year. They handled 1,200 boxes every day!
The grove had its best year in 1927. That year, they processed an amazing 160,000 boxes of grapefruit.
International Fame
The Atwood grove became famous even outside the United States. The American ambassador to the United Kingdom often bought crates of their fruit. Grapefruit from the grove was even served to people in the British royal household.
The grove also sent a free crate of fruit to King George V of the United Kingdom (1865-1936) every year. They continued this tradition until the King passed away.
What Happened Next?
In 1934, Kimball Atwood died. The grapefruit grove closed down soon after. The Atwood family owned the property until 1968.
New Owners, New Uses
In 1968, the land was sold to a company called Simens-Allis. They built a new factory there. Eventually, that factory also closed.
In 2012, Feld Entertainment bought the property. They built their new main office there.
