Sweetwater Ranch, Florida facts for kids
Sweetwater Ranch is a small community in the southeastern part of Hardee County, Florida, in the United States. It's not an official city or town, but a place where people live and work. Sweetwater is about 15 minutes by car southeast of Zolfo Springs, Florida. It's surrounded by U.S. 17 to the west and SR 66 to the north. Other small communities like Crewsville are to the east, and Fish Branch/Gardner are to the south.
This area is important for nature because it includes a big part of the Oak Creek watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a specific river or lake. Sweetwater also borders the Charley Creek watershed. Both of these creeks eventually flow into the Peace River. For many years, Sweetwater was home to Lake Frances, which was the only lake in Hardee County, though it is privately owned. Sweetwater is also close to fun places like Highlands Hammock State Park (about 15 minutes away) and the city of Sebring (about 20 minutes away). Sebring offers places to shop, play, and get medical care.
The community used to center around the Sweetwater Church of Christ. However, the church closed in the early 1970s, and its building was taken down. The church's cemetery is still there and is now called Mercer Cemetery. Many people from the Mercer family live in the area, which is why it was renamed. Today, the center of the community is mainly where Sweetwater Road (also known as County Road 656 and Merle Langford Road) meets Crewsville Road.
History of Sweetwater Ranch
Sweetwater Ranch once had many people living there, mostly working on farms or raising cattle. It was a busy rural area. At one time, the community even had its own one-room schoolhouse. There was also a large turpentine mill, which processed pine trees to make turpentine. The mill had a "commissary," which was like a general store for the workers.
Most families in Sweetwater lived off the land. They grew their own food and raised animals like cows, pigs, and chickens for meat. Some people also hunted animals like raccoons and alligators for their hides. Since the 1950s, the number of people living in Sweetwater has slowly gone down. Today, the main industries are growing citrus fruits (like oranges) and raising cattle. Most of the people who live here are working-class families, along with some retirees.
Future Plans for Sweetwater Ranch
In 2007, there were plans to build a very large new community in the Sweetwater Ranch area. This new development would start near Sweetwater Road and US 17 and stretch all the way back to Charley Creek. If this plan is fully built, it could potentially double the number of people living in Hardee County!
