Waterbury, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Waterbury
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 Waterbury
Location in Manatee County
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| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| Counties | Manatee |
| Elevation | 79 ft (24 m) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| Area codes | 941 |
| FIPS code | 12-75270 |
| GNIS feature ID | 294967 |
Waterbury is an area in Manatee County, Florida, United States. It is not an official town or city, but rather an "unincorporated area." This means it does not have its own local government.
Contents
History of Waterbury
Waterbury was once a town that a company planned to build. It was going to be part of a large farm growing citrus fruits in eastern Manatee County.
The Idea for Waterbury
The idea for Waterbury started in 1914. A man named James L. Waterbury, who had recently moved to Bradenton, suggested building it. The land for the project was very big, about six square miles. It was located south of the Manatee River. A railroad line, which is now State Road 70, ran through the middle of the property.
To prepare the land, over 10,000 acres in the Manatee River valley had to be drained. The southern part of the land was meant to be a town called Pomelo Park. The northern part was planned to be the town of Waterbury.
Building the Town and Groves
In 1918, the company started planting grapefruit trees. The plans for the town of Waterbury were officially drawn up in 1920. It was designed to have 192 building spots across one square mile. These spots were right in the middle of the grapefruit trees.
The Waterbury project became well-known because the company used dynamite to clear the many pine trees. This was a new and exciting way to clear land back then.
Growth and Changes
By 1922, about 650 acres of trees had been planted. A lodge and an office for the grapefruit farm were also built. In 1923, James Waterbury sold his company to Rudolph Haas. At that time, the Waterbury grapefruit farm had over 700 acres of groves. It also had office buildings, homes for workers, stables, and packing houses.
The End of the Project
A difficult economic time hit Florida in 1926. This "recession" badly hurt the citrus fruit business. Because of this, the Waterbury Grapefruit Company went out of business. In the 1930s, the State of Florida took over the property. This happened as part of a law called the Murphy Act.
In 1967, the Hunsader family bought the land where Waterbury was supposed to be built. They turned it into a tomato farm. Today, the area planned for the town is still part of the Hunsader Farms. None of the original buildings from the Waterbury project are left. The land where the grapefruit groves once stood is now used for other farms and homes.
