The Historic Development of Vero Beach

Important Developments In Vero Beach

Some of the most important developments in Vero Beach took place after the drainage systems were in place. The last 15 years before the official establishment of Indian River County and the City Of Vero Beach proved to be significant. Let’s examine some of the events during this period following the 1914 formation of Vero Beach.

• Sebastian Ranch Company – established in 1916 to handle cattle, produce and, dairy products. The forces behind Sebastian Ranch Company were two Jacksonville bankers, Bion H. and William D. Barnett, and former Florida Governor Francis P. Fleming.
• Strand Movie Theater – It was the first movie theater to open in the area in 1917.  In 1920 the newly constructed theater, Florida Theater, replaced the old Strand Theater. Florida Theater was a Mediterranean-style architectural treasure with over 600 seats. Florida Theater played a crucial role in the separation of Vero from Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County.
• St Lucie County Blue Laws – The problem began with the residents of Vero’s refusal to follow the St Lucie County’s blue laws. Blue laws refer to the prohibition of conducting certain activities on Sundays. The law included the prevention of the sale of goods and any leisurely activities or entertainment. The movie theater refused to follow the law and stayed open to the public on Sundays. Subsequently, Fort Pierce Sheriff officers entered the movie theater and asked patrons to leave. This angered the residents and business owners.
• Independence Of Indian River County – The disagreement resulted in residents’ demand for separation from St Lucie County. They pressured their state representative, Andrew W. Young to introduce a bill for the independence of the Vero from St Lucie County. Although it was a tough battle the bill eventually passed in May 1925 and Indian River County was established

Vero Beach Infrastructure

• Vero Utility Company – 1918 brought the Vero Utility Company and electricity to the Vero area. The inability to comply with demands, the company was eventually sold to the City of Vero in 1920
• First Bridge in Vero Beach – The first bridge connected the barrier island, known today as Vero Beach, mainland, Vero, in 1919. Also, during the same year, Paul Nisle and Tom Campbell published the areas first newspaper, Vero Press
• Vero Beach Airport – Robert Daniel “RD” Carter was the engineer who was instrumental in implementing the area’s wetland drainage project in the 1910s. This mammoth project eventually resulted in the creation of the Indian River County out of marshlands. His son, E E Carter followed his father’s footsteps to leave his lasting marks on the area. The historic Vero’s diesel power plant and Vero Airport were two of his major contributions to the city. The airport was completed in 1930 and soon became the country’s smallest city with passenger services. This was achieved by convincing Eddie Rickenbacker, head of Eastern Air Transport Company to move refueling stop for his planes to Vero from Cocoa.

Notable Buildings In Vero Beach

• Waldo Sexton’ Drift Wood Inn Vero Beach – One of the most interesting characters influential in the development of Vero Beach was Waldo Sexton. He was a jack of all trade and became involved in real estate, hotels, dairy, and citrus. Waldo initially arrived in the area in 1914 selling agricultural equipment. In 1935 he opened the Driftwood Inn, an oceanfront hotel. This hotel was influential in portraying the Vero as a resort area. Driftwood Inn is currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.