Local History

The discrepancy in where Juan Ponce de Leon landed is significant — about 150 miles. Of interest to Indian River County residents is that, instead of four counties away, 20th century historian and navigator Douglas Peck estimates that the historic landing took place in the southern stretch of neighboring Brevard County, just a few miles north of what is now the Sebastian Inlet.

Over the years, while Vero Beach has been become home to thousands of solid citizens, it appears that it was also home to a few bad apples of the gangster variety also walked our streets decades ago. “Entrepreneurs” John J. Williams and Harry Roberts leased what would later become the Ocean Grill, but they hailed from the Chicago nightclub scene and its organized crime-affiliated gambling establishments.

The National Register of Champion Trees, a program that began in 1940, recognizes extraordinary trees for what they are: champions. Four trees have been recognized locally, two at McKee Botanical Garden and two inside the city limits in Vero Beach, and Nanette Haynes, the city’s ground maintenance manager, wants you to look for more.

It's hard to imagine a time when the Sebastian Inlet didn't connect the Indian River Lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean. Today's peaceful waters belie the inlet's storied past.

The MacWilliam-Sexton union is one of those “happily ever after” tales that began a century ago when their great-grandfathers, Waldo Sexton and Alex MacWilliam Sr., put down roots in Indian River County.

Naval Air Station Vero Beach prepared pilots for the Pacific theater.

Melinda started Cooper & Co. 33 years ago, and Nancie bought Sigrid’s of Vero — without inventory — 27 years ago and made it her own.

At their peak, the Ais people fished and hunted, made pottery and tools, and even salvaged treasure — all in what is today the Vero Beach area.

“We realize this is where people live and work, and they want it to be part of their home. That’s what we want for this project.”

I arrived in Vero Beach with my parents, Kit and Sis Johnson, at age 3 in 1936.

It can take the better part of a lifetime to fully embrace your legacy, especially such a storied one as Sharon Robinson’s.

Today, there appears to be no trace of either the beaverboard camel or its antlers. Nevertheless, without either one, Boca Raton has become a thriving, vital community in one of the most developed population centers of the state.

There are members of the Riomar Country Club today who were children back in the 1950s and still recall the pleasantly rustic conditions, when Corey’s Pharmacy was the only store within walking distance where you could get a cool drink or a pack of gum.

In honor of our 20-year anniversary, we’ve pulled 12 favorite stories from our archives to share with you each month. This one is excerpted from an article about the St. Sebastian River, which appeared in the January 2007 issue.

“I became a history buff, and my love of ship model building is supported by my love of history.”

It’s a scene that would prompt any artist to capture it on canvas.

How a synchronized team of “Dolphinettes” brought Vero Beach its first, heady days in the national spotlight.

The DuBose family has called Vero Beach home for six generations

Fellsmere was the first city in Florida to allow women to vote.

Bud Holman, a multi-faceted businessman — Cadillac dealer, rancher, grove owner — who had helped build the Vero Beach airport in 1929 and later became its manager.