History of Deltona, Florida.
From homesteads to a planned Community.
The current city of Deltona, Florida was incorporated with a city charter in 1995, but the town of Deltona was born in 1962. it was officially created in 1962 by the Mackle Brothers who purchased 17,000 acres in the area. During the 1950s, the region was part of southwestern Volusia County and was described as a quiet area, predating the large-scale development that would quickly transform it into a major community. The Mackle Brothers' development, the General Development Company, built the planned community and began its rapid growth with a focus on affordable, low-maintenance homes through extensive worldwide marketing. The Mackle brothers developed Deltona in three phases over a few decades. They were designed for retirees and snowbirds with one or two bedrooms and a bath. By the 1970's the Mackle Brothers formed the Deltona Corporation and began other planned communities across Florida.
(Pictured is a 1981 Deltona Corporation print ad)
The well made, affordable homes built on large lots attracted families as well as retirees. Through the 1970's and 80's, Deltona's population grew quickly. Deltona builders were no longer specializing in small homes for retirees and began building 3 bedrooms with 2 bath homes on quarter acre lots. By the time the City of Deltona was granted its charter in 1995, the city had 3 fire stations, 2 high schools, and was still expanding. Deltona was the second largest city in central Florida after Orlando until 2022. The city developed a few problems as any city would that grows too quick, but through the years it has maintained its small town feel for a city of over 100,000 residents.
A brief history of our area.
Pre-1513 A.D.
For over 13,000 years and counting, the area we now know as Deltona, Florida has been inhabited by humans. The Timucuan Native Americans called the shores of Lake Monroe home for centuries, where they worked farms, fished, hunted, and raised their families on the land we cherish today. A large shell midden once soared 60 feet above Lake Monroe, and a small trace of it can still be observed if you know where to look. The Timucuan were a group of Native Americans who shared a culture but lived in separate communities stretching from Southern Georgia through Central Florida. When the Spanish arrived in 1513, the diseases they brought devastated the Timucuan, who lacked immunity to European illnesses. This part of Deltona history is significant, as it connects to the broader narrative of early European contact in the region, including the historical site of Fort Kingsbury and the nearby area of Enterprise Garfield Deltona.
Ponce De Leon to Fort Kingsbury
From 1513 A.D. until 1819 A.D., Florida switched hands between the Spanish, French, British, and the United States, shaping the rich Deltona history of the region. The majority of the European settlements were along the coast of Florida. In 1819, when the Spanish ceded Florida to the United States, the interior, including areas that would become Deltona, Florida, remained largely unexplored. As the federal government opened the new Territory of Florida for settlement, the Seminole Wars began in earnest. A line of military forts was constructed from Fort Brooke (Tampa) to New Smyrna. On the south shore of Lake Monroe, Fort Mellon was established. In 1836, Lt. Charles Kingsbury, who was stationed at Fort Mellon, tragically passed away from fever around the same time the Tennessee Volunteers completed widening the St. Augustine Trail, which ended at the north shore. The commander of Fort Mellon decided to build a satellite fort on the north shore to help protect the supply line from St. Augustine, naming it Fort Kingsbury. This fort stood directly across from Fort Mellon on the north shore of Lake Monroe, as recorded. It was completed in 1837 but was only manned for one year. The area also had historical significance as it was once inhabited by the Timucuan Native Americans, adding to the diverse tapestry of the region's past, including Enterprise Garfield Deltona.
Enterprise-Garfield-Deltona
Compared to its neighboring communities, Deltona Florida is a relatively young city, having been incorporated in 1995. However, its history stretches back centuries. In 1838, as the Seminoles were being pushed further south, the federal military decided that Ft. Kingsbury and Mellon were no longer necessary and discharged most of the soldiers stationed there. Among those released were Cornelius Taylor and Henry Sanford, who both found the area appealing and chose to stay. Sanford aimed to establish a settlement on the south shore of Lake Monroe, while Taylor opted for the north. Taylor and a large group of settlers began forming a community near Ft. Kingsbury, naming it 'Enterprise.' Unbeknownst to Taylor, a law at the time mandated that all settlements maintain a certain distance from active military forts, which rendered Taylor's land claim invalid, prompting him to return to Jacksonville. The remaining settlers decided to relocate their town one mile west, retaining the name Enterprise.
The town quickly thrived, thanks to its access to the St. Johns River, becoming the southernmost stop for riverboat companies and playing a crucial role in the development of the Florida interior. During the War Between the States, Enterprise served as a vital supply stop for both Union and Confederate forces. In 1868, a former enslaved man named July Jenkins married Rita Saunders in Enterprise. Mr. Jenkins, born in 1830 on a plantation in Troupe County, Georgia, purchased 20 acres of land from Judge James Prevatt, a Confederate supporter who lost two sons at Gettysburg. He cultivated citrus and produce, achieving prosperity. Over the following decades, many other freed enslaved families, along with Mr. Jenkins' kin, settled on the outskirts of Enterprise, leading to the formation of the town of Garfield. By 1900, Garfield boasted a post office and two general stores. However, like many other towns, Garfield was not spared from the devastation caused by Yellow Fever, winter freezes, and the Great Depression. Its residents eventually moved away, and the town faded into memory.
Today, Deltona has absorbed the footprint of Garfield, with only an abandoned cemetery remaining in the woods. The church and old homesteads have been paved over, but the memories of the Timucuan Native Americans and the early settlers live on and must be preserved.