© 2011 Kerry Rudy, All Rights Reserved.
Relocated to the Pioneer Village from Narcoossee,Florida, in 2005, the Cadman/Sharp Citrus Packing plant is a treasure to see. It is believed to have been constructed in 1892. The owners' groves provided fruit to send to England, New York and other big city markets. They gave up the citrus business after Hurricane Donna, in September of 1960, severely damaged their groves. The building came to the museum with a citrus washer and citrus sorter (the red and green wooden equipment), wicker baskets used to hold the picked fruit and crates used for shipping. There are various smudge pots used at the time. These are self-contained burners that used kerosene or heating oil and would be placed throughout the groves. You can see the original shipping desk with original invoices, timetables, etc. And even original old scales for weighing the fruit for shipping.