Discover Vero Beach
Vero Beach's name and boundaries changed as its agricultural community became a municipality and county seat. Railway tracks reached the Vero settlement in 1893, improving the movement of supplies and produce. The Indian River Farms Company began a major land-development and drainage project in 1912, followed by a town plat in 1913. The City of Vero incorporated in 1919.
More about Vero Beach
In 1925 the creation of Indian River County brought another civic transition: Vero became the county seat and was reincorporated as Vero Beach. This sequence explains why historical records may refer to Vero, Vero Beach or an earlier county association without describing different settlements.
Landscape and leisure developed alongside farming and civic growth. McKee Jungle Gardens opened on January 1, 1932, using a tropical hammock landscape that initially attracted garden-club visitors. It provides a different view of local development from the drainage and subdivision story.
The former naval air station supplied another chapter after World War II. The Brooklyn Dodgers selected the site for spring training in 1947, repurposing part of a wartime installation. The city's preservation history and centennial timeline help connect these transitions: rail-supported agriculture, new government, botanical tourism and the reuse of military land for sport.
Sources
- City of Vero Beach: Historic Preservation, A Brief History: https://www.covb.org/260/Historic-Preservation---A-Brief-History
- City of Vero Beach: History Timeline 1919-2019: https://www.covb.org/DocumentCenter/View/3778/A-TIMELINE-OF-VERO-BEACH-HISTORY-1919-2019
