History Of Indiantown

The Seminole people originally established Indiantown as a trading post. Following the First Seminole War, tribes who were fleeing south from the US Army found the area to be an attractive place to settle in due to its abundant fishing and hunting spots as well as its relatively higher elevation. During the 1890s white American migrants settled the area.

Old Indiantown Road – Inside of Timer Powers Park, there is a historical marker sign detailing Juniper Indiantown Road the way it existed from the 1900s through the late 1950s. From the inscription on the sign, from 1900 through the late 1950s, the communities of Indiantown and Jupiter were connected by Jupiter Indiantown Road, which gave residents access to various resources. The area was governed by Dade County when a new road was cut in 1899. Around that time in Indiantown, brothers Dessie and Joe Bowers developed citrus groves and also operated a trading post where they and the Seminoles traded goods for hides. Transporting goods by oxcart took two days on the 16-mile road. In 1912, improvements were made to the road when mules were used for hauling shell rock coming from Jupiter. The St. Lucie Canal around 1916 intersected the road that was near Indiantown. There was a hand winched ferry offered cross passage until 1927 when a one-lane turning bridge was constructed. Cattle ranches, homestead, and then later the Jenkins and David sawmill became established along this road. It was also called the Central Dixie Highway, the Jupiter Okeechobee Road, and the Jupiter Grade Road, and it became State Road 29 in 1936. By the late 1950s, the historic dirt road was replaced by nearby paved highways. Palm Beach and Martin Counties declared the road to be a Scenic By-Way in 1993.

Indiantown was transformed in 1924 when S. Davies Warfield constructed an extension of Seaboard Air Line Railway running from Coleman to West Palm Beach, directly passing through Indiantown and stopping there.

Warfield planned on making Indianhub the Seaboard rail line’s southern hub. Towards this end, he planned out a model city, which involved building a railroad station, housing, and school, and laid out streets. Warfield built the Seminole Inn as well, which is on the National Register of Historic Places now.

Today’s Seminole Inn

However, after 1926 the 1920s Florida land boom fizzled out A year later, Warfield died, which put an end to his plans of making Indiantown the southern headquarters of the Seaboard. The Okeechobee hurricane in 1928 wreaked great destruction and further development was halted.

In 1952 there was a serious attempt at revitalizing the local economy when Indiantown Development Corporation was sold and then was restructured into Indiantown Company. This company was involved in the construction of new sewage and water systems, housing developments, and docks using the St. Lucie River, as well as a 6,000-foot airstrip to bring in civilian air traffic and small cargo.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Circle T Ranch and the Circle T Rodeo Bowl were at Indiantown. Around 15,000 visitors attended the 1963 Rodeo which at the time made it Florida’s largest tourist attraction. The Ranch was bought out later and became a film studio.

Seaboard trains continue stopping at the depot in Indiantown throughout the 1960s. However, in 1972 when Amtrak took over, passenger service was eliminated to the station. Several years later the depot was demolished. virtually the only thing that remains from the 1920s boom is the Seminole Inn.

The contributions that Warfield made to Indiantown have been memorialized in many ways, including Warfield Elementary School and Warfield Boulevard (the major route through Indiantown).

Indiantown’s economy currently heavily relies on seasonal agriculture. Also, the town continues using its position close to the intersection of numerous major roads to act as an infrastructure and transportation hub. There have also been attempts to capitalize on wetlands nearby and to get the Rodeo revitalized to draw more tourists in.