[shaw8700@outlook.com]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

As I understand it Harold Schwartz and Al Tarrson were struggling to sell lots by mail until that became illegal in 1968. They did start with a trailer park (in a watermelon field I have heard). It was not until Harold bought out Al and brought his son Gary Morse down that things started to roll. I view Gary Morse as the driving genius, Harold as the PR man.

"History
Harold Schwartz, a Michigan businessman, began selling land tracts via mail order in The Villages area in the 1960s. He and his business partner, Al Tarrson, were forced to close this aspect of the business following the implementation of a 1968 federal law banning real estate sales by mail order.[10][11]

Stuck with considerable portions of Florida land, in the early 1970s, Schwartz and Tarrson began the development of a mobile home park, Orange Blossom Gardens, in the northwestern corner of Lake County. By the early 1980s, the community had sold only 400 units. Schwartz bought out Tarrson's interest in improving the business and brought his son, H. Gary Morse, on board in 1983.

Morse noted that the thriving retirement communities (such as Del Webb's Sun City developments) offered numerous well-maintained amenities to the residents. They also had diverse and nearby commercial development. Morse began to upgrade the development significantly. Their sales improved in the mid-1980s. Schwartz began to buy large tracts of land in nearby Sumter and Marion counties for future expansion. In 1992, Morse officially changed the overall development name to The Villages. The development is still controlled in all significant aspects by descendants of Schwartz and Morse.

By the early 1990s, The Villages had more than 8,000 residents, three golf courses, the first Winn Dixie supermarket opened, just four restaurants and nightly dances were held in a tent.[12]"

From: The Villages, Florida - Wikipedia

So why is the son named Morse when his father was a Schwartz?