"Here" movie. 2024. Bradford Watermelon.
 

.This movie depicts what happens, has happened or will happen in a small place.

What do you think might have happened in your neck of the Villages?

Those fake history plaques around the Villages are interesting but do people know what was here 50 years ago, 100 years, 200 years?

Were there any alligators?

A local lawyers' office had pictures of the area near US301 back years ago and it looked like it was mostly a watermelon farm? The Bradford Watermelon comes to mind.

Looks like that was Sumter County in South Carolina. Famous for its watermelons.

Before the watermelons it was potatoes, after the watermelons it was traffic.

Potatoes have been in this area for a very long time.

Were in the area for a very long time, most were replaced by watermelons and they are now being replaced by housing adding to even more traffic. The potatoes will never come back and the traffic will continue to grow.

It looks like historically speaking potatoes were not here in this area of Florida for that long.

I have been in Wildwood 65 years . Never seen potatoes grown.

Seemed to be almost a war over protecting the seeds of the Bradford Watermelon and the knowledge of how to cultivate it .

Up the road a piece is Dpuds and Hastings, both known for growing potatoes, even now.

History
 

Herds of bison roamed the area many many years ago.

The Franklin rec center is named for a local watermelon farm.