The origins of Sanford's connection to celery farming began on December 26, 1894, when a freeze damaged the area's citrus groves. The city began to recover during a warm and wet January which promoted new shoots, but a second freeze hit on February 7, 1895, practically wiping them out. The 24-degree temperature was the coldest known in Florida to that point. The freeze was so intense that the sap froze inside the trunks, many of which split open, sounding like gunshots, and crashed to the ground. The population quickly dropped from 5000 to 2000 as the groves were abandoned. I. H. Terwilliger stayed after the freezes and is believed to have planted the first celery grown in Sanford in 1896. J. N. Whitner and B. F. Whitner, Sr. planted three-fourts of an acre in 1897 with celery imported from Kalamazoo, Michigan. By 1898, celery became the crop synonymous to Sanford, also known as "Celery City."]]> Market Growers Journal: The Market Gardener's Trade Paper, Volume 20.]]> Market Growers Journal: The Market Gardener's Trade Paper, Volume 20.]]> Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> Market Growers Journal: The Market Gardener's Trade Paper, page 209.]]> Market Growers Journal: The Market Gardener's Trade Paper and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>