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A scenic cruise in your own craft down the St. Lucie Canal and the St. Lucie Locks are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Just like the Panama Canal boats are lifted from one side of the locks to the other as they use the St. Lucie Canal for cross-state transportation to the Gulf of Mexico through Lake Okeechobee. A popular stopping- off spot is the Indiantown Marina. jungle ride" to wonders of Lake Okeechobee and the west coast of Florida Unique to the rest of Martin County, Indiantown is situated in the midst of large citrus groves and is bordered by the peaceful St. Lucie Canal. The residents of this area enjoy the sense of community associated with living in a small town. They also like the idea that located 30 minutes away are the dining, shopping and other attractions associated with the bigger cities. Recognizing the community is on the threshold of growth. Easy accessibility by land, rail, air and water and competitive land prices add to Indiantown's appeal. The first known inhabitants were Georgia-born Seminole Indians who, in the early 1800's, found the area's higher elevation, friendly climate and fertile land perfect for their tranquil lifestyle. The tranquility, however, lasted only until the mid-1830's by which time the U.S. Military had moved in and taken control. The early 1890's serious settlers began arriving. Among the first were Francis Marion Platt established cattle ranching and orange growing while Bowers planted many citrus trees and founded what is known in Indiantown as Bowers Groves. In the early 1920's, S. Davies Warfield, a Baltimore financier who was building a railroad from Central Florida to West Palm Beach, began assembling large parcels of land. Warfield saw the community as the southern headquarters of his rail line and even dreamed of it becoming the County Seat of Martin County, which was formed in 1925. As part of his dream, Warfield built the Seminole Inn opened to a gala gathering in 1927 and to this day remains a historic site. Among those attending the opening was Warfield's niece, Wallis, who later married the King of England and became the Duchess of Windsor. INDIANTOWN ... POISED FOR GROWTH AND CLOSE TO EXCITEMENT Geographically, unincorporated Indiantown (1990 estimated population: 6,300) Average rainfall is 54.8 inches a year while temperatures range from an average 65.6 degrees F in January to 81.7 degrees F in July for an average of 74 degrees. Elevation is 35 feet above sea level. Perched on the St. Lucie Canal, the only waterway in Florida that connects trade and tourist communities on the Atlantic Ocean to those on the Gulf of Mexico, Indiantown offers different advantages to different interests. To investors and land development companies pinched by rising costs and crowded conditions on each coast it is a logical and economical place to look for new opportunities in residential, commercial and industrial construction. Because of its location, Indiantown offers an almost unique blend of small town lifestyle and big city sophistication. Within minutes from a home where a horse grazes, and Fifth Avenue shops, major and minor league baseball, Broadway shows, museums, art galleries and other attractions. For the boater in you, it is the home of the "second cleanest Marina in the world" and one of the "safest hurricane holes" on the East Coast of the United States. Located on the St. Lucie Canal which links Stuart on the East Coast to Fort Myers on the West Coast via Lake Okeechobee and the Calloosahatchee River, the 32-slip marina offers transient and monthly accommodations as well as dry storage for vessels. The marina has a hoist and mast-stepping facility, a 30 ton travel lift, a ramp for small boats, gas and diesel fuel, ice, laundry, showers and heads, a Captain's Lounge, Ship's Store and a shady picnic area on the canal. The "second cleanest marina in the world" distinction was paid to the Indiantown Marina by Florida Waterways Magazine. Indiantown's marina is known to boaters everywhere. While there is no commercial air service in Indiantown, a federally licensed landing strip with a 7,000-foot grass runway is available for use by private and charter planes. Regularly scheduled commercial flights on major airlines are available from West Palm Beach International Airport, a 45-minute drive from Indiantown. To persons seeking a second home or a tranquil year-round residence, Indiantown is one of the few remaining south Florida communities that offers long-gone life-styles while remaining less than an hour's drive from sophisticated shopping and cultural centers and international airport. lndianwood Golf and Country Club is a 118-acre golf and tennis community. 18-hole golf course. Indiantown is served by an able and well-trained volunteer fire department and law enforcement is provided by a satellite office of the Martin County Sheriff's Department. Cable television is available and active organizations in the community include a growing Chamber of Commerce, 4-H, P.T.O., Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Indiantown Little League, V.F.W. and others. The Indiantown Civic Center is available to rent for civic events. Bingo is held weekly. Town meetings are held as issues arise. The "Homer Wall Gazebo" located next to the Indiantown Library in Kiwanis Park was funded from the million dollar trust fund of the U.S. Generating Company. Timer Powers Park is a 37 acre recreational facility on Citrus Boulevard. The property, purchased by Martin County through the "Lands For You" Project, rests on the banks of the St. Lucie Waterway and includes a playground, picnic pavilions, exercise trail, boardwalk, equestrian arena and public boat ramp. The park was named in honor of long time Indiantown business owner and resident Timer Powers. Besides being involved locally in the Indiantown community, active in the Kiwanis and the Chamber of Commerce, on the State level Timer was instrumental in negotiations with the Seminole Indians. Finding shopping suitable to your taste is only minutes away. To the east in Jensen Beach is the Treasure Coast Square Mall which is host to several large name department stores. In the other direction, one can find flair and excitement in the Gardens Mall, home of Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's, the Palm Beach Mall and Worth Avenue in fabled Palm Beach. Excellent restaurants can be found in nearby Stuart, West Palm Beach, and Fort Pierce. A variety of dinner entertainment is available. In Fort Pierce, the Courtside Lounge offers Jai Alai bettors a chance to pay dinner expenses while watching the matches. West Palm Beach's Palm Beach Kennel Club will provide you dinner in their Paddock Dining Room while watching greyhound racing Entertainment in abundance can be found aboard the cruise ships that depart out it of the Port of Palm Beach located in Riveria Beach just 30 minutes away. To sports fans Indiantown is the home of Payson Park, one of the country's top thoroughbred horse training tracks, Jai Alai in Fort Pierce, greyhound racing at Palm Beach Kennel Club and a neighbor of the "big leagues" with both major and minor league baseball in Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, and the beautiful new Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. Major league baseball arrived on Indiantown's doorstep when the New York Mets began training for the1988 National League season in a brand new complex in nearby Port St. Lucie. The Mets also own and operate a Class A team in the Florida State League. Two other major league teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach and the Montreal Expos in Jupiter do their spring training within easy driving distance of Indiantown. And to fisherman, Indiantown is utopia: only 10 miles from the wondrous catches of Lake Okeechobee, the second largest fresh water lake in the United States, and only 20 miles from deep sea fishing off Stuart, "the Sailfish Capital of the World". Being less than an hour's drive from deep sea fishing in the Atlantic Ocean and fresh water catches in Lake Okeechobee, Indiantown is more marine-oriented than many larger towns. A few miles west, between the Indiantown Marina and the lake, are the Port Mayaca Locks, a modern gateway to Lake Okeechobee. Ten or 12 miles east are the St. Lucie Locks located at Phipps Park, a facility open to the public where ocean-going vessels and small craft alike are raised or lowered 14 feet to compensate for the difference in elevation of Indiantown and the coast. The locks were installed by the Army Corps of Engineers when the St. Lucie Canal was dredged to serve as both drainage system from Lake Okeechobee and the only marine link across the State of Florida from Stuart to Fort Myers During World War II, merchant ships and others often detoured into the canal to avoid being spotted by German U-boats which, in the early years of the War prowled the Atlantic coast. In the opposite direction in West Palm Beach, for a nominal admission, is Dreher Park Zoo and also Lion Country Safari where visitors can drive through an area of free roaming jungle animals. At the human level, humanitarian reconstruction is performed at Dunklin Memorial Camp, a Christ centered drug and alcohol rehabilitation center founded in 1963. They also host seminars, retreats, conferences as well as having church meet each Sunday at Dunklin. They have been instrumental in starting drug rehab centers in such places like Costa Rica, Russia and are currently expanding by adding an International Training Center to it's already expansive self sufficient community, located in a part of the county where nature is a part of the lifestyle To industry seeking sites for new plants, Indiantown is a convenient location offering shipment by truck via Florida's Turnpike and Interstate 95, by rail on the CSX Transportation System, Inc., which has siding for 300 cars and even by barge on the St. Lucie Canal. Prompted by moves to Indiantown by such companies as Bay State Milling Company, Entegra Roof Tiles, Inc., and Tampa Farm Service, Inc., and recognizing the potential for further residential and commercial growth, the Indiantown Company has expanded and improved its water, sewers and refuse services. Such services compliment those installed in the company's M-1 Light Industrial Park. Similar services are in place in the area zoned for heavy industrial where both Bay State Milling and Louis Dreyfus Citrus, a large juice plant and producer of orange juice concentrate for customers in the U.S. and abroad, are located. New additions to the Indiantown industrial area is the expanded facilities of the Florida Power and Light Martin Plant site, whose plants are the largest fossil fuel plants in Florida. Florida Power and Light Company added 800 megawatts of electrical generating capacity to their existing plant in lndiantown. Indiantown Cogeneration, L.P., a 350 megawatt electrical co-generation plant. This plant produces electricity for Florida Power & Light and steam for the Caulkins fruit processing plant. Cattle raising, both beef and dairy, is another facet of Indiantown's many-faceted economy. And just a few miles south in Clewiston is the country's largest sugar cane producing area. While existing industrial, commercial and agricultural interests give Indiantown a well-balanced economy, it is the near-future potential that excites knowledgeable observers. Citing already crowded and expensive conditions along the nearby Atlantic Coast, they point out that the move west toward Indiantown is inevitable if South Florida is to accommodate the increased residential and business population projected for the next decade. As that move progresses, Indiantown with its convenient location, state-of-the-art services and wealth of land, is truly poised for growth. With a wealth of wonderful things to see and do - ranging from fishing to shopping to dining out to watching sports - Indiantown is, in fact, close to excitement. Carefully woven into the fabric of the Indiantown of the future, is 1,000 acres of land with industrial zoning. There is also ample acreage zoned commercial residential. Indiantown is already home to a synergistic group of enterprises. Bay State Milling produces over a million pounds of flour a day - enough for two million loaves of bread! Tampa Farm Service annually produces 21,000,000 eggs. Via Tropical/Caulkins Indiantown Citrus Company, the owner of large orange groves, produces orange juice concentrate and by-products. Florida Power and Light Company takes advantage of the many benefits inherent in locating in Indiantown. Most recently, the Indiantown Generating Plant, owned by Indiantown Cogeneration, LP, an affiliate of PG&E, entered commercial service in December 1995. This 330-megawatt cogeneration facility, fueled by pulverized coal, sells electricity to Florida Power and Light and sells steam to the Caulkins Indiantown Citrus Company's processing plant. These companies, with the exception of Caulkins Indiantown Citrus Company, were enticed and chose to locate in Indiantown for some very valid, concrete reasons: the locale has reduced impact fees and land use is in place with concurrence regulations already met. Further, businesses in Indiantown can be designated as part of a Foreign Trade Sub-Zone accessible to either the Port of Palm Beach and the Port of Fort Pierce. Certainly, the attitude of the people of Indiantown towards businesses wishing to locate in the community has served as an enticement. Indiantown has a history of working with corporations wishing to become part of Indiantown, identifying potential stumbling blocks and then finding creative means to circumvent the hindrances. Traveling west from Stuart, the landscape becomes increasingly beautiful. Strip malls give way to a panorama of subtropical beauty. Gated communities disappear, replaced by homes with acreage, often with a barn and a few horses. Endangered species, such as the Florida Panther, thrive undisturbed, sharing their home with an astonishing number of exotic birds, foxes, wild turkey, deer, wild boar, raccoons, armadillo, and even the occasional 'gator. Carefully woven into the fabric of the Indiantown of the future, is 1,000 acres of land with industrial zoning. There is also ample acreage zoned commercial residential. Indiantown is already home to a synergistic group of enterprises. Bay State Milling produces over a million pounds of flour a day - enough for two million loaves of bread! Tampa Farm Service annually produces 21,000,000 eggs. Via Tropical/Caulkins Indiantown Citrus Company, the owner of large orange groves, produces orange juice concentrate and by-products. Florida Power and Light Company takes advantage of the many benefits inherent in locating in Indiantown. Most recently, the Indiantown Generating Plant, owned by Indiantown Cogeneration, LP, an affiliate of PG&E, entered commercial service in December 1995. This 330-megawatt cogeneration facility, fueled by pulverized coal, sells electricity to Florida Power and Light and sells steam to the Caulkins Indiantown Citrus Company's processing plant. These companies, with the exception of Caulkins Indiantown Citrus Company, were enticed and chose to locate in Indiantown for some very valid, concrete reasons: the locale has reduced impact fees and land use is in place with concurrence regulations already met. Further, businesses in Indiantown can be designated as part of a Foreign Trade Sub-Zone accessible to either the Port of Palm Beach and the Port of Fort Pierce. Certainly, the attitude of the people of Indiantown towards businesses wishing to locate in the community has served as an enticement. Indiantown has a history of working with corporations wishing to become part of Indiantown, identifying potential stumbling blocks and then finding creative means to circumvent the hindrances. Indiantown provides excellent transportation links. Access to Florida's Turnpike and Interstate 95 is within 20 minutes. CSX Railroad goes right through Indiantown's industrial area. Passenger rail service will be initiated in Stuart in ???. Indiantown is served by an airport with the longest grass strip in the country. Although the facility is privately owned, it is open to the public. Witham Field, 30 miles to the east in Stuart, handles executive aircraft. For commercial flights, Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA) is only 35 miles away in Palm Beach County. In addition, Indiantown has waterway-access to two ports with docking facilities: the Port of Palm Beach is 30 miles away; the Port of Ft. Pierce is 40 miles distant. Both can be accessed via the Intercoastal Waterway. On a broader scale, Indiantown also has access to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of New Mexico. The St. Lucie Canal, dug by the Corps of Engineers during World War I, flows east from Indiantown to the South Fork of the St. Lucie River which leads to the Atlantic. To the west, Lake Okeechobee flows into the Caloosahatchee River which leads to the Gulf. INDIANTOWN MIDDLE POST FAMILY PARK PORT MAYACA PARK TIMER POWERS PARK |
