Question: What was the citrus boom called that attracted thousands of entrepreneurs to Florida in the mid-1870s?
Answer: Orange fever
The citrus industry entered its first boom in the 1870s. The news of profits, real and potential, created the so-called “orange fever.” Entrepreneurs flocked to Florida seeking riches as citrus growers, but developing a commercial grove was not easy. Many victims of the boom lacked money and the means of cultivation. Young trees required several years of care before they produced fruit in quantity, and the life of a citrus baron was much harder than expected.
