Near Titusville, some of the earliest aboriginal burial sites have been discovered dating back over 8000 years. The bones were discovered by a backhoe operator named Steve Vanderjagt in 1982, while digging a pond. Over a three year period, more than 40 skeletons were unearthed at the bottom of the pond, including the most intact brain tissue ever found. Later the Ais Native Americans moved into the area. These were a peaceful group that lived off of turtles, fish, and shellfish. Juan Ponce de Leon first visited the area in 1513 and was followed by many Spanish explorers. Much of the rest of Florida underwent Spanish settlement, England settlements, and Indians wars. The area around Titusville, however, remained largely untouched. One early settler was Douglas Dummett, who experimented with the growing of oranges. He was a judge, the justice of the peace, the appraiser and he first state representative from the area.Titusville was founded in 1867 by Colonel Henry T. Titus, where he founded the Indian River Preserving Company, which shipped seafood to northern markets.
Like those early residents, those looking for products today should check the Titusville, FL yellow pages.Despite having northern funding the company failed a mere year later. Next he started a stagecoach line between Enterprise, FL and Titusville. Titus owned a general store at Enterprise and a dry goods store at Sand Point, which would become Titusville. In 1870, he built a hotel at Sand Point. Titus was successful at shipping northern building goods to the area and then returning them full of oranges and pineapples that the northerners craved. Titus was instrumental in establishing mail service to the area and served as the justice of the peace.The town was laid out by Captain J. Francis Learon on property owned by Mary M. Carlin. Not much growth happened in Titusville until the railroad arrived in 1885. Titusville was still largely an orange growing area, until the great freeze of December, 1894. This was followed by a second freeze in February, 1895 when many trees were lost and many growers decided to leave the industry. Then in December, 1895, fire destroyed the commercial area. The area did not really begin to grow until the space program was established at Kennedy Space Center. Many of the workers for the space center live in Titusville. Those looking for other business opportunities in Titusville should check the Titusville, FL business directory.
Written by Lyndsey Morgan
