Florida.
Probably no village of our county presents so great a contrast in its local interests of to-day as compared with the early incentives of its development, as does Florida, or Floridus, land of the red flowers, situated six miles south of Goshen, six miles north of Warwick, which points are connected by a recently constructed State road.
In records relating to the early settlement of the village in the latter part of the eighteenth century we find the names of Seward, Armstrong, Wisner, Carr, Poppino, Randall, Thompson and Roe as actively identified with its early interests.
Although in the heart of a prolific agricultural section, recently developed to its full extent, political and scholastic ambition actuated the impulses of many of its earlier settlers, still to the steadfast, sterling qualities of those engaged in agricultural pursuits must be attributed its constant development.
During the governorship of George Clinton, 1777-1795, Florida was represented in the Legislature, and was prominent in the Revolutionary struggle. Later, in the political arena, we recall the career of William H. Seward, elected as state senator in 1831, Governor in 1838, United States Senator in 1849, and appointed Secretary of State in 1861.
Florida to-day shows marked changes in its church history. The Methodist Church was established in 1868. As early as 1742 a Presbyterian Church was organized. In 1837 the church edifice was consumed by fire. The present structure was erected in June, 1838. In 1839 a second Presbyterian Church was founded, but in 1878, the two churches were united. Two flourishing church organizations of the Catholic faith exist, St. Edwards and the St. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church.
Educational matters early claimed the attention of the settlers of Florida, Samuel S. Seward, De Witt C. Jayne, Robert Armstrong and Jonas Seely serving respectively as school commissioners from 1813 to 1843. Judge Samuel S. Seward founded the S. S. Seward Institute in 1848 as a classical school, endowing it with the sum of $20,000. This school was held in the old Randolph hotel. After Judge Seward's death, a young ladies' seminary was established, opposite the original school building, and for years Florida was noted for its superior boarding school.
With the improved common school advantages of later years came the desire of the citizens to widen the influence of the school as originally designed, and accordingly a new edifice was erected bearing the name of S. S. Seward Institute, receiving the benefit of the reserve fund, and also the State appropriation for high schools, thus fulfilling in a greater sense the beneficent plans of the original founder.
A prominent factor in agricultural development has been the influx of many Poles and Germans of thrifty type, whose business, at first confined to onion and celery growth, is gradually reaching out to other industries and professions. Under their management largely the value of the black dirt land during the past thirty years has increased from $10 to $200 per acre.
Within the last year brick making has been revived. In July, 1905, the Florida Civic Improvement Club was organized.