Page 42 - John Anderson

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remainder of his life. At the time, seeds were being sown for what was
to become the Santa Lucia plantation, nestled along the eastern bank
of the Halifax River; extending all the way east to the Atlantic Ocean.
This is where the real story of John Anderson, soon to become known
as “Halifax John,” began. John’s neighbor to the south, Charles
Bostrom, was also an adventurer and they became close friends and
companions as they explored the nearby countryside and discovered
the history surrounding it.

Ormond’s Founding Family, the Bostrom’s

Early Ormond history would not be complete without knowing a little
about John Andrew Bostrom, founder of Ormond Beach and his
brother Charles Bostrom. After
the Civil War ended in 1865,
new settlers began exploring
Florida’s eastern coast along
the Halifax River, commonly
referred to as “Halifax Country”.

John Andrew Bostrom had
visited Florida during the Civil
War from Port Royal, South
Carolina and explored the
eastern coastline in late 1865,
10-years before John Anderson
made his first visit. John Andrew
Bostrom knew he had found the
place to start a citrus plantation.
John Andrew Bostrom sent word
for his brother Charles in Sweden to join him in this newly discovered
wilderness and take a hand in developing an orange plantation along
the banks of the Halifax River. Keep in mind, that a letter to Sweden
at the time could take months to reach its destination and then
months for preparation and travel arrangements to be made before

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