Properties for sale in Zip Code 34785

Wildwood is a city in Sumter County FL.

How Wildwood obtained its name before it was a community.  In 1877, a crew of  surveyors were putting in a telegraph line south of Ocala.  The surveyor was required to report in from time to time.  So when the surveyor called in , the office asked "Where are you?" The answer he gave was, "I don't know! some where in the wild woods."

Wildwood was settled in 1877 by I.E. Barwick.  Isaac W. Barwick was a 25-year-old entrepreneur who traveled to the area from Georgia and set up a lumbering operation. He built stores,homes,and a town square.

Along came the train

June of 1882

Longtime residents fondly remember those days. The majority of residents including  my papa " Fred Waldron " who was employed by the railroad in the late 1900's.

The railroad industry disappeared in the late 1960s

Farming and agriculture was a huge part of this area.

Young and old work together in the fields,planting crops of watermelons, cantaloupes, peppers, ,cucumbers ,corn ,tomatoes ,and we can't forget the peas and peanuts .

Then the process of gathering from the field to get to the packing houses ,to the trucks ,to the stores , to the table.

These were some great memories of times gone by but not forgotten .

There are more articles than you can probably  ever read in a lifetime about the changes in this area and The Villages . Here are just a few highlights of how quickly things change .

Est 1972 Harold Schwartz purchases a large tract of cow fields and citrus farms and establishes a mobile home community which is called Orange Blossom Gardens

1992: Schwarz and son, Gary Morse, change the  development name of Orange Blossom to

The Villages

2000: The US census puts the population of The Villages at 8,333

2013: The Villages surpasses a population over 50,000 residents

Current :  Over 123,000

The Villages is very popular as an active retirement community with loads of activities and fun things to do .

My Goal is to help you home . Where you will be happy . You choose your activity and comfort zone of where you want to live . Sumter County still offers the best of both worlds . So from Golf, fishing, swimming ,horseback riding ,airboat rides ,quiet nature trails and cattle farms . Your sure to find  " HOME . "