At Clinch Lake, Lindus and Amelia bought acreage in 1902 and planted groves. In September 1903 the Inchuluva hurricane took half their Frostproof crop. But they had faith and replanted, expanding their groves to Crooked Lake. Between 1902 and 1930, they battled 10 hurricanes and 6 freezes along with drought, pests, prairie fire and disease.

Food is medicine, and citrus was a special treat for everybody as a wintertime source of Vitamin C. Very popular as a Christmas present, stocking-stuffer, every kid wanted one. Baked grapefruit with honey and a cherry was popular, there's a famous scene with Jimmy Cagney in The Public Enemy (1931). Why, the demand for fresh oranges was so strong, they would succeed if they only could get the crop to market quickly and cheaply.

Passenger train service came to Frostproof in 1912 and anticipating a land boom, they formed the Crooked Lake Development Company jointly with their sons in 1914, capitalized at $300,000. They bought 2000 acres at Crooked Lake and published a brochure, "A Trip to Nature's Garden."

The perishable fruit was shipped through the local Frostproof Grower's Association to Boston and Chicago from the nearby Atlantic Line railway station. But, with 10-20 cars of fruit, these mass shipments could provoke market collapse even in New York. In 1928, local grower's associations formed the "Committee of 50" and the state-wide Florida Citrus Growers Clearing House Association was born.

Labels were prolific as advertising, not only for citrus, but also vegetables and other fruits that were shipped in the wooden crates that were common at the time. Many a jalopy was made with the empty crate and some were perfect for storing 12" vinyl LPs. Modernization in the 60s ended that era by replacing wooden crates with cardboard boxes and pre-printed labels.

However, the sixty-year span during which these sometimes whimsical labels were used has its own chapter in the colorful history of the early advertising and marketing of Florida's delicious products. All labels, the Babson Park Grower's Association included, were registered in Tallahassee and told the buyer not only the brand name and location, but also the grade of fruit they were purchasing by the name or background color of the label, with blue being Grade A, red as Grade B and yellow or green for Grade C. For instance, "Red Rabbit" or "Red Swan" brand meant Grade "B" whereas the "Buffalo Bill" or "W J Cody," with the blue background, would have meant Grade "A."