Melton Haynes

Melton Haynes (March 21, 1827 – January 10, 1883) was a Confederate soldier, civil engineer and early settler of Lake County, Florida. He is known for bringing the first sweet oranges to central Florida.[1] He was born in Whiteville, North Carolina to Bythel and Zylphia Nichols Haynes as the fourth of ten children.[2] As a youth, Melton experienced bouts of severe muscle and joint pain and it was recommended that he move to a warmer climate. [2]Haynes traveled to Florida in 1845 with his younger brother Bunberry.[2] They settled in what is now Leesburg, Florida on a bluff across Lake Astatula, naming their settlement Haynes Point.[3] During this time, Haynes earned money by surveying the untamed landscape of Lake County, as well as by selling sweet potatoes he planted.[4] It was also during this time that Haynes fought in the Seminole Wars during the uprising in 1848.[5] He married Sarah Isabella Vaught, whom he called Isa, in November 1849.[2] He served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 1884 and 1885. He served as a member of the Florida Senate in 1866. Using the sweet orange seeds Haynes brought to the area, he planted a 160-acre grove on Haynes Point.[6] Oranges were not native to Central Florida, so Haynes is credited with beginning what would become a flourishing citrus industry in the area.[7] Haynes died in 1883 after falling from his horse and drowning due to injury.[2] His home, called Woodlea and built in the cracker style, has been recreated at a park in Tavares, Florida.[1]