By Brenda Eubanks Burnette
Every so often, a name from Florida’s early citrus days rises above the rest — not just because of what they built, but because of how deeply their work shaped the communities around them. John Stansel Taylor is one of those names. If you grew up anywhere near Largo or Pinellas County, you’ve felt his influence whether you realized it or not.
Taylor was born near Largo on March 25, 1871, into a pioneer family that had settled on the Pinellas Peninsula long before it became its own county. His parents worked citrus groves and ran a small packing operation, so Taylor grew up with the rhythms of the industry — groves, picking, packing, shipping — woven into everyday life. He went on to expand the family business into one of the most substantial citrus operations in the region.
In 1903, he built a modern packinghouse at Missouri Avenue and Bay Drive. That building didn’t just pack fruit; it anchored Largo’s identity as a citrus town. Taylor’s groves expanded, his packing operations grew, and his Black Diamond citrus brand found its way into northern markets. He believed deeply in cooperative marketing and became a driving force in the Florida Citrus Exchange, eventually serving as its president from 1935 until his death the following year.
But Taylor wasn’t only a citrus man. He was a political force at a time when the Pinellas Peninsula was fighting for its own identity. Residents felt overlooked by Hillsborough County, and Taylor became the steady, persuasive voice pushing for independence. He organized support, worked the Legislature and helped secure the creation of Pinellas County on Jan. 1, 1912, which earned him the title: “Father of Pinellas County.”
After the county was formed, Taylor became its first state senator, serving multiple terms between 1912 and 1925, including a term as Senate president. He prioritized infrastructure, including better roads, stronger connections and the practical improvements growers needed to move citrus and vegetables to viable markets. Those efforts supported agriculture while laying the groundwork for the coastal communities that would soon flourish. Taylor also served as Largo’s mayor and chaired the Pinellas County Commission, helping guide the region’s shift from scattered rural settlements to organized municipalities.
In addition, Taylor served as president of the Bank of Clearwater and was active in civic and religious life, including Largo’s First Methodist Church. Like many leaders of his era, he stepped into statewide debates — most notably in the 1920s as vice president of the Bible Crusaders of America, opposing the teaching of evolution. In 1927, he used his position as Senate president to advance an anti‑evolution bill, though it ultimately failed, as did his bid for governor.
Even during the Great Depression, Taylor kept his citrus operations moving. When his original packinghouse burned down in 1931, he rebuilt on Seminole Boulevard. That site later became part of Largo Central Park, a reminder that the city’s civic heart grew from its agricultural roots. Many people assume Largo Central Park and Taylor Lake Park are the same place, but they’re actually two different landmarks connected to Taylor in different ways. Largo Central Park sits on land once occupied by his packinghouse. Taylor Lake Park — a Pinellas County park a few miles away — bears his name directly, honoring his role in shaping early Pinellas County. One reflects the land he worked; the other reflects the legacy he left.
Taylor was named the first honorary chancellor of Florida Southern College in 1934. He died in 1936, shortly after suffering a heart attack while promoting Florida citrus. His impact on Pinellas County and the citrus industry was profound enough that he was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1964.
But his story doesn’t end there. The Taylor family’s citrus legacy continued through the generations, reaching into Central Florida through his grand‑nephew, John L. Jackson Jr., who was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 2021. Jackson brought the same commitment to stewardship, marketing and industry leadership that defined Taylor’s era. It’s a reminder that Florida’s citrus history isn’t just about groves and packinghouses. It’s about families whose work helped shape not just their local communities and economies, but the entire state of Florida.
Taylor’s life reads like the story of Florida itself — ambitious, resilient and rooted in the land. And thanks to the generations who followed him, that story is still being written!
Sources: Wikipedia, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, FamilySearch.org, Museum of Florida History and John Jackson, Jr.
Brenda Eubanks Burnette is the former executive director of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and is currently president of the board of Vero Heritage, Inc., which operates The Heritage Center and Indian River Citrus Museum in Vero Beach, Florida.
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