Dr. Henry Perrine   (1797 – 1840)

Dr. Henry Perrine was a noted horticulturist who became interested in cultivating foreign plants while visiting Cuba in 1826. Although trained as a physician in Illinois, poor health and harsh winters prevented him from living there. He moved to New Orleans and became an ambassador to Campeche, Mexico (1827-1838).

As American Consul in Campeche, he learned of Mexico’s monopoly on rope making with a fibrous sisal plant. Dr. Perrine began to send the sisal seeds and other plants including the avocado to a friend living on Indian Key in Florida and to seek government support for obtaining land for agricultural experiments. In 1838 the United States Congress granted 230,000 acres of land in the southern extremity of Florida to Dr. Henry Perrine.

Events of the Second Seminole War made it impossible for him to settle on his township and he took his family to Indian Key for safety.  On August 7, 1840, Indians attacked the Key killing Henry Perrine. His family survived and later his son, Henry Perrine, Jr. with the help of Henry Flagler activated the South Dade Land Grant and established Perrinesville as a farming community.

PIONEER PLANTER