Melbourne Florida Information

On the morning of Dec. 22, 1888, a group of 23 qualified electors gathered to create the "Village of Melbourne" by a spoken vote, gaining the benefits provided to towns under Florida law. By evening, those pioneer settlers had elected their first officers and had settled on a corporate seal. It depicted a pineapple plant, along with a crane and a palmetto tree.

Up to that time, the small community located on a natural harbor of the Indian River Lagoon had been known as "Crane Creek." The name reflected the importance of the harbor, formed where a freshwater creek flowed into the saltwater lagoon. At the time, barge traffic north and south along the lagoon was vital for the latest arrivals on the peninsula.