Author's Note: Even after all my research, I am still not 100% sure if Fairyland was a "town", or just an orange grove or two with a few fancy houses. Though back in the days of early Florida, that was a blurry line...I wanted to note it, none the less.
Fairyland was the name of a small settlement located on Merritt Island- beginning as the residence of Dr. William Whitfield- south of Georgiana and adjacent to Honeymoon Lake, the easiest modern and surviving landmark.
Settlement at Fairyland was seemingly light and at times sporadic with the Cocoa Tribune in 1918 noting "Mr. Bennett has left Fairyland, moving his family to St Augustine. We understand no one will be at Fairyland this summer"[2]
Fairyland would be accessed by of course boat, but a county road, presumably S Tropical Trail, ran by the community as well. Note that at that time it would have followed the more twisting route now signed as Crooked Mile Rd, instead of the straight route installed in the 1960s. In 1917, the road at Fairyland was being graded and rounded off, with crushed shell to act as a road surface being put in "as fast as it can be gotten".[3]
By 1920, land had been purchased in Fairyland by US Senator Park Trammell from the Wilson & Toomer Fertilizer Co to establish an orange grove in Fairyland, on two tracts cleared across the island from the Indian River to the Banana River. It was then described as "one of the finest pieces of property on Merritts Island".[4]
In 1921, the area was described by Birmingham Age-Herald employee Dolly Dalrymple;
"Stick a pin in the map of Southern Florida an inch or so to the left of Indian river, about 'steen hours' ride from the rest of the world, as time is used to measure railroad journeys, and you'll find this 'Fairyland' a vista, a pastel, a little speck on the horizon, all green and verdant and oranged hued and this is 'Fairyland' on 'Honeymoon Lake'
This adorable and beautiful spot hidden away among the dense foliage of gorgeous green hues, is like an emerald of purest ray serene set in cluster of brilliants, encircled with other precious stones, glittering, glimmering in the gorgeous sunshine, radiant, alluring. "[1]
Following the development of Trammell's grove, another grove, known simply as "Fairyland Grove" was developed and maintained by the Holly Hill Grove & Fruit Co out of Davenport by 1922.[5] In 1924, remaining property of the Wilson & Toomer Fertilizer Co was offered for sale at a price of $100,000, up from a previous price of $60,000. The increase rooted in the expectation of development to follow the construction of a free bridge connecting Merritt Island to the mainland, superceding the previous toll bridge.[6]
[1] The Cocoa Tribune, March 24, 1921, "'An Appreciation' Of Florida From Alabama"
[2] The Cocoa Tribune, June 20, 1918, "Georgiana Notes"
[3] The Cocoa Tribune, July 12, 1917, "Lotus In Brief Paragraphs"
[4] The Cocoa Tribune, September 16, 1920, "Local"
[5] The Cocoa Tribune, March 23, 1922, "L. R. Highfill Back From Big Meeting"
[6] The Cocoa Tribune, December 18, 1924, "I appeal to your good judgement"