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Our History
1) Where did the
name "Terra Ceia" come from and what does it mean?
Although most people credit the Dutch for the name, it is neither
from the Dutch language nor was it given to the area by the many
Dutch immigrants who made their way here during the early
nineteen-hundreds.
Terra Ceia
finds its roots in two languages:
'Terra' is
Latin for earth or soil.
'Ceia' is
Italian (Sicilian dialect I have been told) for expanse, sky, or
heavens. It is typically used with religious connotations.
 Therefore,
the most common translations are 'Heavenly Earth' or 'Where the
Heavens meet the Earth'.
It is
interesting to note that most of the land in this area was swampland
prior to the turn of the century. It was typically purchased as such
by wealthy investors who would in turn drain the swamp, then sell
the timber, and finally, liquidate the land. Many of these investors
were Italians from the Northeastern U.S., so it is likely that when
they found themselves at the end of their investment cycle they
needed to use some cacthy marketing to get rid of the cut over
swampland. Thus 'Terra Ceia' was born!
2) What makes this an ideal area for
raising bulb blooming plants?
Ironically,
the bottom of a swamp usually is 'heavenly earth' (think of all that
decaying organic matter year after year) - the problem is making it
accessible for use. One of my father's first jobs upon arrival in
1943 was 'dynamiting' cypress stumps! That work is all done now and
one is hard pressed to imagine that less than one hundred years ago
this area was for the most part, a mosquito infested swamp.
It should
also be noted that most Dutchmen did not necessarily come here for
the soil, even though it was well advertised. At the time, Europeans
had just endured a time of horrible economic conditions followed by
two world wars. It was a good time to leave for a land of 'better
opportunity'.
As far as
bulb growing is concerned, you will find that most immigrant
communities trace their roots back to the same geographic areas they
emigrated from and that new immigrants continued on with the same
skills and careers they had in their native countries when possible.
 Terra
Ceia's immigrants largely came from either the 'bulb district'
or from other agricultural areas of Holland where, respectively,
floriculture and dairying were the predominant industries.
Basically, they 'did what they knew' and prayed that things would
work out. The flower growers in particular found that the unique
climate and ready access to the big markets in the Northeast gave
them opportunities to continue their trade here and many became
quite successful. At its zenith, as many as 30 families made their
living growing cut flowers for the Burroughs of New York and other
big cities. Ultimately, this success led to 'better' opportunities
for later generations and many pursued new careers. Add to this a
changing marketplace (ie. international airfreight) and today you
will only find two families that still endeavor to make the flowers
that Terra Ceia is famous for their existence.
And so it
goes...
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