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Frostproof
12/09/2002
Listen in RealAudio 
Hi, I'm Bryan Yeaton for The Weather Notebook. The old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons took
place in the fictional town of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota. Well, at the other end of the
country, and on the other end of the temperature scale, is a real town named Frostproof,
Florida.
In 1886, the newly-formed community was in need of a name and a post office. Townspeople
first chose Keystone City, but later settled on Lakemont since there was already a town in
Florida called Keystone Heights. A young real estate broker by the name of Joe Carson, hoping
to attract interest in land for citrus groves, suggested that the town be called Frostproof.
Despite his suggestion, citizens decided that the original name was better and so Lakemont it
was -- or, would have been.
Apparently, Carson was quite set on his name. He agreed to deliver the town's application
form to nearby Fort Meade to have it signed by the local postmaster. Before arriving, he
crossed out Lakemont and wrote in Frostproof anyway.
After it became official, the name appeared to stick. But on December 29, 1894 the town
suffered its first recorded frost, which was followed by a second on just over a month later,
on February 8. The frosts devastated the local citrus crops, as did another one two years
later. Embarrassed by the fact that their town wasn't living up to its name, the local
citizens petitioned to have the town's name changed to Lakemont. Not willing to admit defeat,
the then-powerful Carson Family eventually managed in 1906 to have the name changed back to
Frostproof, which it remains today.
Meteorologist Sean Potter contributed today's story. Our program is supported by Subaru and
the National Science Foundation.
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