Sweetwater is an unincorporated area

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in the southeast section of Hardee County

Hardee County, Florida

Hardee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 26,938. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 28,286 . Its county seat is Wauchula, Florida. The county comprises the Wauchula, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :It...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Long/Lat: 27°24.6’ N and 81°42.2’ W Peak altitude is 82 feet (25 meters), but the topography varies. Sweetwater is 15 minutes by car southeast of Zolfo Springs, Florida

Zolfo Springs, Florida

Zolfo Springs is a town in Hardee County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,641 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the town had a population of 1,659.-Geography:...

, and is bordered by U.S. 17

U.S. Route 17

U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 is a north–south United States highway. The highway spans the southeastern United States and is close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length. The highway's southern terminus is at Punta Gorda, Florida, at an intersection with U.S. Route 41...

 to the west, SR 66 to the North, and the unincorporated communities of Crewsville to the east and Fish Branch/Gardner to the South. It contains a significant portion of the Oak Creek watershed and borders on the Charley Creek watershed, both of which empty into Peace River

Peace River (Florida)

The Peace River is a river in the southwestern part of the Florida peninsula, in the U.S.A.. It originates at the juncture of Saddle Creek and Peace Creek northeast of Bartow in Polk County and flows south through Hardee County to Arcadia in DeSoto County and then southwest into the Charlotte...

. For many years, Sweetwater was the location of Hardee County’s only lake, Lake Frances, which is privately owned. Sweetwater is only 15 minutes from Highlands Hammock State Park

Highlands Hammock State Park

Highlands Hammock State Park is a park west of Sebring in Highlands County, Florida, off U.S. 27. The park opened in 1931, four years before the Florida state park system was created.-Flora:...

, and 20 minutes by car from Highlands County

Highlands County, Florida

Highlands County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the population was 97,346. Its county seat is Sebring, Florida. The county comprises the Sebring, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...

, and the city of Sebring

Sebring, Florida

Sebring is a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States, nicknamed "The City on the Circle", in reference to Circle Drive, the center of the Sebring Downtown Historic District...

, which offers regional shopping, recreational and medical centers.

While the center of the community was roughly considered the Sweetwater Church of Christ, the congregation was disbanded in the early 1970s and the building demolished. The Church’s cemetery remains and was renamed the Mercer Cemetery as a significant number of the population are from that family. The center of the community is now the intersection of Sweetwater (formally County Road 656 and Merle Langford Road) and Crewsville Roads.

History

Sweetwater once had a thriving rural population whose chief occupation was farming and cattle and at one point had its own one-room school and was home to a large turpentine mill with a commissary. Most families lived off the land, farming and harvesting domesticated animals such as beef, pork and poultry. The collection of raccoon and alligator hides was a way of life for some, as was (it was rumored) the making of moonshine. The population has steadily declined since the 1950s and the major industry is now citrus and cattle. The population continues to consist mainly of working-class families, with a few retirees.

Future plans

In early 2007, plans were revealed for a large planned community beginning at Sweetwater Road and US 17 and extending back to Charley Creek to be named Sweetwater Ranch. When fully realized, this development could double the current population of Hardee County.