By Mike Miller Updated May 23, 2022
Mims is an old citrus service village located in the north end of Brevard County north of Lagrange and Titusville.
It was named after an early settler named Casper Neil Mims who came to the area in 1876, and opened the first dry goods and grocery store in the community.
The town began to grow when the railroad came to town in 1885.
Mims developed into a citrus center when New York Fire Chief Thomas F. Nevins began to buy and develop groves in the area including Merritt Island.
Nevins Fruit Company became a big shipper of citrus to northern markets.
Two tragic and violent murders took place in Mims in 1951.
![]() |
![]() |
Harry T. Moore and his wife, Harriette, were killed in an explosion on Christmas Day; the date was also their 25th wedding anniversary.
Moore was the state secretary of the NAACP, and had been a Brevard County school teacher.
The Ku Klux Klan was suspected of planting a bomb under the Moore home, but no convictions have ever been made and the case is still unsolved.
The Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department maintains and operates the Harry T. and Harriette Moore Memorial Park and Interpretive Center at the homesite in Mims.
Built in 2004, it includes artifacts from the Moore's life and newspaper clippings of his career and tragic death.
The site also includes a house built to duplicate the Moore's residence before it was bombed.
It is an interesting and sobering experience to visit this place.
A pleasant place to stay in Mims is the Wayward Traveler's Inn, owned by Sandra Braendli. It is a beautifully restored 1869 house with several themed rooms.
It is located at 2398 N. Singleton Avenue in Mims. Telephone 321-451-4992.
Our Facebook page has more than 128,577 followers who love off the beaten path Florida: towns, tourist attractions, maps, lodging, food, festivals, scenic road trips, day trips, history, culture, nostalgia, and more. We post articles every day. Please check it out and if you like it, we would appreciate a "like" from you.
By Mike Miller, Copyright 2009-2023
Florida-Back-Roads-Travel.com
Florida Back Roads Travel is not affiliated with or endorsed by Backroads, a California-based tour operator which arranges and conducts travel programs throughout the world.