Valrico Tutors

About Valrico

Valrico, Florida is a resilient community that in reality shouldn’t still be here today. The history of Valrico is full of hard times that almost brought the community to an end. Amazingly, this small community would weather every storm and eventually grow into the flourishing community that it is today.

Originally, Valrico was agricultural land, populated only by a few cotton plantations. But when the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad came to the area in 1890, things began to change. At that time, Valrico was called Long Pond and not very many people knew about it. The Railroad brought attention to the area, and caught the eye of William G. Tousey. Tousey was so excited about the area's potential that he advertised the area as Valrico Village and brought many farmers to the area. Tousey was actually the person credited with renaming Long Pond, Valrico, which means, “valley of gold.” Unfortunately, shortly after the farming boom, an intense freeze came in that wiped out many of the crops including all of the citrus trees. This was the first big event that almost ended the future of Valrico. Eventually, even Tousey sold his property and moved on.

By 1914, the next generation of investors made their way to Valrico. A group of families moved to the area and began to build. This boosted the economy and also brought in customers and employees. Once again the population of Valrico was booming, and the healthy economy was supported by a thriving agricultural community. Unfortunately, an economic crisis was coming that would again test the communities’ resilience. After the stock market crash of 1929, Valrico was in trouble again. Every business in the community except for two orange packing plants and Porter General Store shut down. In fact, even the packing plants were eventually forced to shut down because so many families left the area to find work. While the town dwindled, it was almost the true end to the unsinkable community; but once again Valrico was able to hold on long enough for the economy to bounce back.

Finally, in the mid 1950’s, State Road 60 was built and Valrico was connected to other developed areas. People from all over moved to the area attracted to the rural lifestyle. Instead of sparsely populated agricultural land, Valrico was finally the thriving community its predecessors had imagined. Today, many people live in Valrico and are able to fully appreciate the beautiful area that survived when so many feared it would fail.

Valrico could tutor us all in resiliency and the ability to overcome adversity. Valrico tutors want every student to overcome whatever difficulties come there way. When faced with adversity and the desire to quit, sometimes all you need is a little support. Valrico tutors are available to help students regain their determination and drive toward success. A little support can go a long way in reaching one’s educational goals.