Did you know that Jensen Beach once had its own bottled water company? The Jensen Pure Water Company was founded in 1926 by William Pitchford and Lane Jennings. The company proudly advertised that its water had been analyzed and approved as “pure” by the Florida State Board of Health. It quickly became popular throughout the area, served in local restaurants, and sold in five-gallon bottles at grocery stores and delivered by the truck seen here.
However, in 1932, the advertisements suddenly stopped, and the product seemed to disappear from public attention. It resurfaced briefly in 1948, though it was marketed differently-as soft water ideal for washing clothes rather than drinking. After that short return, the company largely faded from view. The final mention appeared in the Stuart News in 1971, noting that the water had been tested. According to Loraine Haynie’s book Confronting the Pitchford Curse: Beverly Miller’s Story of Love and Greed, the company’s permit remained active until Beverly Pitchford Miller gave it up.
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