In 1867, Harriet Beecher Stowe and her husband Calvin bought thirty acres of the Fairbanks Grant in Mandarin, which served as their winter home until the winter of 1883-1884. Their move to Florida was due to plans for philanthropy among the Negroes and a desire to benefit her son's health. While in Florida, Stowe, author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," wrote sketches called "Palmetto Leaves." The Stowes were active in local charitable and religious activities.