In the late 1800s, small farms across Sumter County competed to ship their fruit and vegetables to market, but in 1937 the local farming community formed a cooperative to sell produce in a way that better served the community and benefited growers collectively, creating what became the Sumter County Farmers Market. That tradition of cooperation has continued, and some cypress beams from several original buildings remain in use as a tangible link to its past. Established in 1855, Webster is the oldest municipality in Sumter County, Florida. Known for the Parson Brown Orange and the area's rich citrus production, Webster first prospered through citrus, but the Big Freeze of 1894/95 devastated that industry. The farming community rebuilt the local economy by raising a variety of vegetables, and in the early 1900s the Webster area became the largest vegetable producer in the state. Today its agricultural heritage continues through the state's oldest-established farmers market, the third largest cattle auction, and the largest flea market, all held weekly at the Sumter County Market in the heart of the city.