In the early 1880's, Nelson Fell of Fell's Cove purchased a large tract of land on East Lake Tohopekaliga, developed it for housing, and advertised heavily in England. English settlers began to arrive in 1883, and in 1888 the Sugar Belt Railroad was built with Narcoossee as its northern terminal. The settlers planted many acres of groves and shipped oranges on the railroad, but the devastating freezes of the late 1890's caused many to abandon their homes. In 1910, Fell moved to Indian River County, created Fellsmere, and took many of the remaining settlers with him.