David Walker Florence built the Florence Ranch home in 1871 for his young family at the age of 23. He would stay to farm the rich blackland prairie about 37 years before retiring with his wife Julia (called Julie) in 1908. The Florence Ranch was established two years before the township of Mesquite and originally comprised 207.5 acres. By 1892, the ranch had grown to 750 acres, with 300 cultivated and the rest fenced. In 1894 Florence bought 1,000 acres near Cedar Hill and dedicated it for a school. It is still known as Florence Hill. He also owned a 1360-acre ranch in Taylor County.

David and Julie Florence had three children - Dr. John Hicks Florence, born in 1868 before the family moved to Mesquite; a daughter Martha, who passed away in 1873 from "summer complaint;" and Emet David Florence, who was born in 1885 in the south room of the Homestead. Emet married Perle Curtis on December 23, 1906, and the couple spent their wedding night on the second floor of the Florence house.

Emet took the farming duties over from his father, and raised horses, mules, short-horn cattle, sheep and feed crops. The ranch was then known as Meadow View Farm and the terrapin cattle brand, seen on the museum docents’ aprons, was used for the first time. Florence became known as a leading breeder and exhibitor of fine Percheron horses and Hampshire sheep. He lived his entire life at the Florence Ranch and was still farming at the time of his death.

Content provided by the City of Mesquite.