Famous Move Due to Tuberculosis
Many people moved down to Florida in order to cure TB and other illnesses. This made it so the future of Florida was forever changed, even if just insignificantly. One person that ended up moving down to Florida who ultimately changed the future significantly was Lue Gim Gong. Gong arrived as an immigrant from China in 1872 when he went to live with his uncle in San Francisco. Later on he became a worker in a shoe factory in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, he met Fannie Burlingame, who was his Sunday school teacher. This meeting ended up changing the rest of Gong’s life. After Burlingame found out that Gong was very good with plants, she asked him to come and be her gardener. She later converted him to Christianity and helped him become a United States citizen. When Gong contracted TB, he was advised that it would be better for him to move to warmer weather. Unfortunately he could not move back to China with his family when he got sick because of his conversion to Christianity. This left Gong in an uncomfortable place until Burlingame suggested that he move down to Deland, Florida with her, where she owned land. Because of this relocation down to Florida, the citrus industry was never the same. Gong was able to create freeze-resistant oranges and grapefruits that were sweeter. This made it so the citrus was hardier during the winter and better-tasting in general. Also, some of the trees that he planted are still located in Deland to this day.