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Fort White was constructed as a military fort during the Second Seminole War in 1836 to protect the Cow Creek settlement. Supplies were brought in by steamboat on the Santa Fe River and distributed to other area forts. Due to sickness, flooding along the river and rumors of the railroad coming to the area, the settlement was moved 4 miles (6 km) east to its present location. The town was incorporated in 1884 still named after the military fort Fort White and grew steadily following the arrival of the railroad in 1888. Phosphate mining, turpentine and agriculture (cotton and oranges) were the foundation of the economy, and the population grew to nearly 2,000.