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Supporting the Historical Society means preserving the stories, places, and people that define who we are as a community. Through education, preservation, and outreach, the Historical Society safeguards our shared heritage so future generations can learn not just where we came from, but why it matters. Every membership helps protect irreplaceable artifacts, maintain our two historic sites, and bring history to life through our programs and events.

When you support the Historical Society, you are investing in the legacy of Indian River County's past and ensuring it continues to inspire pride, understanding, and connection for years to come.

From the collection of Davenport, Iowa Public Library

Note: This was in a 4/13/84 Press Journal article titled "Pioneers Tell of Early Indian River County." This segment of the article is about Warren T. Zeuch, who, along with others mentioned in the full article, spoke to the Historical Society about their memories of early Vero Beach. He passed away at the age of 85, 3 months after the article was published. (No corrections to the original article are made here.)

Our October 2025 newsletter carried an article about Herman Zeuch, the father of Warren Zeuch.

Zeuch received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota in 1922. He related that for his first job he received $3 a week and managed to save money. He joined his father’s grocery firm and stayed in that field for 13 years.

He recalled his first trip to Vero. He said he took the Rocky Mountain Limited to Chicago, where he stayed overnight in the La Salle Hotel. Then he boarded a train to Cincinnati and a sleeper to Savannah. He was intrigued with the trip and spent most of the time in an observation car. Another train was boarded for Jacksonville, where again a night was spent in a hotel. Then a train was boarded for Vero. The steam locomotives were powered by burning hard pine. He got into Vero late at night and walked the tracks to 21^st Street. He expected a rattler to strike at any time. His father had killed 117 diamond backs. In front of the Osceola building he killed a pygmy rattler. He used to carry a shotgun to kill snakes.

Zeuch talked about R.D. Carter, the engineer hired to plan the drainage of the land, recalling his good sense of humor. He said that at that time 40 percent of the land was under water. The estimate for the cost to drain was $165,000. The final bill came in at $1.35 million.

In 1914 there were about 200 people in Vero; in 1935, about 2,900. The Naval Air Station brought 4,000 men to town, more than the population of the city. A favorite recreation was to go to the airport and watch the planes come in, where they would be soundly attacked by sandflies and mosquitoes.

Zeuch coached the midget football team, whose players insisted on playing barefoot. He remembered pulling sandspurs out of the boys’ feet when the game was over.

Warren Teele Zeuch was one of 6 children born to Herman and Adelaide Zeuch. In 1923, Warren married Dorothy Ella Leavitt in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They had three children: Warren T. Zeuch, Jr., Theodore F. Zeuch, and Phyllis N. Zeuch.

Warren founded Zeuch Insurance Agency of Vero Beach. He was active in local real estate and served on the boards of the old Indian River Memorial Hospital, the Florida Citrus Commission, and the Florida Welfare Board.