Land in this area was part of a Spanish land grant requested by Juan Jose Hinojosa in 1776 and awarded posthumously in 1790. Hinojosa had occupied the land and used it for livestock pasture since 1766. In 1896 ranchers in the area obtained a U. S. post office under the name Progreso. Soon thereafter commercial farming interests began large scale operations in growing sugar cane and, later, citrus groves. The Progreso Development Company platted the townsite in 1927. The town continued a steady period of growth, and citizens voted for incorporation in 1991.
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