Ellen Call Long was the daughter of Florida territorial governor Richard Keith Call and a member of the influential Call-Walker political family of Florida. She acquired The Grove from her father in 1851 and held it until 1903. She received distinction after the Civil War for her efforts in historic preservation, history, memorialization, forestry, silkworm cultivation, and the promotion of Florida. She was the author of Florida Breezes, a semi-fictional account of antebellum life primarily set in Middle Florida, which is widely regarded as one of the best primary source accounts of the planter class lifestyle in Florida.