Tallahassee, Florida
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- For The Mountain Goats' album, see Tallahassee.
Template:Infobox City Tallahassee is the capital of Florida, a state of the United States of America. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 156,512Template:Ref, while Tallahassee metro is estimated at 255,500. It is the county seat of Leon County.
Tallahassee is the home of Florida State University, Florida A & M University, and Tallahassee Community College and Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy; Barry University, Embry Riddle and Flagler also have branches in Tallahassee. It is also a regional center for trade and agriculture.
The city is served by Tallahassee Regional Airport.
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History
The name "Tallahassee" is a Muskogean Indian word often translated as "old fields," or "old town." This may stem from the Creek (later called Seminole) Indians that migrated into this region in the 18th century. The area had previously been occupied by the powerful Apalachee Indians, who cultivated large fields of crops in the region's red clay hills. The Apalachee's success as agriculturalists did not go unnoticed by the Spanish, who sent missionaries to the area throughout the 17th century. Several mission sites were established with the aim of procuring food and labor for the colony at St. Augustine. One of the most important mission sites, Mission San Luis de Apalachee, has been partially reconstructed as a state historic site in Tallahassee.
The Spanish missionaries were not the first Europeans to visit Tallahassee, however. The Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto spent the winter of 1538 - 1539 encamped at the Apalachee village of Anhaica, which he had taken by force. De Soto's brutal treatment of the natives was fiercely resisted, and by the following spring De Soto was eager to move on. The site of Anhaica, near present day Myers Park, was located by Florida archaeologist, B. Calvin Jones, in 1987.
The founding of Tallahassee was largely a matter of convenience. In 1821, Florida was ceded by Spain to the United States. A territorial government was established, but the impracticalities of alternately meeting in St. Augustine and Pensacola — the two largest cities in the territory at the time — led territorial governor William Pope Duval to appoint two commissioners to establish a more central meeting place.
In October of 1823, John Lee Williams of Pensacola and Dr. William Simmons of St. Augustine selected the former Indian settlement of Tallahassee (roughly midway between the two cities) as a suitable place. Their decision was also based on its location near a beautiful waterfall — now referred to as the Capital Cascades — and the old capital of the Apalachee chiefdom. In March of the following year it was formally proclaimed the capital. Florida did not become a state, however, until 1845 (Tebeau:122).
On the 1st of November, 1823, John Lee Williams (1823:22-23) wrote to Congressional Delegate (and later Florida Governor), Richard Keith Call, about the location of the capital:"Doct. Simmons has agreed that the Site should be fixed near the old fields abandoned by the Indians after Jackson's invasion, but has not yet determined whether between the ... old fields, or on a fine high lawn about a mile W. In both spots the water is plenty and good."
Tallahassee was prominent during the 2000 United States Presidential Election as the capital of the state whose votes were disputed.
Tallahassee was the only Confederate state capital east of the Mississippi not captured by Union forces during the American Civil War. The Battle of Natural Bridge was fought outside Tallahassee, mostly by students of what would later become Florida State University, which is the only non-military academy or service academy school to hold such an honor.
Geography
Tallahassee is located at 30°27'6" North, 84°16'22" West (30.451800, -84.272770)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 254.5 km² (98.2 mi²). 247.9 km² (95.7 mi²) of it is land and 6.6 km² (2.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.59% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 150,624 people, 63,217 households, and 29,459 families residing in the city. The population density was 607.6/km² (1,573.8/mi²). There were 68,417 housing units at an average density of 276.0/km² (714.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.42% White, 34.24% African American, 0.25% Native American, 2.40% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.97% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 4.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 63,217 households out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.1% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.4% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 29.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,571, and the median income for a family was $49,359. Males had a median income of $32,428 versus $27,838 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,981. 24.7% of the population and 12.6% of families were below the poverty line. 21.6% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Educationally, Leon County is the highest educated county in Florida with 49.9% of the population with either a Bachelor's, Master's, professional or doctorate degree. The Florida average is 22.4% and the national average is 24.4%
Education
High Schools
- Amos P. Godby High School - website
- Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University High School
- Florida State University High School
- James S. Rickards High School
- John Paul II Catholic High School - website
- Lawton Chiles High School (located in neighboring Bradfordville) - website
- Leon High School
- Lincoln High School
- Maclay School - website
- North Florida Christian High School - website
- SAIL High School - website
Universities and Colleges
- Barry University-Tallahassee Campus - website
- Flagler College-Tallahassee Campus - website
- Florida A&M University
- Florida State University
- Keiser College Culinary Institute - website
- Lewis M. Lively Area Vocational-Technical School - website
- Tallahassee Community College
Points of interest
- Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
- Florida State Capitol
- Florida Supreme Court
- FSU Reservation - website, Lake Bradford
- Lake Ella
- Lake Jackson
- Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park
- Lake Talquin
- Mission San Luis - website
- Myers Park
- Railroad Square Art Park - website
- Tom Brown Park
- Young actors theatre
- Natural Bridge Battlefield State Historic Site (Woodville)
Transportation
Aviation
- Tallahassee Regional Airport (KTLH)
- Tallahassee Commercial Airport (K68J)
Mass Transit
StarMetro (formerly TalTran) provides bus service throughout the city.
Railroads
CSX operates two rail lines in the city. Amtrak's Sunset Limited stops in Tallahassee.
The Tallahassee-St. Marks Railroad, now a state trail, was the first railroad in Florida.
Major Highways
- Interstate 10
- U.S. Route 27
- U.S. Route 90
- U.S. Route 319
- State Road 20
- State Road 61
- State Road 363
- Apalachee Parkway
- Blair Stone Road
- Capital Circle
Notable Residents
- Kay Aldridge - actress 1940s, The Phantom of 42nd Street
- Wally Amos - actor, Traxx, The Jeffersons
- Red Barber - sportscaster, Sports Director CBS Sports
- Matt Battaglia - actor, "24" (Fox), Queer As Folk
- George Clinton - musician
- Cathy Jenéen Doe - actress, Passions, Ed
- Ernst von Dohnányi - famed composer and pianist
- Carlisle Floyd - noted composer of operas Susannah
- Allison Miller - actress, General Hospital (NBC), CBS' Cold Case (CBS)
- Shea Wigham - actor, ER,
Festivals
Footnotes
References
- Tebeau, Charlton, W. A History of Florida. University of Miami Press. Coral Gables. 1971
- Williams, John Lee. Journal of an Expedition to the Interior of West Florida October - November 1823. Manuscript on file at the State Library of Florida, Florida Collection. Tallahassee.
External links
- Talgov.com (official city website)
- Leon County Tourist Development Council
- The Tallahassee Democrat Newspaper
- Mission San Luis
- Things to do in Tallahassee
- Tallahassee Trust for Historic Preservation - Places to Discover
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