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Did You Know... City Trivia A - E
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Click the following links for municipalities beginning with the letter:
A | B | C | D | E
City of Alachua
"Alachua" is a derivative of the Seminole-Creek Indian word "luchuwa," meaning jug or sink and was apparently given when the place was first settled by Creeks who came down from Oconee in Georgia. The "jug" which called forth the name was derived from the regular occurrence of sinkholes due to the porous lime rock underlying most of the area.
Town of Alford
The town was named for S. A. Alford and Chauncey Alford, who were pioneer Naval store operators in the vicinity in the early part of the century.
City of Altamonte Springs
A group of Boston businessmen purchased 1,200 acres of high, lake-dotted pineland three miles northeast of what they called "Snow Junction" and formed the Altamonte Land and Navigation Company. They chose the name Altamonte because it means "high hill" in Spanish. In 1887, the United States Post Office granted a name change from Snow Junction to Altamonte Springs.
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Town of Altha
The post office at Altha was established in 1901 and the postmaster, Lula M. Richards, chose the name. Mrs. Richards studied a postal guide containing 5,000 names and chose Altha because there was only one other office with that name and it was far away.
City of Anna Maria
Not only is the origin of the name of Anna Maria in doubt, but also even its pronunciation is a matter for dispute. "Anna Mar-eye-a" has been the favorite of many oldtimers, but islanders nowadays are said to prefer "Anna Mar-ee-a."
City of Apalachicola
Apalachicola was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the May/June 2005 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Apopka
The city was established in 1840 and was known as "The Lodge" from the mid-1800s. Boundaries were one mile in each direction from the lodge building, which was the center of activity. Through a special act of the Legislature, the name was changed to City of Apopka in 1967. According to tradition, the Indian name "Apopka" means "big potato."
City of Arcadia
Local tradition denies that the name has anything to do with Arcadia in Greece or Arcadia in Louisiana. Instead the Reverend James "Boss" Hendry on July 23, 1884, his 45th birthday, named the town. The day before, Arcadia Albritton, daughter of pioneer settlers at Lilly on Horse Creek, had baked him a birthday cake.
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City of Archer
Archer serves as a bedroom community to Gainesville. Despite their close proximity, Archer continues to maintain its rural atmosphere. The city's history is usually the basis for hosting special events such as Yulee Days. (David Levy Yulee was granted a charter in 1855 to build the railroad and the first trains arrived in 1859.)
Town of Astatula
The translation of this Indian word differs, including "smiling waters," "rippling waters," "sunbeam," "sparkling waters," "tinted waters" and "rainbow waters." One more authority, who turns his back on such poetic interpretation, says the word comes from "ista," meaning "people," and "italwa," meaning "tribes," and hence means "people of many tribes." Still another points out that "atula" is the Timucuan word for "arrow." The use of the name goes back to around 1880.
City of Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach, named after the Atlantic Ocean, started as a small settlement around 1900 when Henry Flagler, builder of the Florida East Coast Railway and developer of many towns along its route, built the Mayport branch of the Florida East Coast Railway and erected a station just north of the site now known as the Richard Bull Memorial Park.
City of Atlantis
Forty-three percent of the city’s land area is devoted to recreation and permanent open space.
City of Auburndale
The railroad construction supervisor asked Mrs. Pulsifer, wife of the publisher of the Boston Herald, to name the town and she named it Auburndale after her hometown in Massachusetts. Auburndale is home to the Florida Citrus Showcase and the Polk County Fair.
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Village of Bal Harbour
In 1940, World War II began and as a goodwill gesture to the government, land owner Robert C. Graham rented the land to the United States Air Corps for $1 per year. The Air Corps used this land to train their soldiers and established a prisoner of war camp. After the war, the Air Corps left the barracks buildings as a thank you to the owners of the property. Mr. Graham converted these barracks into apartment homes in 1946. In order to incorporate a city in 1946, there had to be at least 25 male registered voters residing in the area. Mr. Graham had 25 families move into the apartment homes that he had converted in order to qualify the village for incorporation.
Town of Baldwin
Baldwin was of great importance to the federal government near the end of the Civil War. The Legislature in 1862 passed a law allowing the circuit court of Duval County to be held here for the reason that the county seat was in the hands of the Union forces. Supplies and equipment belonging to the Confederacy were stored and shipped in Baldwin until August 15, 1864. At that time, the Union soldiers burned the entire town to the ground. Only one month before, the troops had entered the town to destroy communication and transportation.
City of Bartow
Bartow is known as "The City of Oaks and Azaleas." In 1887, its name was changed, to honor Confederate General Francis F. Bartow, who had been the first general officer of either side to fall in the Civil War.
Town of Bay Harbor Islands
Bay Harbor Islands consists of two man-made islands in Biscayne Bay (from whence its name). One is single-family residential only in nature and the other is multi-family and business in nature.
City of Bay Lake
Along with the City of Lake Buena Vista, Bay Lake is one of two cities that host the Walt Disney World Resort Complex. Although the permanent residential population of the city is very small (population 20 in 2003), it hosts millions of families who, for a brief period, call Bay Lake "home."
Town of Bell
Bell's name was selected by means of a beauty contest in which the winner's name was to be given to the new station and post office. The one who received the most votes for queen was Bell Fletcher, the daughter of Daniel E. Fletcher, a native of Florida and a successful farmer of Alachua County.
City of Belle Glade
Belle Glade has been rated as having the most productive farmland in the U.S. and is also the largest sugar-producing area in the states. The city is home to Lake Okeechobee, the second largest freshwater lake in the U.S.
City of Belle Isle
Belle Isle is almost completely residential and is a lakefront community.
Town of Belleair
The Belleview Biltmore Hotel is located in the town and is one of the largest wooden structures in the world still in use. The town is two square miles in total area and has three full-sized golf courses.
City of Belleair Beach
Before any families moved into the uninhabited wilderness that was to become Belleair Beach, the area was used for bombing practice. These practice bombs were of relatively light construction and loaded with 100 pounds of sand to provide free fall characteristics.
Town of Belleair Shore
Due to its limited population size (population 100 in 2003), approximately one-sixth of the town's population is involved in serving on a board or committee.
City of Belleview
In 1886, a library was established in Belleview, making it one of the oldest libraries in Florida. The original stone structure still houses the present library.
City of Blountstown
Blountstown was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the July/August 2006 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Boca Raton
The Spanish explorers are responsible for giving the city its name Boca, meaning "mouth" (a term used by seamen to describe a hidden rock that gnaws or frets a ship's cables), and Raton, meaning "reef of hidden rocks."
City of Bowling Green
The community was known as Utica until the late 1880s. When a number of farmers from Bowling Green, Kentucky, purchased large holdings in the district, they renamed the town after their former home. Bowling Green is the center of the agricultural belt and Florida's mining industry.
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City of Boynton Beach
The city has many historic buildings in the downtown area, several of which were constructed with wood from a Norwegian barkentine ship, the Coquimbo, which sank off the Boynton Beach coast in 1909. The city sponsors an annual GALA each March with the chamber of commerce. This event draws tens of thousands to downtown Boynton Beach.
City of Bradenton
In 1854, Dr. Joseph Braden, a pioneer sugar planter in this section, built his home here, close to the point where Hernando DeSoto had first landed on the Florida peninsula in 1539. When a post office was established in 1878, the spelling was by error given as "Braidentown." The "i" was later dropped and, in 1924, the "w" was eliminated to make the present spelling.
City of Bradenton Beach
The City of Bradenton Beach was named because of its close proximity to the City of Bradenton. The City of Bradenton was named after an early settler Dr. Joseph Braden. Bradenton Beach is a Gulf coast beach community with a historical fishing pier.
Town of Branford
Henry B. Plant, the great Florida developer who was president of the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad (known now as the Atlantic Coast Line), named this town after Branford, Connecticut, where he had formerly lived. The Spanish mission of Ajoica stood a few miles northeast of the present site of Branford.
Town of Briny Breezes
Located along the Atlantic Ocean, the housing units in Briny Breezes are all mobile homes.
City of Bristol
The city is noted for fishing and hunting, as well as its quiet life style.
City of Bronson
Established in 1884 during the Civil War, the town was at first called Chunky Pond through a mistaken translation of an Indian word meaning "dance." The city was given its present name to honor an early settler of great popularity.
Town of Brooker
In 1838, a settlement called Ward City was established in this area. Brooker is still listed as Ward City on property deeds.
City of Brooksville
Brooksville was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the November/December 2005 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Bunnell
Bunnell’s City Hall is an historical structure built by the Works Progress Administration.
City of Bushnell
The city was named after J.W. Bushnell, a young engineer with the Florida Railway and Navigation Company, who first brought the railroad to the community.
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Town of Callahan
Callahan was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the March/April 2004 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Callaway
Prior to the 1700s, Spanish navigators were the first recorded visitors to the area as they sought shipping ports for their supply ships along the northern shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Many of the early pioneers to the area settled on what is now known as Callaway Bayou.
Town of Campbellton
One of the oldest Baptist churches in Florida is located in the town.
City of Cape Canaveral
Canaveral is the Spanish word meaning "plantation of cane." The Spaniards named the cape "Canaveral" because the Indians were growing cane there. The name appears on the earliest maps of Florida.
City of Cape Coral
Cape Coral was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the November/December 2007 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Carrabelle
Carrabelle is home to the smallest police station in the world.
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Town of Caryville
Caryville was the first community in Washington County to have electric lights (1903).
City of Casselberry
Casselberry began as a "tax-free" town. No ad valorem taxes were levied until the mid-1970s. Residents have the advantage of enjoying the 29 lakes that are located within the corporate limits of the city.
City of Cedar Key
Cedar Key derives its name from a 1542 Spanish map that identified the area as "Las Islas Sabines," meaning "The Cedar Islands." Although the island on which this town is located is called North Key, the "Cedar Islands" reference applied to the abundant growth of cedar trees that formerly covered all of a group of islands located in the area.
City of Center Hill
Center Hill has the highest elevation in Sumter County and was once the "Green Bean Capitol of the World."
Town of Century
In late 1900, General Russell Alexander Alger and Martin H. Sullivan formed the Alger-Sullivan Syndicate to establish lumber operations in the South and located a mill in the village of Teaspoon. The company changed the name of the village to Century in light of their optimism for economic development and the community's dawn of the new century. The Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company was the first in the northwest region to adopt a policy of reforestation on a large scale. Because of this policy, the Town of Century remains virtually intact as an example of a planned company town.
City of Chattahoochee
In 1834, a U.S. federal arsenal was constructed on the grounds of what is presently the Florida State Hospital. Constructed of locally made brick, the arsenal consisted of various buildings erected so that their exterior walls formed a quadrangle of four square acres. It served as munitions storage for the federal government during the Indian Wars, and later as a Camp of Instruction after it was seized by the Confederacy during the Civil War. In 1869, the buildings were given to the State of Florida for use as a prison, and in 1876 the prison became a mental institution.
City of Chiefland
Chiefland is located near the historical Suwannee River and Manatee Springs State Park.
City of Chipley
Originally known as Orange, Chipley was renamed in honor of Colonel W.D. Chipley, the railroad president who helped build the railroad across northern Florida.
Town of Cinco Bayou
Cinco Bayou is approximately one-half mile square and is surrounded by the City of Fort Walton Beach on three sides and Five Mile Bayou on the fourth side. Five Mile Bayou is also called Cinco Bayou, hence the town's name.
City of Clearwater
Clearwater was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the September/October 2003 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Clermont
Clermont was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the January/February 2006 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
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City of Clewiston
John Nolan, a nationally known planner, was commissioned in 1920 to create a plan for the city. The design of streets, parkways and other features make Clewiston distinctive from other South Florida towns.
Town of Cloud Lake
A famous war chief of the Seminole Indians during the Second Seminole War of the 1840s was Yaholoochee or "Cloud." In the 1940s when Kenyon Riddle developed a sub-division there, he excavated about five acres and named the resultant lake, Cloud Lake, after the warrior.
City of Cocoa
Cocoa was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the November/December 2007 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Cocoa Beach
The city is famous for its beach, where crowds enjoy viewing Kennedy Space Center launchings, turtle hatchings and surfing festivals. Special events include an annual "Paddle Battle" canoe race, the Space Coast Art Festival and a Christmas Boat Parade.
City of Coconut Creek
Coconut Creek was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the July/August 2004 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Coleman
Coleman is one of a few cities in Florida that does not assess ad valorem property taxes.
City of Cooper City
Cooper City has high park dedication standards and was recognized as a Tree City USA for 14 consecutive years. The city has extensive wildlife and environmental protection regulations.
City of Coral Gables
The city was the first planned community in the U.S. and is home of the University of Miami main campus.
City of Cottondale
Cottondale was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the March/April 2005 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Crescent City
Crescent City's name was derived from the lake that borders the city on the east side. This lake was shaped like a crescent moon.
City of Crestview
The area hosts an annual festival commemorating the Old Spanish Trail settlers who made Crestview a popular stopping place along the way westward.
Town of Cross City
Cross City joins with the Dixie County Chamber of Commerce in presenting the annual Red Belly Day Festival, named in honor of the red-breasted fish sought by fisherman on the Suwannee River.
City of Crystal River
Kings Bay and Crystal River are home to the endangered West Indian manatees. The city offers a Fourth of July Freedom Festival, a Scarecrow Festival and a Manatee Festival.
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City of Dade City
Dade City was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the September/October 2003 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Dania Beach
Dania is the oldest city in Broward County.
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City of Davenport
The local chamber of commerce hosts an Annual Labor Day Extravaganza with a parade and craft booths. The event features a pie-eating contest and an auction, followed by a chicken dinner.
Town of Davie
Davie is an equestrian-oriented community where horses are a common sight on the main streets. Its downtown Western theme emphasizes the architectural ambiance rooted to a pioneer past. It is the home to Westfair, a national event which attracts more than 100,000 people and features quality rodeos, top-notch concerts, parades, exhibits, rides, continuous entertainment and more.
City of Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the March/April 2006 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of Daytona Beach Shores
Daytona Beach Shores was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the March/April 2003 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
City of DeBary
The city features an 1871 white-columned plantation-hunting lodge built by Baron deBary that is a splendid mansion and part of the National Register of Historic Homes.
City of Deerfield Beach
Deerfield Beach offers a national women's volleyball tournament, Deerfest on Pioneer Days and an annual art festival.
City of DeFuniak Springs
DeFuniak Springs was settled in 1881 around a clear lake that is one of only two perfectly round lakes in the world.
City of DeLand
DeLand is the home of Stetson University and is considered the skydiving capital of the world.
City of Delray Beach
There are more than 200 historical homes in the city, including three on the National Historic Register.
City of Destin
Dubbed the "World's Luckiest Fishing Village," Destin's annual events include the Destin Seafood Festival, a month-long Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, the week-long Destin Shark Tournament and the Destin Fishing Museum King Mackerel Tournament. Billfish and other fishing tournaments are sponsored throughout the year by independent businesses.
Town of Dundee
When the railroad was built from Haines City down to Sebring, Dundee was the first new town to be platted along the line and the first site to have a depot erected.
City of Dunedin
Dunedin is the oldest town on the Florida West Coast between Cedar Key and Key West, with the exception of Tampa.
City of Dunnellon
Dunnellon is located on the banks and the confluence of the Withlacoochee and Rainbow Rivers. The historian Swanton says this point is probably where the explorer Narvaez crossed the Withlacoochee River.
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City of Eagle Lake
Eagle Lake has several older buildings that were renovated for use by businesses and residents to display crafts and exhibits as part of an annual community event.
Town of Eatonville
Eatonville was featured in the "Did You Know" column of the January/February 2007 issue of Quality Cities. Please click here to view the article.
Town of Ebro
It is believed the Spanish named the town, as there is an Ebro River in Spain.
City of Edgewater
Edgewater once housed the only hospital on the East Coast of Florida from St. Augustine to Key West.
City of Edgewood
While the municipality is but a mile in length, it permits approximately 350 businesses.
Town of Esto
Esto was named for one of its earliest settlers, before the railroad was built.
City of Eustis
Originating in 1902, the city's annual Washington’s Birthday Festival is held every February. This two-day event garners a great deal of community support and draws visitors from throughout the state.
City of Everglades City
Everglades City is a picturesque fishing village that attracts visitors from around the world. It houses the West Coast headquarters of Everglades National Park and is only minutes away from the Big Cypress National Preserve.
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