The Area - Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee Statistics and Facts
Population: 148,400
Number of Families: 55,221
Land Area: 163.878 sq. kilometers
Amount of Surface Water: 2.804 sq. kilometers
Climate: Mild and Moist. While most of Florida has a subtropical
climate year-round, Tallahassee has a four season climate. Winds average
about 6.5 miles per hour.
Average Annual Rainfall: 64.59 inches
Average Low Temperature: 55.7 degrees F
Average High Temperature: 78.7 degrees F
Tallahassee Links of Interest:
Tallahassee Area Chamber of Commerce
www.talchamber.com
Tallahassee Junior Museum
http://www.tallahasseemuseum.org/
Springtime Tallahassee
http://www.springtimetallahassee.com/
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU)
www.famu.edu
The Florida State University (FSU)
www.fsu.edu
Tallahassee Community College
http://www.tcc.fl.edu/
Tallahassee Area Links of Interest:
St. George Island State Park
http://www.funandsun.com/parks/StGeorgeIsland/stgeorgeisland.html
Marianna Caverns
http://www.floridastateparks.org/floridacaverns/
Wakulla Springs State Park
http://www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings/
St. Marks Wildlife Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/saintmarks/
Apalachicola National Forest
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/recreation/index_apa.shtml
History of Tallahassee
Tallahassee, which is Florida's Capital City, has a very unique history,
nestled among the hills and oaks of Florida's panhandle. "Tallahassee" is
an Apalachee Indian word meaning "old town" or "abandoned
fields." The Apalachee Indians lived throughout the panhandle
from 500 through the 1600s. In 1539, Hernando De Soto spent the
first Christmas in the New World in the woods near the present State
Capitol. As more Spanish colonists entered the panhandle, disease
and fighting reduced their population. The Apalachee Indians left
and the area became an abandoned village, thus it was called "Tallahassee."
After Florida became a territory of the United States in 1822, both St. Augustine and Pensacola competed to become the Capital. Unable to come to an agreement, it was decided to locate the Capital at a point between the two cities. Tallahassee's beauty attracted the search party, and in 1824, the City of Tallahassee was created, with a log cabin as the first Capitol.
But even as the State Capital, Tallahassee quickly earned the reputation of an outlaw frontier town. Men on the street often carried guns and knives and duels were a popular recreation. Ralph Waldo Emerson called Tallahassee "a grotesque place...rapidly settled by public officers, land speculators, and desperados." To end this lawlessness, a small group of police officers was formed and Tallahassee's Police Department has served this City for over 150 years.
Tallahassee, which is in Leon County, was a land of rich agricultural for its residents. Tallahassee had several large plantations and crops including cotton, corn and sweet potatoes. During the Civil War, a small battle was waged at Natural Bridge, which is south of Tallahassee, near the city of St. Marks. A makeshift army of old men and students from the West Florida Seminary (now Florida State University www.fsu.edu) fought off an attack by Union troops. Tallahassee was the only Confederate city east of the Mississippi that did not fall to Union troops. Times were tough, yet Tallahassee continued to grow. However, after the Civil War, many of Tallahassee's large plantations were turned into hunting lodges for wealthy winter residents of the North.
Almost since being named as the Capital, Tallahasseeans have fought various attempts to move the Capital to another city. However, after the turn of the century, businessmen have promoted hotels and other lodging areas to ensure that legislators had places to stay. In an effort to beautify the town, hundreds of Dogwoods and Oaks were planted along streets and in front yards and have become a symbol of Tallahassee. In the 1960s, the town even organized "Springtime Tallahassee" - an annual parade and celebration, which was done in an effort to keep legislators from moving the Capital. With the dedication of the new Capital Complex in 1978, the threats of moving the Capital were finally put to rest.
Today, Tallahassee and its surrounding areas continue to flourish and grow, with developments in population, economics, government, and business. Opportunity abounds and the lush landscape and rolling hills set Tallahassee apart from other Florida cities, and make it a truly enjoyable place to work and live.
For more on Tallahassee History:
http://www.talgov.com/gov/facts/history.cfm
http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Tallahassee-History.html