Bartow, Florida
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Bartow is a city located in the U.S. State of Florida located in Central Florida east of the Tampa Bay area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 15,340. It is the county seat of Polk CountyTemplate:GR.
Bartow was named in honor of Francis S. Bartow the first Confederate officer to die in the American Civil War. Residents of the city are known as Bartowans. While Bartow itself is not a very large city- the Polk County cities of Lakeland and Winter Haven have larger populations, the city does have the distinction of being the city in Polk County with the longest, most colorful history. The city is known for its historic downtown, oak trees (which are both large and numerous often forming canopies over much of the paved streets), early 20th century ante-bellum styled architecture, and azalea bushes which bloom everywhere in the spring. The city has been called The City of Oaks, The City of Oaks and Azaleas and The Capital of Imperial Polk County.
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History
In the early 19th Century, very few people lived in Florida, especially the area south of Gainesville. The relentless heat and humidity, venomous snakes, and uncharted swampland made a comfortable life in southern Florida an uncertainty. A bigger threat to the would-be white American settlers were the Seminoles, a proud Native American tribe native to Florida. While a few of the Seminole had left for Oklahoma, some decided to stay in Florida and make life rough for any white settlers who tried to make a living. After the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, southern Florida seemed ripe for settlement. Still, many felt uneasy about the continued Seminole presence in the Everglades and stories were always told about hostile encounters "not far away". So most of the early settlements in peninsular Florida were set up as forts, to discourage any Seminole attacks-just in case. In 1850, the first permanent white settlers came to the area near the headwaters of the Peas River or Peace River and established Fort Blount. This settlement was somewhat stalled by the American Civil War a decade later, although the Polk County government was established in 1861. After the war, in 1867, the county commissioners decided the county seat should be named after General Francis Bartow, the first Confederate officer to die in the war, and so, the name of Fort Blount was changed to Bartow.
People and Culture
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 15,340 people, 5,531 households, and 3,777 families residing in the city. The population density is 527.4/km² (1,366.5/mi²). There are 6,099 housing units at an average density of 209.7/km² (543.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 65.91% White, 28.39% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 2.22% from other races, and 2.03% from two or more races. 8.11% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 5,531 households out of which 29.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% are married couples living together, 16.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% are non-families. 27.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.49 and the average family size is 3.02.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $38,568, and the median income for a family is $44,093. Males have a median income of $31,716 versus $21,309 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,487. 13.1% of the population and 9.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Historic Buildings and Landmarks
- Conant House- 1010 South Broadway. Example of Colonial revival style.
- First Methodist Church- 310 South Broadway. Build in 1907, this is a fine example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture
- Holy Trinity Episcopal Church- 390 Easp Parker Street. Gothic Revival architecture with a cross-shaped floor plan.
- Hugh Wear House- 310 South Orange Avenue. Built in 1889.
- South Florida Military Academy- 1140 South Broadway. This school was eventually almagamated into the University of Florida.
- Stuart Hotel- 145-195 South Central Avenue. Built in 1914.
- Thomas Lee Wilson House- 555 East Stanford Street. Was used as the Funeral Parlor in the movie My Girl.
- Windsweep- 935 South Oak Avenue. Built in 1909, this house was the residence used in the movie China Moon.
- The Wonder House- 1075 Mann Road. Features natural air-conditioning (using rainwater), secluded outdoor bathtubs, and numerous mirrors.
Annual Events
Neighborhoods
Media
The city has a semi-weekly newspaper the Polk County Democrat, which in spite of its name, is actually a fairly conservative newspaper in its editorial content. The Ledger, which is based in Lakeland, is the most common newspaper in Bartow. While there are no television stations located in Bartow, most cable and satellite providers offer all the Tampa Bay and Orlando area stations.
Attractions in Nearby Cities
Education
Government and Politics
Infrastructure
Street Layout
The city is laid out in a typical four quadrant grid. The north-south axis is Broadway Avenue, and the east-west axis is Main Street(which is also known as Business S.R. 60). At the center of the grid is the historic downtown of Bartow which includes the old courthouse, the new courthouse, and the County Administration building as well as other government offices. As a typical rule, most of the residential (especially the older neighborhoods) are in the southern half of town. The two historically African-American sections of town often called by their major street, Polk Street "Westside" and Martin Luther King Blvd "Eastside" are west, northwest, and east southeast of the center of town, respectively.
Utilities
Transportation
The major highways which run through Bartow are US 98, US 17, and State Road 60. US 17 provides easy access to Winter Haven and Ft. Meade. Going north on US 98 from Bartow is a 15 minute drive to Lakeland. West on State Road 60 leads to Tampa, while east takes one to Lake Wales, and further down, to Vero Beach. The quickest route to Orlando from Bartow is Interstate 4 via the Polk Parkway, which is accessed from US 98 between Bartow and Lakeland.
For small aviation needs, Bartow Municipal Airport is available. Both Tampa International Airport and Orlando International Airport are less than an hour away.
Bartow has its own bus system, the Bartow Shuttle which runs from 6 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday and also offers intercity service to other cities in Polk County through the Polk County InterCity Transit System.
Economy
The Phosphate mining industry located west of Bartow is the largest in the United States. While Polk County is no longer the leading citrus growing county in the United States, it still plays a role in the economy of Bartow and Polk County. As the seat of government of a county with almost half a million people, State and County governments are a large employer in Bartow.
Geography and Climate
Geography
FLMap-doton-Bartow.PNG
Location of Bartow, Florida
Bartow is located at 27°53'33" North, 81°50'23" West (27.892551, -81.839636)Template:GR which is approximately 38 miles east of Tampa, 55 miles southeast of Orlando, and 15 miles west of Lake Wales. The cities of Bartow, Lakeland, and Winter Haven form an equilateral triangle pointed downward with Bartow being the south "point", Lakeland the west "point", and Winter Haven the east "point". The city is located near the headwaters of the Peace River at Lake Hancock. The major roads which go through Bartow are U.S. Highway 17, U.S. Highway 98, and Florida State Road 60.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, in 2000 the city had a total area of 29.4 km² (11.4 mi²). 29.1 km² (11.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.23% water. Since then, the city has annexed much land, quadrupling in size. Much of that land is undeveloped, although the city has rezoned much of it for residential use and it is estimated that the population of Bartow may increase threefold in the next couple of decades.
Climate
The climate of Bartow, like most of Florida, is humid subtropical. Most of the inland areas farthest away from the ocean tend to have more extreme temperature ranges than those areas on the coast. Since Bartow is one of the cities furthest from the coast in peninsular Florida, it can be among the hottest places in the state on some summer days, and during the occasional winter Arctic blast, it has had temperatures in the teens (farenheit).
Notable natives, citizens, and associated people
- James Alward Van Fleet- 4 star General, head of U.S. and U.N. forces during Korean War.
- Spessard L. Holland- Former Florida governor and U.S. senator.
- Charlie Smith- Supercentenarian ?
- Tracy McGrady- NBA Houston Rockets guard, born in Bartow.
- Jacob Summerlin- King of the Crackers, first child born in Florida after ceded from Spain, founder of Bartow and Orlando, Florida.
- Evander McIvor Law- Confederate General during American Civil War.
- Stephen H. Grimes- Former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice.
- Adam Putnam- Current U.S. Congressman, Florida 12th District.
Miscellaneous Facts
- The law firm of Holland & Knight, one of the largest law firms in the United States, was founded in Bartow.
- The 1991 movie My Girl with Anna Chlumsky, Macaulay Culkin, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis was filmed mostly in Bartow.
- Charlie Smith, considered by many to be the oldest living American ever(although many disputed his age) lived most of his life in Bartow. His age was believed to be 137 when he died in 1979
External links
- Bartow Chamber of Commerce (http://www.bartowchamber.com/)