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Gainesville, Florida

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Gainesville is the largest city and county seat of Alachua County, Florida.Template:GR. Gainesville is primarily known for being home to the University of Florida, the flagship university of the State University System of Florida and the fourth-largest university in the United States. Santa Fe Community College, one of the nation's largest community colleges, is also located in Gainesville.

The 2000 Census estimated the population of Gainesville to be 95,447. Following a successful annexation in 2002, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated a 2004 population of 108,856. The Gainesville Metropolitan Area, which includes neighboring Bradford, Union and Gilchrist Counties, as well as all of Alachua County is estimated at 281,409.

Geography

 
Location of Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville is located at 29°39'55" North, 82°20'10" West (29.665245, -82.336097)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 127.2 km² (49.1 mi²). 124.8 km² (48.2 mi²) of it is land and 2.4 km² (0.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.87% water.

Gainesville is the southernmost deciduous city in America. There are deciduous trees farther south, but they are not as abundant as they are from Alachua County northward. The city is also an important way station for automobile travelers, as it is located exactly midway between Atlanta and Miami, six hours in each direction.

The North Florida area in which Gainesville is located is known to natives as the "end of the South." This is most likely due to the fact that south of Alachua County or Marion County, starting somewhere north of Orlando, there are fewer native Floridians (and effectively native Southerners) and the sprawling development that defines South and Central Florida begins. However, it should be noted that due to large levels of migration, much of it related to the University of Florida, the city of Gainesville holds more in common culturally with Central and Southern Florida than with the more isolated Northern rural parts of the state.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 95,447 people living within the city limits, 37,279 households, and 18,341 families residing in the city. The population of the metropolitan area as of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000 was 217,955. The population density is 764.9/km² (1,981.0/mi²). There are 40,105 housing units at an average density of 321.4/km² (832.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 68.36% White, 23.24% African American, 0.25% Native American, 4.49% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.46% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. 6.40% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Note: These population figures probably do not include the vast majority of the 75,000+ student population which are recorded for census purposes as living with their parents in their hometowns.

There are 37,279 households out of which 22.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.5% are married couples living together, 13.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.8% are non-families. 32.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.25 and the average family size is 2.90.

In the city the population is spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 29.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 26 years. For every 100 females there are 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $28,164, and the median income for a family is $44,263. Males have a median income of $31,090 versus $25,653 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,779. 26.7% of the population and 15.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

History

Gainesville's original inhabitants were the Timucua Indians. Spanish colonists began cattle ranching in the Payne's Prairie area using Timucua labor and the largest ranch became known as LaChua. Though the ranch was eventually destroyed by British raiders, it nevertheless gave its name to the Alachua band of the Seminole tribe who settled in the region in the 1700s under the leadership of the great chief Ahaya the Cowkeeper.

Gainesville was originally formed along the Florida Railroad Company's line stretching from Cedar Key, Florida to Fernandina Beach, Florida as part of a route eventually carrying cargo from New Orleans, Louisiana to New York. In 1854 Gainesville became the new Alachua County seat (moving from the more populated but inconveniently located Newnansville). The city is named for General Edmund P. Gaines, commander of U.S. Army troops in Florida during the Second Seminole War.

Gainesville was the scene of small-scale fighting in the Civil War. On February 15, 1864, a skirmish erupted when about 50 Union troops entered the city intending to capture two trains. The Second Florida Cavalry successfully repulsed this raid. The raiding party was eventually defeated at the Battle of Olustee five days later. Later that year, the Battle of Gainesville took place on August 17, 1864. Three-hundred Union troops occupying the city were attacked by the Florida Cavalry. The Federals were driven out of town and suffered significant casualties.

Gainesville's fortunes took a major turn when the University of Florida was created by the Florida Legislature in 1905. Gainesville was chosen as the site, beating out other cities who saw their colleges close, such as Lake City and Bartow. The university has brought the town a youthful population, cultural opportunities, and world class medical facilities. The sports drink Gatorade was invented in Gainesville as a means of refreshing the UF football team and UF still receives a share of the profits from the beverage.

Terror struck residents of Gainesville in August 1990 when five students were found brutally murdered in their apartments over a three day period. After extensive investigation, Danny Rolling was charged with the murders and convicted in 1994. The murders attracted national attention and heightened awareness of security issues at the University of Florida and elsewhere. A monument to the victims now exists along Southwest 34th Street, including five palm trees in the median and a painted wall.

The needless destruction of the city's landmark victorian courthouse in the 1960s brought the need for historic preservation to the attention of the community. The bland county building which replaced the grand courthouse became known to some locals as the "air conditioner." Additional destruction of other historic buildings in the downtown followed as the city tried to "modernize", but succeeded in only diminshing the city's unique historic charm. After many years of little or no progress, revitalization of the City's core has picked up, and many parking lots and underutilized buildings are being replaced with infill development and near-campus housing which blend in respectfully with neighboring historic structures. There is even talk of rebuilding a replica of the old courthouse on a parking lot just one block from the original location. Notable historic buildings include the Bailey Plantation House (1850s) Matheson Center Home (1860s), the Thomas Hotel (1927) the Old Post Office (now the Hippodrome State Theatre) (1913), the Masonic Temple(1913), and the thirteen story Seagle Building (1937), which is downtown's only "skyscraper."

Culture

Gainesville has a fairly well-known punk and ska music scene and has spawned a number of bands including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Adam's Out, Less Than Jake, The Usuals, The Know How, Hot Water Music, Against Me!, Sister Hazel, Roach Motel, and For Squirrels. It is also the location of the independent label No Idea Records.

Cultural facilities include the Florida Museum of Natural History, Harn Museum of Art, the Hippodrome State Theatre, Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and The Civic Media Center. Smaller theaters include the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre (ART) and the Gainesville Community Playhouse (GCP). GCP is one of the oldest community theaters in the State of Florida, having produced its first show in 1927. GCP's season consists of six shows annually. Numerous events are hosted continually at the university.

Gainesville is a relatively expensive town to live in —rent rates tend to be high off-campus, although the restaurants near the University of Florida tend to be inexpensive. The property taxes are high to offset the cost of the university, as the university's land is tax-exempt. The University of Florida is the major employer for the city.

The east side of Gainesville houses the majority of the African-American community within the city, while the westside houses a more diverse community. Most Caucasian-Americans live to the west of the honkey line demarcated by Hogtown Creek.

Gainesville is informally called "Hogtown" by Gator Alumni and its towns people, after Hogtown Creek, which runs through the city and was the original name of a town nearby, which was eventually incorporated into the growing city. It was the center of the Gainesville Eight case in the 1960s, and is known to some as the Berkeley of the South. The city is characterized by its medium size, rural location, and large public university. Suburban sprawl has (as of late) become a concern for the city commissioners. However, the "New Urbanization" plan to revitalize run-down portions of the area between historic Downtown and the University of Florida may slow the growth of suburban sectors that have caused extensive westward sprawl, and catalyze a migration toward upper-level apartments in the inner-city. The area immediately north of the University of Florida is also seeing active redevelopment.

Education

All of the Gainesville urban area, inside or outside the city limits, is served by the School Board of Alachua County, which has some 75 different institutions in the county, most of which are in the Gainesville area. Gainesville is also home to the University of Florida and Sante Fe Community College. The University of Florida is a major financial boost to the community, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional revenues are created by the athletic events that occur at UF, including SEC football games.

Climate

Due to its inland location, Gainesville experiences wide temperature fluctuation. During the summer season, roughly from May 15 to October 15 the city's climate is the same as the rest of the state, with frequent downpours and tropical humidity. Temperatures range from the low 70s at night to the mid 90s during the day on average. From October 15 through April, however, the Gainesville area has a climate distinct from peninsular Florida with frequent freezing temperatures at night, and prolonged, hard freezes occurring every few years. The all time record low of 10 degrees was reached in January of 1985, and the city was struck by a substantial snow and ice storm on Christmas Eve, 1989. The city's flora and fauna is also more distinct from coastal regions of the state, and includes many deciduous specious, such as dogwood, maple, hickory and sweetgum, alongside palm trees and other evergreens. Due to this, the city enjoys brief periods of fall color in late Novemeber and December, and a noticeable and prolonged spring from mid-February through early April. This period is the time most favored by residents, as colorful blooms of azalea and redbud complement a cloudless blue sky, for this is also the period of least precipitation and lowest humidity.

Transportation

Gainesville has an extensive road system, which is served by Interstate 75, and several Florida State Routes, including State routes 20, 24, 25, and 26, among many others. Gainesville is also served by US 441 and nearby US 301, which gives a direct route to Jacksonville, Ocala, and Orlando. The city is also served by Amtrak, which operates a station approximately 11 miles to the northeast in the town of Waldo. Two daily trains provide service to Orlando, Miami, Washington, DC and New York City.

Not only does Gainesville have an extensive road network, Gainesville is also served by Gainesville Regional Transit System, or RTS, which is the fourth largest mass transit system in the state. The area is also served by Gainesville Regional Airport in the northeast part of the city, with daily service to Miami, Atlanta, Memphis and Charlotte.

Famous residents

Celebrities that live or have lived in Gainesville include:

Other celebrity ties to Gainesville include Faye Dunaway, who went to the University of Florida, and Malcolm Gets, who grew up there, graduated from the university, and wrote and performed at the Community Playhouse and the Hippodrome. Renee Richards lived in Gainesville for a time, Roger Maris had a distributorship and raised his family there, and the motion picture actor William H. Macy has visited his father there from time to time.

Points of interest

References

  • History of Gainesville, Florida, 1854-1979. By Charles H. Hildreth and Merlin G. Cox. published by the Alachua County Historical Society, 1981. ISBN 0967278848
 
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