Marianna, Florida | |
|---|---|
 Marianna City Hall | |
| Nickname: The City of Southern Charm | |
 Location inJackson County and the state ofFlorida | |
| Coordinates:30°46′35″N85°14′17″W / 30.77639°N 85.23806°W /30.77639; -85.23806 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Jackson |
| Incorporated | 1825 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Commission–Manager |
| • Mayor | John Roberts |
| • Commissioners | Allen Ward, Rico Williams, Travis Ephriam, and Kenneth Hamilton |
| • City Manager | William H. Long |
| • City Clerk | Kimberly Applewhite |
| • City Attorney | Matt Fuqua |
| Area | |
• Total | 18.64 sq mi (48.29 km2) |
| • Land | 18.60 sq mi (48.17 km2) |
| • Water | 0.046 sq mi (0.12 km2) |
| Elevation | 167 ft (51 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 6,245 |
| • Density | 335.7/sq mi (129.63/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 32446-32448 |
| Area code | 850 |
| FIPS code | 12-43175[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0286422[3] |
| Website | www |
Marianna is a city in and thecounty seat ofJackson County, Florida, United States,[4] and it is home toChipola College, part of the state's public system. The official nickname of Marianna is "The City of Southern Charm". The population was 6,245 at the 2020 census.
Marianna was founded in 1828 by Scottish entrepreneur Scott Beveridge (2010 source) aka Beverege, who named the town after his daughters Mary and Anna.[5]: 442 The following year, it was designated as the county seat. It attracted businesses from the former sear, Webbville, which became defunct.[citation needed] Marianna was platted along theChipola River.
Many planters fromNorth Carolina relocated to Jackson County to develop new plantations to take advantage of the fertile soil. They relied on the labor of enslaved African Americans brought from the Upper South in the domestic slave trade.
GovernorJohn Milton, a major planter who owned the Sylvania Plantation and hundreds ofslaves, was a grandson of Revolutionary War heroJohn Millton, and a descendant of Sir Christopher Milton, the brother of the famous English poet,John Milton. A Marianna resident, he was elected asgovernor of Florida, serving during theCivil War years. Governor Milton opposed theConfederate States of America rejoining the United States.
As federal troops were preparing to take control ofTallahassee, Governor Milton received word that the Civil War had ended and that Florida would again be part of the United States. On April 1, 1865, as the Southern cause was collapsing, Milton was found dead of a gunshot wound at Sylvania. TheNew York Times reported that Governor Milton had committed suicide, noting that he had said he "would rather die" than suffer Federal invasion.[6] TheWest Florida News, by contrast, reported the sudden death of Florida's fifth Governor as a hunting accident.[7] Governor Milton was buried in the St. Luke's Episcopal churchyard at Marianna. During Reconstruction, the Times account dominated.
Marianna was the site of aCivil War battle in 1864 between a small home guard of about 150 boys, older men, and wounded soldiers, and a contingent of approximately 700Federal troops.
During the early years after the Civil War,Ku Klux Klan terrorism and violence flared in Marianna, Florda, and surrounding Jackson County. Disputes over farm land prompted much of the Klan activity, as white supremacists violently reacted against blackfreedmen gaining ownership of tax-forfeited farms[5]: 443 —which was new federal law of theReconstruction era. Local leaders of the Klan committed to restoringwhite supremacy thoughout Jackson County; they enforced their mandate by perpetrating terror and intimidation against local blacks and their white sympathizers/agents.[8]: 548–550 In a sustained campaign of terrorism known as theJackson County War an estimated 150 to 200Republicans, many black, were murdered or maimed in violent beatings by nightriding mobs of Klansmen.[9][10] Local white officials typically claimed—without offering evidence—that the violence was the work ofcarpetbaggers and "ruffians" from theborder states. BishopCharles H. Pearce of Massachusetts, anAME minister who became a state senator in Florida, had first-hand knowledge of the situation. He blamed the planters of Jackson County, who publicly advocated for deadly violence against black Republicans.
Violence continued in the state after Reconstruction, reaching a peak in most areas at the turn of the 20th century. This was the period in which southern states alsodisenfranchised most blacks and thousands of poor whites by raising barriers to voter registration. From 1900 to 1930, Florida had the highest rate oflynchings per capita in the South and the nation. Refusing to accept the violence, thousands of African Americans left the state during theGreat Migration of the early 20th century, going to northern and midwestern industrial cities for work and other opportunities.
In 1934Claude Neal, a local African-American man, was accused of the rape and murder of a young white woman. He was moved between jails, but alynch mob found him inBrewton, Alabama. The mob abducted him and brought him back to Florida, killing him near the Chattahoochee River andGreenwood. The men brought his body to the Cannady farm, where a larger mob of an estimated 2,000 persons was waiting; people shot and mutilated the body. Neal's body washanged from a tree at the Marianna courthouse square.
As recounted in "Behold, America" by Sarah Churchwell (Basic Books, copyright 2018, page 177): "The torture and mutilation that the papers at the time would not name were itemised by a white undercover investigator for the NAACP, to whom an eyewitness boasted ten days later:'They cut off his penis. He was made to eat it. Then they sliced off his testicles and made him eat them and say he liked it. Then they sliced his sides and stomach with knives and every now and then somebody cut off a finger or toe. Red hot irons were used on the n----- to burn him from top to bottom '...From time to time during the torture [the investigator continued] a rope would be tied around Neal's neck and he was pulled up over a limb and held there until he almost choked to death, when he would be let down and the torture begun all over again.'"
The next day, whites rioted in town, attacking blacks and destroying some of their houses. The governor ordered more than 100 troops of theNational Guard to Marianna to suppress the violence. About 200 blacks and two police were injured. The six whitevigilantes who led the lynching remain unidentified.
In 1943Cellos Harrison was taken from the county jail at Marianna by a white mob and hanged (lynched) nearGreenwood. His case had been in the courts for two years in appeals after the African-American man was arrested and twice convicted byall-white juries and sentenced to death for the 1940 murder of a white man. He had confessed without benefit of counsel, and his convictions were overturned by theFlorida Supreme Court as a result. But whites were tired of waiting for the case to be resolved, and lynched him.
PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt directed the Department of Justice to investigate Harrison's lynching; he felt it was unjust that blacks were getting lynched at home while the U.S. was ostensibly fighting for freedom in Europe. No one was ever prosecuted for Harrison's death.[11][page needed]
TheFlorida School for Boys, a large statereform school, operated in Marianna from January 1, 1900, to June 30, 2011. For a time, it was the largest juvenile reform institution in the United States. Throughout its 111-year history, the school gained a reputation for abuse, beatings, rapes, and torture of students by staff. It was rumored that students had died there as a result of injuries. Despite periodic investigations, changes of leadership, and promises by the state to improve conditions, the allegations of cruelty and abuse continued.
Many of the allegations were confirmed by separate investigations by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in 2010 and the Civil Rights Division of theUnited States Department of Justice in 2011. State authorities closed the school permanently in June 2011.
In 2015, a multi-year investigation of the cemetery and grounds by theUniversity of South Florida (USF), which was attempting to find undocumented burials on the grounds, revealed details of a secret "rape dungeon", where boys younger than 12 were sexually abused. It positively identified five bodies from remains recovered on the grounds.[12] By January 2016, the end of the USF's studies of the grounds and exhumation of remains, it had identified 55 previously unknown burials, made a match for seven bodies throughDNA, and presumptively identified another 14 sets of remains of 51 found. Twenty-seven more graves were discovered in 2019.[13] The team created a website containing documentation of their investigation and will continue to work with state agencies and families of former students to identify more remains.
The city was one of severalFlorida Panhandle communities devastated by Category 5Hurricane Michael on October 10, 2018.[14] The downtown area was strongly hit: several historic buildings collapsed and blocked Lafayette Street, which is the main road.
The city was without power for three weeks, which caused extensive school cancellations. More than 80% of homes and businesses in Marianna were heavily damaged or destroyed due to Michael's extreme winds. Millions of dollars in insurance claims were filed, and the area suffered millions of dollars in economic losses. This hurricane is the worst natural disaster to ever strike Marianna, surpassing the damages caused by a F-3 tornado spawned byHurricane Ivan in September 2004.
Marianna is located in central Jackson County at30°46′35″N85°14′17″W / 30.77639°N 85.23806°W /30.77639; -85.23806 (30.776370, –85.238149).[15]U.S. Route 90 passes through the center of town as Lafayette Street, leading east 14 miles (23 km) toGrand Ridge and west 9 miles (14 km) toCottondale.Interstate 10 passes through the southern end of the city, leading east 65 miles (105 km) toTallahassee, the state capital, and west 130 miles (210 km) toPensacola. Access to Marianna is at Exit 136,Florida State Road 276.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.8 square miles (43.6 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.29%, are water.[16] TheChipola River, which forms the eastern border of the city, is part of theApalachicola River watershed.
| Climate data for Marianna, Florida (Marianna Municipal Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1950–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) | 87 (31) | 89 (32) | 94 (34) | 101 (38) | 105 (41) | 105 (41) | 104 (40) | 103 (39) | 99 (37) | 89 (32) | 85 (29) | 105 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 78.3 (25.7) | 80.3 (26.8) | 85.5 (29.7) | 89.3 (31.8) | 95.6 (35.3) | 97.8 (36.6) | 98.3 (36.8) | 97.7 (36.5) | 95.8 (35.4) | 91.0 (32.8) | 84.0 (28.9) | 79.6 (26.4) | 99.7 (37.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 62.9 (17.2) | 67.1 (19.5) | 73.7 (23.2) | 80.1 (26.7) | 87.5 (30.8) | 91.2 (32.9) | 92.4 (33.6) | 91.4 (33.0) | 88.7 (31.5) | 81.1 (27.3) | 71.7 (22.1) | 64.7 (18.2) | 79.4 (26.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 51.8 (11.0) | 55.4 (13.0) | 61.5 (16.4) | 67.6 (19.8) | 75.9 (24.4) | 81.1 (27.3) | 82.7 (28.2) | 82.1 (27.8) | 78.7 (25.9) | 69.5 (20.8) | 59.6 (15.3) | 53.9 (12.2) | 68.3 (20.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 40.7 (4.8) | 43.8 (6.6) | 49.2 (9.6) | 55.1 (12.8) | 64.2 (17.9) | 71.1 (21.7) | 73.0 (22.8) | 72.8 (22.7) | 68.6 (20.3) | 58.0 (14.4) | 47.4 (8.6) | 43.0 (6.1) | 57.2 (14.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 23.1 (−4.9) | 28.0 (−2.2) | 32.0 (0.0) | 40.4 (4.7) | 50.7 (10.4) | 63.8 (17.7) | 68.6 (20.3) | 66.9 (19.4) | 56.8 (13.8) | 42.0 (5.6) | 30.5 (−0.8) | 27.2 (−2.7) | 22.0 (−5.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 15 (−9) | 16 (−9) | 23 (−5) | 33 (1) | 45 (7) | 55 (13) | 62 (17) | 61 (16) | 46 (8) | 28 (−2) | 20 (−7) | 17 (−8) | 15 (−9) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.04 (103) | 4.49 (114) | 5.01 (127) | 3.72 (94) | 3.15 (80) | 5.07 (129) | 5.10 (130) | 4.93 (125) | 4.06 (103) | 3.06 (78) | 3.67 (93) | 4.81 (122) | 51.11 (1,298) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.0 | 9.4 | 9.0 | 7.4 | 6.4 | 12.4 | 13.9 | 13.6 | 9.4 | 8.1 | 8.9 | 10.7 | 119.2 |
| Source: XMACIS2[17][18] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 377 | — | |
| 1860 | 440 | 16.7% | |
| 1870 | 663 | 50.7% | |
| 1880 | 586 | −11.6% | |
| 1890 | 926 | 58.0% | |
| 1900 | 900 | −2.8% | |
| 1910 | 1,915 | 112.8% | |
| 1920 | 2,499 | 30.5% | |
| 1930 | 3,372 | 34.9% | |
| 1940 | 5,079 | 50.6% | |
| 1950 | 5,845 | 15.1% | |
| 1960 | 7,152 | 22.4% | |
| 1970 | 7,282 | 1.8% | |
| 1980 | 7,006 | −3.8% | |
| 1990 | 6,292 | −10.2% | |
| 2000 | 6,230 | −1.0% | |
| 2010 | 6,102 | −2.1% | |
| 2020 | 6,245 | 2.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] | |||
Marianna first appeared in the 1850 U.S. Census with a recorded population of 377.[20]
| Race | Pop 2010[21] | Pop 2020[22] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 3,173 | 3,026 | 52.00% | 48.45% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 2,540 | 2,500 | 41.63% | 40.03% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 23 | 18 | 0.38% | 0.29% |
| Asian (NH) | 56 | 115 | 0.92% | 1.84% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian (NH) | 4 | 6 | 0.07% | 0.10% |
| Some other race (NH) | 5 | 23 | 0.08% | 0.37% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 136 | 262 | 2.23% | 4.20% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 165 | 295 | 2.70% | 4.72% |
| Total | 6,102 | 6,245 |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 6,245 people, 2,908 households, and 1,662 families residing in the city.[23]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 6,102 people, 1,924 households, and 1,189 families residing in the city.[24]
As of thecensus[2] of 2000, there were 6,230 people, 2,398 households, and 1,395 families residing in the city. The population density was 776.1 inhabitants per square mile (299.7/km2). There were 2,764 housing units at an average density of 344.3 per square mile (132.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 56.8%White, 40.2%African American, 0.3%Native American, 0.7%Asian, 0.9% fromother races, and 1.1% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.6% of the population.
In 2000, there were 2,398 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% weremarried couples living together, 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.96.
In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.7 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $23,861, and the median income for a family was $29,590. Males had a median income of $28,500 versus $21,530 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $14,021. About 20.9% of families and 28.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 41.7% of those under age 18 and 34.6% of those age 65 or over.
Jackson County School Board operates public K–12 schools. Marianna has four schools, all of which usually perform in the high C-low B range in the state'sFCAT grade scale. Marianna K-8 School for gradesPre-K to 8th grade, andMarianna High School for grades 9–12, Jackson Alternative School for grades 4-12, and Hope School for grades PK-12.
Chipola College, home of the Chipola Indians, is the choice for many residents and offers dual-enrollment classes for high school students. The college is a four-year state institution offering bachelor's degrees in nine programs. Additionally, students can earn masters and doctoral degrees on the Chipola Campus throughTroy State University,University of Florida,University of West Florida, andFlorida State University.
From 1961 to 1966, a junior college,Jackson Junior College, served African-American students. It closed in 1966 after passage of theCivil Rights Act of 1964 and the opening of Chipola Junior College (todayChipola College) to all students.[25]
Marianna had the first Jewish mayor in Florida,Henry Brash.[26] He served three terms before moving to Tampa.[27]
Freight service is provided by theFlorida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad, which acquired most of the formerCSX main line from Pensacola to Jacksonville on June 1, 2019.
Marianna Municipal Airport was developed at a formerWorld War IIArmy Air Corps base that was transferred to the city. It is a public-useairport located 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of the central business district.
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Marianna is an official Florida Main Street town. The downtown area has been restored to look as it did many years ago, to encourageheritage tourism and emphasize its unique character and a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. The downtown area includes theMarianna Historic District, which has a number ofantebellum homes.
Florida Caverns State Park is located 2 miles (3 km) north of town. There is also cave diving in underwater Blue Springs. St. Luke'sEpiscopal Church and cemetery are state landmarks, as they had a principal role in theU.S. Civil Warbattle of Marianna in 1864.
TheChipola River is a source of recreation during all but the winter months.
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Municipalities and communities ofJackson County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
