Apalachicola, Florida | |
|---|---|
| City of Apalachicola | |
 Dixie Theatre (2008) | |
 Seal | |
 Location withinFranklin County andFlorida | |
  Apalachicola, Florida Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:29°43′31″N84°59′33″W / 29.72528°N 84.99250°W /29.72528; -84.99250 | |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | Florida |
| County | Franklin |
| Settled (Apalachicola) | c. 1705-1763[1] |
| Settled (Cottonton) | c. 1763-1783[2][3] |
| Incorporated (Town of West Point) | 1827[2][3] |
| Incorporated (City of Apalachicola) | 1831[2][3][4] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Commission |
| • Mayor | Brenda Ash |
| • Mayor Pro Tem | Anita Grove |
| • Commissioners | Despina George, Adriane Elliott, and Donna Duncan |
| • City Manager | Travis Wade |
| • City Clerk | Sheneidra Cummings |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.63 sq mi (6.80 km2) |
| • Land | 1.93 sq mi (4.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.70 sq mi (1.81 km2) |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,341 |
| • Density | 1,216.3/sq mi (469.61/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 32320, 32329 |
| Area code | 850 |
| FIPS code | 12-01625[6] |
| GNIS ID | 0277920[7] |
| Website | cityofapalachicola.com |
Apalachicola (/ˌæpəlætʃɪˈkoʊlə/ ⓘAP-ə-lach-i-KOH-lə) is a city and thecounty seat ofFranklin County, Florida, United States,[8] on the shore ofApalachicola Bay, an inlet of theGulf of Mexico. The population was 2,341 at the 2020 census.
TheApalachicola Province, after whom the river and, ultimately the city, are named, was located along the lower part of theChattahoochee River in Alabama and Georgia in the 17th century, when the Spanish included the Chattahoochee as part of the Apalachicola River.[9] The name is a combination of theHitchiti wordsapalahchi, meaning "on the other side", andokli, meaning "people". In original reference to the settlement, it probably meant "people on the other side of the river".[10]
Between the years 1513 and 1763, the area that now includes the city of Apalachicola was under Spanish jurisdiction as part ofSpanish Florida. While the Spanish establishedmissions with theApalachee people to the northeast of the city of Apalachicola (centered around Tallahassee), and with theChatot people to the north in the upper Apalachicola River valley and theChipola River valley, the Spanish did not establish any missions in the area of the lower Apalachicola River during the duration of Spain's first occupation of Florida. The earliest-known settlement by non-indigenous people was in 1705, when the Spanish built a fort in the area.[1] In the 1750s, during theFrench and Indian War, the British captured the Spanish colony ofCuba; however, because Cuba was a prized possession for the Spanish, and Florida was mostly unused backwater, the Spanish traded Florida to the British in return for regaining Cuba. Between the years 1763 and 1783, the area that is now Apalachicola fell under the jurisdiction ofBritish West Florida. A British trading post called "Cottonton" was founded at this site on the mouth of theApalachicola River. In 1783,British West Florida was transferred to Spain; however, the trading post (and its British inhabitants) remained and continued facilitating trade along theApalachicola River (which was connected to the trading network along theChattahoochee River). Gradually, after acquisition by the United States and related development inAlabama andGeorgia, it attracted more permanent European-American residents. In 1827, the town was incorporated as "West Point". Apalachicola received its current name in 1831, by an act of theLegislative Council of the Territory of Florida.[2][3][4]
Trinity Episcopal Church was incorporated by an act of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida on February 11, 1837. The building was one of the earliestprefabricated buildings in the United States. The framework was shipped by schooner from New York City and assembled in Apalachicola with wooden pegs.
In 1837, a newspaper at Apalachicola boasted that the town's business street along the waterfront "had 2,000 feet [610 meters] of continuous brick stores, three stories high, 80 feet [24 meters] deep, and all equipped with granite pillars."[11]
BotanistAlvan Wentworth Chapman settled in Apalachicola in 1847.[12] In 1860, he published his major work,Flora of the Southern United States. An elementary school was later named in his honor.
On April 3, 1862, during theAmerican Civil War, thegunboatUSS Sagamore and the steamerUSS Mercedita (relieving theUSS Marion) captured Apalachicola.[13]Union forces that occupiedwest Florida during much of the war moved here.
In 1849, Apalachicola physicianJohn Gorrie discovered the cold-air process ofrefrigeration and patented anice machine in 1850. He had experimented to find ways to lower thebody temperature of fever patients.[14] His patent laid the groundwork for development of modern refrigeration andair conditioning, making Florida and theSouth more livable year-round. The city has a monument to him, and a replica of his ice machine is on display in theJohn Gorrie Museum. TheJohn Gorrie Memorial Bridge, carrying the main road out of Apalachicola,U.S. 98, is named for him.
Before railroads reached the region in the later 19th century, Apalachicola was the third-busiest port on the Gulf of Mexico (behindNew Orleans andMobile).[14] Scheduled boats transported passengers and goods up and down theApalachicola,Chattahoochee, andFlint rivers toAlbany andColumbus, Georgia. Apaddle steamer, theCrescent City, made a daily round trip to Carrabelle, carrying the mail as well as passengers and freight.
TheAN Railway, formerly theApalachicola Northern Railroad, serves the city.
Originally built in 1935 and rebuilt in 1988, theJohn Gorrie Memorial Bridge carriesU.S. 98 across Apalachicola Bay toEastpoint.
The approximate coordinates for the City of Apalachicola is located at29°43′31″N84°59′33″W / 29.72528°N 84.99250°W /29.72528; -84.99250.
Apalachicola is located in the northwestern part of the state onApalachicola Bay and at the mouth of theApalachicola River.U.S. 98 is the main highway through town, leading east across the bay toEastpoint and northwest 59 miles (95 km) toPanama City.Tallahassee, the state capital, is 75 miles (121 km) to the northeast via U.S. 98 andU.S. 319.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.8 km2), of which 1.9 square miles (5.0 km2) is land and 0.69 square miles (1.8 km2), or 26.67%, is water.
The climate of Apalachicola ishumid subtropical (KöppenCfa), with short, mild winters and hot, humid summers. The hottest temperature ever recorded in the city was 103 °F (39 °C) on August 15, 1995, and the coldest temperature ever recorded was 9 °F (−13 °C) on January 21, 1985.
| Climate data for Apalachicola, Florida (Apalachicola Regional Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1995–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) | 82 (28) | 90 (32) | 89 (32) | 98 (37) | 100 (38) | 102 (39) | 103 (39) | 98 (37) | 92 (33) | 89 (32) | 91 (33) | 103 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 75.1 (23.9) | 76.6 (24.8) | 81.3 (27.4) | 84.3 (29.1) | 91.6 (33.1) | 94.3 (34.6) | 95.7 (35.4) | 95.2 (35.1) | 92.1 (33.4) | 88.3 (31.3) | 82.3 (27.9) | 77.0 (25.0) | 97.1 (36.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 63.7 (17.6) | 66.3 (19.1) | 70.9 (21.6) | 76.3 (24.6) | 83.7 (28.7) | 88.5 (31.4) | 89.7 (32.1) | 89.4 (31.9) | 86.7 (30.4) | 80.7 (27.1) | 72.5 (22.5) | 66.0 (18.9) | 77.9 (25.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 54.0 (12.2) | 56.8 (13.8) | 61.7 (16.5) | 67.3 (19.6) | 74.8 (23.8) | 80.7 (27.1) | 82.2 (27.9) | 82.2 (27.9) | 79.2 (26.2) | 71.5 (21.9) | 62.1 (16.7) | 56.5 (13.6) | 69.1 (20.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 44.4 (6.9) | 47.4 (8.6) | 52.5 (11.4) | 58.2 (14.6) | 65.9 (18.8) | 72.8 (22.7) | 74.7 (23.7) | 75.0 (23.9) | 71.6 (22.0) | 62.3 (16.8) | 51.7 (10.9) | 47.1 (8.4) | 60.3 (15.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 27.5 (−2.5) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 36.0 (2.2) | 43.7 (6.5) | 53.3 (11.8) | 66.4 (19.1) | 70.3 (21.3) | 70.1 (21.2) | 61.2 (16.2) | 45.4 (7.4) | 35.4 (1.9) | 31.7 (−0.2) | 25.6 (−3.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 9 (−13) | 23 (−5) | 22 (−6) | 36 (2) | 47 (8) | 48 (9) | 63 (17) | 62 (17) | 52 (11) | 33 (1) | 27 (−3) | 14 (−10) | 9 (−13) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.06 (103) | 4.17 (106) | 4.34 (110) | 2.91 (74) | 1.87 (47) | 5.86 (149) | 5.74 (146) | 7.79 (198) | 5.38 (137) | 3.63 (92) | 3.74 (95) | 3.59 (91) | 53.08 (1,348) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.8 | 8.8 | 7.9 | 6.5 | 5.7 | 11.1 | 15.0 | 15.3 | 11.5 | 7.8 | 8.9 | 10.1 | 118.4 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 187.7 | 188.1 | 250.8 | 296.8 | 327.9 | 304.8 | 278.6 | 262.6 | 251.8 | 261.2 | 212.8 | 187.8 | 3,010.9 |
| Source: NOAA (sun 1961–1990)[15][16][17] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 1,904 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,129 | −40.7% | |
| 1880 | 1,336 | 18.3% | |
| 1890 | 2,727 | 104.1% | |
| 1900 | 3,077 | 12.8% | |
| 1910 | 3,065 | −0.4% | |
| 1920 | 3,066 | 0.0% | |
| 1930 | 3,150 | 2.7% | |
| 1940 | 3,268 | 3.7% | |
| 1950 | 3,222 | −1.4% | |
| 1960 | 3,099 | −3.8% | |
| 1970 | 3,102 | 0.1% | |
| 1980 | 2,565 | −17.3% | |
| 1990 | 2,602 | 1.4% | |
| 2000 | 2,334 | −10.3% | |
| 2010 | 2,231 | −4.4% | |
| 2020 | 2,341 | 4.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] | |||
| Race | Pop 2010[19] | Pop 2020[20] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 1,425 | 1,442 | 63.87% | 61.60% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 589 | 607 | 26.40% | 25.93% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 10 | 7 | 0.45% | 0.30% |
| Asian (NH) | 7 | 6 | 0.31% | 0.26% |
| Pacific Islander orNative Hawaiian (NH) | 1 | 0 | 0.04% | 0.00% |
| Some other race (NH) | 2 | 7 | 0.09% | 0.30% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 49 | 88 | 2.20% | 3.76% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 148 | 184 | 6.63% | 7.86% |
| Total | 2,231 | 2,341 |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 2,341 people, 1,272 households, and 669 families residing in the city.[21]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 2,231 people, 1,123 households, and 644 families residing in the city.[22]
As of thecensus[6] of 2000, there were 2,334 people, 1,006 households, and 608 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,242.1 inhabitants per square mile (479.6/km2). There were 1,207 housing units at an average density of 642.3 per square mile (248.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 63.41%White, 34.92%African American, 0.17%Native American, 0.39%Asian, 0.47% fromother races, and 0.64% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.67% of the population.
In 2000, there were 1,006 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% weremarried couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. Of all households, 34.7% were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.87.
In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $23,073, and the median income for a family was $28,464. Males had a median income of $22,500 versus $18,750 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $12,227. About 19.9% of families and 25.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 32.4% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.
Apalachicola is still the home port for a variety of seafood workers, includingrecreational fishing andshrimpers. More than 90% of Florida's oyster production was harvested from Apalachicola Bay in past years. However ,in 2018, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (due to pollution and a lack of water flow in the Apalachicola River) imposed requirements that caused the complete collapse of the industry.[23][24] Every year the town hosts theFlorida Seafood Festival. The bay is well protected bySt. Vincent Island, Flag Island, Sand Island,St. George Island, andCape St. George Island.
In 1979,Exxon relocated their experimental subsea production system from offshoreLouisiana to a permittedartificial reef site off Apalachicola. This was the first effort to turn anoil platform into an artificial reef.[25]
Apalachicola is home to the Dixie Theatre,[26] a professionalEquity theater which is also a live performance venue. Built in 1912, the theatre was fully renovated beginning in 1996.
Apalachicola is a part of theFranklin County Schools system.[27] As of the 2008–2009 school year, all students, except those attending charter schools, attended the K–12Franklin County School in Eastpoint.
Apalachicola BayCharter School is located in Apalachicola.[28]
Former schools:
The library in Apalachicola is the Apalachicola Margaret Key Public Library.[33]
Gulf Coast State College operates the Gulf/Franklin Campus inPort St. Joe inGulf County.[34]
Municipalities and communities ofFranklin County, Florida,United States | ||
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