Punta Gorda, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Punta Gorda is a city in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. It is the principal city of and is included in the Punta Gorda, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,344 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 17,215 [1]. It is the county seat of Charlotte CountyGR6. It is also the only incorporated municipality in the county.
Punta Gorda was the scene of massive destruction after Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 hurricane, came through the city on August 13, 2004. Charley was the worst tropical system to hit Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
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[edit] Geography
Punta Gorda is located at (26.915907, -82.047820)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 47.9 km² (18.5 mi²). 36.7 km² (14.2 mi²) of it is land and 11.2 km² (4.3 mi²) of it (23.32%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 14,344 people, 7,165 households, and 5,187 families residing in the city. The population density was 391.1/km² (1,012.8/mi²). There were 8,907 housing units at an average density of 242.9/km² (628.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.60% White, 3.17% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.
There were 7,165 households out of which 8.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.8% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.97 and the average family size was 2.27.
In the city the population was spread out with 8.2% under the age of 18, 2.1% from 18 to 24, 9.9% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 46.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 64 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $48,916, and the median income for a family was $54,879. Males had a median income of $34,054 versus $26,125 for females. The per capita income for the city was $32,460. About 4.7% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
Punta Gorda occupies a point where the Peace River meets Charlotte Harbor.
The first settlers, the Howard brothers, came to Charlotte Harbor in the late 19th century, about a decade after the close of the Civil War. The rate of growth in the area hasn’t changed much since then. Less than ten years after the first settlements in the area, railroads rolled into town, and with them came the first land developers and Southwest Florida’s first batch of tourists.
Punta Gorda became the southernmost stop on the American railroad, attracting the industries which propelled its initial growth. One man drawn to the area was George Brown, an African-American shipbuilder and landowner, who became one of Punta Gorda’s founding fathers.
In 1887, just 12 short years after the very first settlers trekked to Charlotte Harbor, 34 men, 4 of whom were African-American, met at Hector’s Billiard Parlor and Drugstore to discuss incorporation.
Once Punta Gorda was officially incorporated, mayoral elections took place and a council was formed. Four of the five council members elected were not American citizens, and the remaining councilman was a native of Florida, Albert Gilchrist.
In 1890, the first postmaster of Punta Gorda was appointed. Robert Meacham, an African-American, was appointed by jilted lawyer Isaac Trabue as a deliberate affront to the Southern mentalities of the original community. Trabue had come to Punta Gorda to create his own town, named after himself. When the founders incorporated Punta Gorda without Trabue, he vowed revenge. Trabue eventually left the area and returned to his home in Kentucky.
Early Punta Gorda greatly resembled the modern social climate of various classes living together and working together. While the regal Punta Gorda Hotel, at one point partly owned by Cornelius Vanderbuilt, reflected the upper class, Punta Gorda was a pretty tough town, as most frontier towns were. In the early days, Punta Gorda’s location at the end of the railway line made it a popular destination for some pretty shady characters, resulting in around 40 murders between 1890 and 1904. For a population of about 900, that turns out to be a fairly high number.
In 1925, a bungalow was built by Joseph Blanchard, a black sea captain and fisherman. The Blanchard House still stands as a museum, representing middle-class African-American life in the area. Exhibits cover political, civic and religious life; founding families; education; and the Civil Rights Movement through vintage photos, newspaper clippings and family heirlooms.
The Blanchard House and Museum of African American History and Culture of Charlotte County highlights the community that thrived from the town's founding until integration led residents to move away and businesses to close. In addition to exhibits, the museum will serve as a community center with a library of books by black writers, a book club, seminars on African American history and culture, and leadership classes.
Punta Gorda in the 20th Century still maintained steady growth. Charlotte County was formed in 1921 after DeSoto County was split. Also in 1921, the first bridge was constructed connecting Punta Gorda and Charlotte Harbor along the brand new Tamiami Trail. This small bridge was replaced by the Barron Collier Bridge in 1931, and then by the current bridge crossing the Peace River.
Today, Punta Gorda is one of the fastest developing towns in the area. After the hurricane season of 2004, the city took the opportunity to replace some of the damaged buildings with brand new, beautiful boutiques and cafes. Punta Gorda is sure to become one of Florida's most beautiful cities.
[edit] Statistics
Punta Gorda has been constantly ranked as one of the top places in the United States to own a business. Punta Gorda is also one of the most sought after places to buy a home.
[edit] External links
- Punta Gorda official website
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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