Florida Fun Fact.... In 1925 The University of Miami was founded, it opened for the 1st time days after the category 4 hurricane destroyed Miami in September 18,1926.... The sports teams were nicknamed the Hurricanes in memory of the disaster.
Their mascot is an Ibis. The ibis is a small white bird, it was selected to represent the school because it is said to be the last bird to leave before a hurricane strikes and the first to return once it’s gone.
Florida Fun Fact.... Jacksonville, Florida, The year was 1953 the first Burger King fast food restaurant was opened. Inspired by the McDonald’s chain with one main difference being the the Insta-Broiler oven, the chain required all of their franchises to use the machine. The Burger King is headquartered in a nine-story office tower by Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida
Florida Fun Fact.... September 18,1926 a category 4 hurricane hit Miami winds were around 125 mph, a 15 foot storm surge flooded Miami leaving massive property damage. As the hurricane crossed over Miami Beach and downtown, many believed the storm had passed and tried to leave the barrier islands, the streets of the city became crowded with people, only to be met by the rear eye-wall. As a result, many lives were lost during the second phase of the storm.
Due to the widespread destruction of the buildings in Miami Beach, a Chief Building, Plumbing, and Electrical position was created. This person initiated and enforced the 1st building code in the United States.
Florida Fun Fact.... Venice, Florida is known as the Shark Tooth Capital of the World. Sharks actually shed their teeth and grow new ones during lifetime. When sharks die and decompose, the teeth are the only remnants as the remainder of the shark decomposes completely, even its skeleton which is made of cartilage, not bone. Now you know… Good Luck and happy hunting.
In April of every year, the Sharks Tooth Festival takes place in Venice. Fossil hunters display their finds of sharks teeth and other fossils. This is an opportunity to view specimens, learn more about the history of and biology of the sharks. Over a 100 artists display original works, food vendors serve up seafood and other selections and live music creates a festive backdrop.
Florida Fun Fact.... Happy Birthday Florida, Welcome to the United states you are the 27th state. March 3rd 1845 Florida joined the union. 16 years later Florida seceded from the Union & became the founding member of the confederate states in an attempt to keep it’s slaves. When the plan failed Florida rejoined the union again June 25th, 1868
Florida Fun Fact... On Sept. 1, 1969, a “normal” Florida mid-day rainstorm suddenly started dropping golf balls in the gutters, lawns and streets of Punta Gorda. Hundreds of Golf balls fell from the sky, though no explanation was ever given. The area many golf courses, so a logical explanation was that a passing storm or small twister picked up a ball-filled pond, then dumped them on the town.
Florida Fun Fact... Tallahassee has strong roots, starting with being the only Confederate Capital east of the Mississippi to remain un-captured during the Civil War.
Florida Fun Fact.... Did you know Jacksonville, FL holds the honor of being home to the first ever organized Baseball Spring Training. In 1888 Washington Capitals of the National League held a 4 day training camp with the Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association. The players and the team would split the costs and profits of the training.
This camp being a cheap way to figure out what veterans were expendable and what youngsters were worth keeping
Florida Fun Fact…. Driving down the Florida Turnpike you will see the town of Yeehaw Junction. The quaint (almost ghost town) was once called Jackass Junction because the “locals” would ride their donkey’s to the local brothel, the Desert Inn. In the 1950’s Florida ran the turnpike through the town (you just couldn’t have a town named Jackass Junction) so the Florida legislature in 1957 gave it the present day name of Yeehaw Junction.
Yeehaw derives from the Seminole word for wolf referring to wolves that once inhabited the area.
The Desert Motel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This orange usually contains 15-25 seeds and is mostly used for it's extreamly sweet juice.
The word "conch" comes from a Greek word meaning "shell."
Florida Fun Fact…. The 1st Red Lobster opened in Lakeland, Florida in 1968. Bill Darden opened his first restaurant at age 19. It was called The Green Frog, After partnering with General Mills in 1970, Red Lobster was expanded throughout the Southeast then nationwide.
The original location was at 1330 East Memorial Blvd, Lakeland, Florida on Lake Parker
Florida Fun Fact…. The Florida coastline is about 1350 miles long, 580 miles on the Atlantic and 770 miles on the Gulf. Of that about 825 miles are sandy coastline. No matter where you are in Florida you are no more than 60 miles to the beach.
Or you can go with the local legend.. the communities had two lovers, the boy living in Romeo and a girl in Juliette. The girl's parents wouldn’t allow them to marry, but the two continued to see each other, until one of them met an unfortunate death.
Florida Fun Fact… The date was September 7th, 1950. Hurricane Easy set it’s sites on Cedar Key, After changing directions a few times a high pressure storm from the north turned Hurricane Easy counter clockwise, The eye of the storm made landfall in Cedar Key taking over 2 hours to pass over the small island town, winds battered the town at speeds up to 125 miles per hour for 9 ½ hours, all the while dumping 38.7 inches of rain on Cedar Key. Setting an all time record of rainfall in a 24 hour period. The record stood until 1979 when Tropical Storm Claudette dumped 45 inches of rain in southeast Texas. The 38.7 inches of rain is still the record for most rain in a 24 hour period in Florida.
Florida Fun Fact… Inverness, Citrus County. The (old) courthouse which is easily recognized by the clock tower, was built in 1912. In 2000 the county was attempting to rehab the 2nd floor court room back to its original 1912 condition. Since there we very few interior pictures to available, they asked MGM studios if the could use still photos from Elvis Presley’s movie Follow That Dream to recreate the court house. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Place in 1992. Today it currently houses the Citrus County Historical Society & Heritage Museum. Stop in and learn about your community.
Florida Fun Fact…Homosassa, The Yulee Sugar Mill was built in 1851 in a rural wooded area near the river. It employed about 100 slaves until 1864 when Yulee’s nearby Island mansion was Burned to the ground by union forces to destroy the ammunition stockpile stored inside. The Mill was never used again after the fire & The property was turned over to the state in 1953 and was added to the national register of historic places in 1970. The site is open to the public & Visitors can tour the site at their own pace.
Florida Fun Fact… Clearwater, FL on October 4, 1983 the first Hooters restaurant opened. The casual beach-theme establishment featured “oldies” jukebox music, sports on television, and a menu that includes seafood, sandwiches, salads and spicy chicken wings. Hooters Girls uniform, The logo, menu and ambiance are all very similar to the original. There are now more than 460 restaurants world wide
Florida Fun Fact… Orlando and Kissimmee FL, The Magic Kingdom, the first of Disney’s Florida parks opened to the public on October 1, 1971. Walt Disney and his brother Roy purchased 27,000 acres of land. The size of the park would enable Walt’s dream, “to create a fantasy world within the park where families could leave the outside world behind.” Since then The Epcot Center opened October 1, 1982, Hollywood Studios opened May 1, 1989 and Animal Kingdom opened April 22, 1998. It is the world's largest and most visited recreational resort.
Florida Fun Fact… Florida is rich in wildlife, did you know there are 25 different Lizard species, 35 Turtle species, 60 snake different species 8 are poisonous, 57 Amphibians, 154 Freshwater fish, & 155 species of birds? There are so many insects species that numbers are estimated to be in the trillions.
Florida Fun Fact… In 1956 - Needles, an Ocala-bred horse co-owned by Bonnie Heath and Jack Dudley, became Florida's first champion in a Triple Crown race when he captured the Kentucky Derby, placed second in the Preakness Stakes and won the Belmont Stakes as a three-year-old. This was the beginning of Ocala becoming the horse capitol of the world.
Florida Fun Fact… Built in 2000, The Cross Florida Greenway Land Bridge cost $3.1 Million. eight 100’ long, 87-ton concrete beams support the 52.5’ wide and 200’ long, with Irrigated, 4.5’ deep planters that provide growth areas for the Natural Florida vegetation. It connects east and west sections of the Cross Florida Greenway and allows hikers, cyclists, equestrians, and wildlife to safely cross I-75.
Florida Fun Fact… Micanopy, Florida was the location of the small town used in Michael J. Fox’s “Doc Hollywood” in 1990. Every year the small town holds a 2 day event to support the Chamber of Commerce, Parkinson’s Disease research. It was while shooting the this movie that Michael J. Fox started displaying symptoms Parkinson's Disease.
Florida Fun Fact… Yankeetown, Crystal River, Ocala, Inverness, and Tampa Florida, In 1962 Elvis Presley's ninth movie 'Follow That Dream' was filmed. Elvis arrived in Crystal River by chartered bus and stayed at the Port Paradise Hotel. Elvis' limo followed the bus pulling his new ski boat. The people of Yankeetown transformed marsh land in to the beach scene that was used in the movie. A portion of SR 40 was painted black to look like a new road
Florida Fun Fact… Until The Great Freeze of 1894-1895 Ocala was an important center of citrus production. There were two freezes during this winter season, December 1894 and February 1895. The first freeze did not actually kill most of the trees. But instead cause them to produce new shoots. When the second, harder freeze came a few months later, the effects were devastating to the crops. Farmers were forced to move or grow other crops.
Florida Fun Fact… In 1916 Carl G. Rose came to Florida to oversee the first asphalt road ever constructed in the state when issues arose he experimented using limestone. He soon realized that the Limestone would be a good source of nutrition for raising strong horses, in 1943 and bought acreage along State Highway 200 at $10 per acre, which became Rosemere Farm. The next year his horse Gornil won at Miami's Tropical Park. Gornil was the first Florida-raised thoroughbred to win a Florida race. The farm is now the site of the Paddock Mall.
Florida Fun Fact… Northwest Ocala, known as the “Farm District” is home to Postime Farms which hosts one of the largest horse shows in the country. H.I.T.S or "Horses in the Sun" is a Dressage/Jumper event lasting about two months. Riders from around the globe compete throughout the year in order to qualify to win $1 million in prize money. This event brings with it some 6 to 7 million dollars to the local Marion County economy each year.
Florida Fun Fact… Fort King was built in 1827 during the Seminole war. It was abandon in 1829. In 1832 the fort was used to help with the relocation of the Seminoles due to the “Treaty of Payne's Landing”. It was again abandoned between 1836 and 1837 after the Seminoles burned it. After founding Marion County, the fort became its first courthouse. In 1844 the building was abandoned for the last time and torn apart to provide building material for homes. Today only two historical markers exist, one marking the approximate location of the fort itself, the other at the cemetery for the fort.
Florida Fun Fact… In 1995 Ocala was awarded with All-America City Award by the National Civic League it is given annually to ten cities in the United States. All-America City Award is the oldest community recognition program in the nation, the award recognizes communities whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon results.
Florida Fun Fact… Kiefer Realty opened on SR 200 in Southwest Ocala on August 26, 2005 to serve the real estate needs of you, your family, and your friends. We love what we do and it shows in our customer service.
Florida Fun Fact… Alachua County, Micanopy is the oldest inland settlement and the first distinct town in Florida after Spain left Florida. 1539 is the first record of a village located at the site of Micanopy and Hernando De Soto found the Timucuan Indians living here. Most of the buildings are on the National Historic Register. The streets are lined with ancient oaks with Spanish moss and historic buildings with unique shops, antique stores, and cafes. Micanopy often referred to as The little town that time forgot.
Florida Fun Fact… Marion theater opened in 1941 it was the first air-conditioned building in Marion County. It was Ocala's primary movie theater during World War II, it stayed open until 1971. In the 1990’s it was overhauled to house Discovery Science Center. In 2007 it reopened as a movie theater with the help of the Travolta family, Lee Farkas and the city of Ocala. Renovations to restore the theater cost upwards $1.3 million it again closed briefly in 2009 until reopening in 2010.
Florida Fun Fact, Ocala … The Ritz Historic Inn was built in 1925 as apartments. It was one of the first apartment complexes built in Ocala. Design by Frederick T. Uezzell, this Spanish Colonial building has four two story masonry buildings that are all connected. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It was recently sold in a foreclosure sale.
Florida Fun Fact... Cedar Key, Levy County. There is a Timucuan Indian Shell Mound five-acres wide and 28’ high. It's a huge pile of oyster shells. an archaeological dig at the site found artifacts dating back to 500 BC. This shell mound would be the equivalent of our landfills today. Cedar Key is a quiet Little Island and a great place to relax, fish and shop or live.
Florida Fun Fact, Ocala … Built in 1885 the 3 story brick building on the SW corner of Broadway and SE 1st Ave. (24 SE 1st Ave.) was one of the first buildings constructed after the Thanksgiving fire of 1883 and included the 700-seat Marion Opera House on the third floor. It was the site of the first national convention held in Florida in December 1890 for Farmers Alliance and the Industrial Union. In 1983, it was converted to be used as offices and a restaurant now Harry’s Seafood.
Florida Fun Fact, Floral City, Citrus County … Established in 1883 Floral City was larger & more populated than Miami. It was named for its abundance of wild flowers, which are still plentiful today. Rich in history & surrounded by lakes & nature, Floral City is a Old Florida, Small town lover dream.
Florida Fun Fact, Ocala … The Historic Ocala Coca-Cola Bottling building on the corner of N. Magnolia Ave and NE 14th street was built in 1939 designed by Courtney Stewart, It is constructed of cast cement and concrete block. The three story building was use by the Coca~Cola company until 1978 the added to the National Register of Historic places in 1979. The current bottling plant is on NE 24 St.
Florida Fun Fact, Homosassa, Citrus County… The Homosassa River is believed to be the only place in the world with the ideal water mixture allowing both freshwater and saltwater fish comingle. With the Gulf of Mexico only 9 nine miles away, the fish come and go and the fisherman keep coming back.
Florida Fun Fact… Fort McCoy, Florida was once called Fort Mackay. Named after Jeb MacCoy, a settler killed during the Seminole Indian war. The fort was also used as a weigh station on the Kings Highway and a train stop for the Ocala Northern Railroad, Fort McCoy is still a rural area and home to a large Seminole Indian Reservation. It is also known for great hunting and fishing
Florida Fun Fact, Citrus County… Established in 1887 Citrus County was split out of Hernando county by Governor E. A. Perry, in 1891. With an estimated population of around 1000. Inverness became the county seat after much opposition. In 1917 The City of Inverness was incorporated. Today’s population is estimated around 140,357.
Florida Fun Fact... Founded in 1887 Dunnellon, FL was the location of the 1st commercial hard rock phosphate mine in Florida in 1889 They used the Rainbow River (then Blue Run) to transport the phosphates. What is now the popular Blue Cove subdivision was once one of the original mining pits. These days Dunnellon is known for its pristine Rainbow River, great fishing and small town charm.
Florida Fun Fact... In 1963 in Carrabelle, Florida (population 1,800), the Police Department installed The World’s Smallest Police Station. The phone booth, yes PHONE BOOTH is located under berry tree with a park bench in front so policemen can keep an eye on the town, & chat with visitors .
Florida Fun Fact… Ever wonder why we have those really high bridges? The Cross Florida Greenway as you know it today was once intended to be a Barge canal that went from the Atlantic Ocean to Gulf of Mexico essentially cutting a line through the state for ships to travel. Figures top $70M in construction of the canal & destruction of the land that was completed. In 1971 funding was pulled. oddly enough it was an emergency economic recovery fund that failed. This is the main reason the Silver Springs Shores & Marion Oaks exist today.
Florida Fun Fact.... Established in 1908, The Ocala National Forest is the 2nd largest National Forest in Florida and covers approximately 607 square miles in 4 counties, Marion, Lake, Putnam, and Seminole. It is also the oldest National Forest East of the Mississippi River and the southernmost national forest in the U.S.
Florida Fun Fact... Did you know that what we know today as "The Villages" began in the 1960's as a 400 lot mobile home development, The lots were originally sold by mail order. It didn't become known as The Villages until 1992.
Florida Fun Fact... in Sliver Springs, Florida, Before it was Six Gun Plaza, It was Six Gun Territory. Do you remember this?
Florida Fun Fact... Most of the Ocala downtown area was destroyed by fire on Thanksgiving Day, 1883. The buildings were rebuilt with brick, granite and steel rather than lumber. Giving Ocala the nickname "The Brick City".
Florida Fun Fact.. The Lake Weir Yacht Club a Eastlake Weir was added to the National Registry of Historic Places on April 22, 1993. The club was founded in 1909, and the building was constructed in 1913. Galas are held as fun raisers to maintain the building.
Florida Fun Fact..... Established in 1886 Belleview Library is the second oldest continuous library in the State of Florida.
Florida Fun Fact.... The 5 largest counties (land and water) in square miles in Florida are Palm Beach County 2386, Collier County 2305, Miami Dade County 2429, Polk County 2010 & Marion County 1663.
Florida Fun Fact.... There are 67 counties in the State of Florida
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