Ocala Geography
Ocala is located at 29°11'16"N, 82°7'50"W (29.187704, -82.130613).GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 100.1 km² (38.6 mi²), all land. The surrounding farms are famous for their thoroughbred horses, in terrain similar to Kentucky bluegrass. Ocala is also known for nearby Silver Springs, Florida, site of one of the largest artesian spring formation in the world and Silver Springs Nature Theme Park, one of the earliest tourist attractions in Florida.
Several major highways pass through Ocala, including Interstate 75, U.S. Highway 27, U.S. Route 301, and U.S. Highway 441. Ocala was on the Western leg of the historic Dixie Highway.
Marion County is also home to the Ocala National Forest which was established in 1908 and is now the second largest national forest in the state. The Florida Trail, also known as the Florida National Scenic Trail, cuts through Ocala National Forest and has been called the “crown jewel” of the Florida Trail system.
Silver River State Park was established in the early 1990s to preserve the areas around the Silver River to the east of Ocala near Silver Springs.
Ocala Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 45,943 people, 18,646 households, and 11,280 families residing in the city. The population density was 459.2/km² (1,189.2/mi²). There were 20,501 housing units at an average density of 204.9/km² (530.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.86% White, 22.14% African American, 0.36% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.81% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.74% of the population.
There were 18,646 households out of which under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,888, and the median income for a family was $38,190. Males had a median income of $29,739 versus $24,367 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,021. About 13.2% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Ocala is the headquarters of Emergency One, a worldwide designer and manufacturer of fire rescue vehicles.Ocala's Early years
Ocala was established in 1846 near the site of Fort King, a military outpost of the Seminole Wars. Ocala is a derivation of the Timucua word "Ocali" which is believed to mean the "Kingdom of the Sun." Hernando de Soto (explorer) passed through a Timucua village or province named Ocali or Ocale near the present site of Ocala during his famous expedition through what is today the southeastern United States in 1539. Greater Ocala and Marion County are still known as the "Kingdom of the Sun."
The Brick City
Rail service reached Ocala in June 1881, encouraging economic development. Several years later, much of the Ocala downtown area was destroyed by fire on Thanksgiving Day, 1883. Buildings were rebuilt with brick, granite, and steel rather than lumber. By 1888, Ocala was known state-wide as "The Brick City."
In December 1890, the Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union, a forerunner of the Populist Party (United States) held its national convention in Ocala. At the convention, the Alliance adopted a platform that would become known as the "Ocala Demands." This platform included abolition of national banks, low interest government loans, free and unlimited coinage of silver, reclamation of excess railroad lands by the government, a graduated income tax, and direct election of United States Senators. Most of the "Ocala Demands" were to become part of the Populist Party platform.
Ocala was an important center of citrus production until the "Big Freeze" of 1894-1895.
Silver Springs
In the twentieth century, Ocala increased its role as a center for tourism in Florida. Important attractions included the Silver Springs Attraction, Wild Waters water park, and the now-defunct Western-themed Six Gun Territory, all in nearby Silver Springs, Florida. Silver Springs Attraction is a 350 acre nature theme park that surrounds the headwaters of the Silver River, the largest artesian spring formation in the world.
Ocklawaha River
The 110 mile long Ocklawaha River flows north from Central Florida until it joins the St. Johns River near Palatka, Florida.
Horse Country
In 1956, the Ocala area Thoroughbred industry received a boost when Needles became the first Florida-bred to win the Kentucky Derby. In 1978, Marion County-bred and -raised Affirmed won the Triple Crown. Today, Marion County is one of the major Thoroughbred centers of the world, with over 1,200 horse farms in total and about 600 Thoroughbred farms.
Ocala/Marion County has been recognized by the US Department of Agriculture as the Horse Capital of the World.[4]
Integration
Ocala public schools were integrated under court order in the late 1960s. Because of incidents elsewhere, violence was expected when school opened in September 1968. Ocala had a full complement of correspondents and photographers from Life Magazine and other publications. The opening of school occurred without incident and the reporters left town without much of a story. Much of the credit for the quiet integration of the schools went to a planning committee of three, including Al Lisk.
Rapid growth
Ocala began undergoing rapid growth in the 1970s with the development of the Interstate 75 and the founding of Disney World.
In the last decades of the twentieth century, the greater Ocala area experienced one of the highest growth rates in the country. The population of Marion County in 2000 was over 250,000, up from under 100,000 in 1975. Much of the county's growth is attributable to the area's growing popularity as a retirement destination, primarily in two areas southwest and south of the city: the SR 200 corridor and The Villages, respectively.
Historical preservation
Many historic homes are preserved in Ocala's large residential Historic District, established in 1984. A focus of this district is East Fort King Street, featuring many excellent examples of Victorian Revival architecture. Ocala structures on the National Register of Historic Places include the Coca Cola Building, the E. C. Smith House, East Hall, the Marion Hotel, Mount Zion A.M.E. Church, the Ritz Historic Inn, and Union Train Station.
Noteworthy Ocalans
Famous Ocalans have included: C. Farris Bryant, 34th governor of Florida; Kenneth H. "Buddy" MacKay, Jr., 42nd governor of Florida; former NBA All-Star Eddie Johnson; actor Patrick O'Neal; Tony Award-winning actress Elizabeth Ashley; the bands Underoath and A Day To Remember; and pro football quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Other noteworthy residents have included: George Steinbrenner, Brock Marion, Arthur Jones, Tom Petty, John Travolta, Deanna Wright, Kelly Preston, NFL defensive back Drayton Florence, champion bowler and horseshoes player Walter Ray Williams, science fiction writer Bruce Boston, Puerto Rican singer Daniel Santos, and country singer Mel Tillis. Although not a native Ocalan, Dave Baillie (Albert David Baillie, Jr.) through his exceptional life became one of the city's most beloved citizens. Also notable is satellite-dish dealer John MacDougall, aka Captain Midnight who, in 1986, overrode the Eastern feed of HBO with a message protesting the scrambling of their signal and a $12.95 per month fee for dish subscribers. Children's entertainers Robin And The Giant also call Ocala home.
Colleges
Weather
Ocala has two distinct seasons: the dry season (November-May) and the wet season (June-October). During the dry season, there is almost uninterrupted sunshine with very little rainfall. In January, the morning low temperatures are often in the 40's, but the cloudless sunny weather typically warms the dry air up to the 70's by the afternoon. During the wet season, afternoon thunderstorms are a daily occurrence. These storms are often severe (unofficially, Ocala is known to have more cloud-to-ground lightning per square mile than any other city in the world). The typical morning low temperatures during the wet season are in the 70's and typical daytime high temperatures are in the 90's. Due to the city being relatively far away from the moderating influence of the oceans, Ocala's summertime temperatures are often the highest in the state while winter temperatures are often the lowest compared to other cities on the peninsula. Also, Ocala's distance from the oceans means the city has more days of sunshine than Florida's coastal cities. This is, in part, why the Ocala/Marion County area is called "the kingdom of the sun." The last snowfall of any significance fell in December of 1989.
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