Clewiston, Florida
Encyclopedia
Clewiston is a city in Hendry County
, Florida
. The population was 6,460 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 7,173. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2005-04-12.csv Clewiston is home to the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and the Clewiston Museum
.
was once used as a fishing
camp by the Seminole
Indians. The first permanent settlement began in 1920, when John O'Brien of Philadelphia
and Alonzo Clewis of Tampa
purchased a large tract of land to establish a town. They commissioned a town plan and built the Moore Haven & Clewiston Railroad to connect the community to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
at Moore Haven
. Incorporated as a city in 1925, Clewiston would become noted for its sport fishing, particularly of largemouth bass
.
Large sugar
plantations were established around Lake Okeechobee. By the 1950s and 1960s, the cultivation of citrus
, vegetables and cattle
were also important to the economy. US Sugar Corporation
, however, remained the dominant manufacturer in Clewiston, which became known as "America's Sweetest Town." On June 24, 2008, Governor Charlie Crist
announced that the State of Florida had arranged to buy for $1.75 billion the company's 187000 acres (75,676.3 ha), including the refinery
in Clewiston. On November 11, the plan was scaled back to $1.34 billion for 181000 acres (73,248.2 ha) of farmland
, no longer including the mill, citrus processing facilities and other assets. This would allow the company to remain in business and leave open the possibility of preserving its 1,700 jobs. Over the next seven crop cycles, the farmland would be leased back from the state to US Sugar for $60 million. It would then be converted into reservoir
s and water-filtering areas as part of the ongoing restoration of the Everglades
ecosystem
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²). 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.43%) is water. Located in the Florida Heartland
, Clewiston is on the southwestern shore of Lake Okeechobee
.
The city is crossed by U. S. Route 27 and state routes 80 and 835.
of 2000, there were 6,460 people, 2,174 households, and 1,632 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,381.0 people per square mile (533.0/km²). There were 2,434 housing units at an average density of 520.3 per square mile (200.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.79% White, 10.93% African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 9.64% from other races
, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40.94% of the population.
There were 2,174 households out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,143, and the median income for a family was $38,652. Males had a median income of $31,139 versus $21,049 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,527. About 14.8% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
In 2010 Clewiston had a population of 7,155. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 48.7% Hispanic or Latino, 35.2% non-Hispanic white, 12.7% black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.7% Asian Indian, 1.6% other Asian, 0.2% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, and 2.9% reprting two or more races.
, the county seat) and the Harlem Library.
All three libraries provide Hendry County residents with materials and general information, and each library has a secondary individualized area of focus. The Clewiston Library has a Florida room to house historical reference material and books pertinent to local and state history. The Harlem Community Library is located in a former school building which also houses the Harlem Academy daycare center and its specialty is a growing African American collection. The Barron Library collects genealogical materials.
The Clewiston Library also recently sought and received an LSTA grant to digitize their local newspaper, The Clewiston News
and have the digital versions added to the free, open access Florida Digital Newspaper Library
.
Hendry County, Florida
Hendry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 36,210. The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county is 39,611 . Its county seat is La Belle. The county comprises the Clewiston, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Hendry County...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The population was 6,460 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 7,173. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2005-04-12.csv Clewiston is home to the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and the Clewiston Museum
Clewiston Museum
The Clewiston Museum is located at 109 Central Avenue, Clewiston, Florida. It houses exhibits highlighting the local area, including: Fossils, Sugar, Cattle Industry First, Commercial Fishing, Flying Brits, Killer Hurricanes and Seminole Indians....
.
History
The area beside Lake OkeechobeeLake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
was once used as a fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
camp by the Seminole
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
Indians. The first permanent settlement began in 1920, when John O'Brien of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and Alonzo Clewis of Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
purchased a large tract of land to establish a town. They commissioned a town plan and built the Moore Haven & Clewiston Railroad to connect the community to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
at Moore Haven
Moore Haven, Florida
Moore Haven is a city in Glades County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,635 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,726. It is the county seat of Glades County...
. Incorporated as a city in 1925, Clewiston would become noted for its sport fishing, particularly of largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
.
Large sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
plantations were established around Lake Okeechobee. By the 1950s and 1960s, the cultivation of citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
, vegetables and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
were also important to the economy. US Sugar Corporation
US Sugar Corporation
U.S. Sugar Corporation is a large privately owned agricultural business based in Clewiston, Florida.. The company farms over of land in the counties of Hendry, Glades and Palm Beach. It is the largest producer of sugarcane in the United States, producing over 700,000 tons per year...
, however, remained the dominant manufacturer in Clewiston, which became known as "America's Sweetest Town." On June 24, 2008, Governor Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
announced that the State of Florida had arranged to buy for $1.75 billion the company's 187000 acres (75,676.3 ha), including the refinery
Sugar refinery
A sugar refinery is a factory which refines raw sugar.Many cane sugar mills produce raw sugar, i.e. sugar with more colour and therefore more impurities than the white sugar which is normally consumed in households and used as an ingredient in soft drinks, cookies and so forth...
in Clewiston. On November 11, the plan was scaled back to $1.34 billion for 181000 acres (73,248.2 ha) of farmland
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
, no longer including the mill, citrus processing facilities and other assets. This would allow the company to remain in business and leave open the possibility of preserving its 1,700 jobs. Over the next seven crop cycles, the farmland would be leased back from the state to US Sugar for $60 million. It would then be converted into reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s and water-filtering areas as part of the ongoing restoration of the Everglades
Restoration of the Everglades
The restoration of the Everglades is an ongoing effort to remedy damage inflicted on the environment of southern Florida during the 20th century. It is the most expensive and comprehensive environmental repair attempt in history. The degradation of the Everglades became an issue in the United...
ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
.
Geography
Clewiston is located at 26.753399°N 80.933600°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²). 4.7 square miles (12.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.43%) is water. Located in the Florida Heartland
Florida Heartland
The Florida Heartland is a region of Florida located to the north and west of Lake Okeechobee, composed of six inland, non-metropolitan counties — DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee. In 2000, The US Census Bureau recorded the population of the region at 229,509...
, Clewiston is on the southwestern shore of Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
.
The city is crossed by U. S. Route 27 and state routes 80 and 835.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,460 people, 2,174 households, and 1,632 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,381.0 people per square mile (533.0/km²). There were 2,434 housing units at an average density of 520.3 per square mile (200.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.79% White, 10.93% African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 9.64% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40.94% of the population.
There were 2,174 households out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,143, and the median income for a family was $38,652. Males had a median income of $31,139 versus $21,049 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,527. About 14.8% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
In 2010 Clewiston had a population of 7,155. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 48.7% Hispanic or Latino, 35.2% non-Hispanic white, 12.7% black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.7% Asian Indian, 1.6% other Asian, 0.2% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, and 2.9% reprting two or more races.
Libraries
The Hendry County Library Cooperative in Florida includes the Clewiston Library, Barron Library (located in LaBelleLaBelle, Florida
LaBelle is a city in and the county seat of Hendry County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,210 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 4,480 . It was named for Laura and Belle Hendry, daughters of pioneer cattleman Francis A...
, the county seat) and the Harlem Library.
All three libraries provide Hendry County residents with materials and general information, and each library has a secondary individualized area of focus. The Clewiston Library has a Florida room to house historical reference material and books pertinent to local and state history. The Harlem Community Library is located in a former school building which also houses the Harlem Academy daycare center and its specialty is a growing African American collection. The Barron Library collects genealogical materials.
The Clewiston Library also recently sought and received an LSTA grant to digitize their local newspaper, The Clewiston News
The Clewiston News
The Clewiston News newspaper serves Clewiston, Florida and all of Hendry County and the surrounding area. New and historic issues of The Clewiston News are available in the Florida Digital Newspaper Library.-Historic Content:...
and have the digital versions added to the free, open access Florida Digital Newspaper Library
Florida Digital Newspaper Library
The Florida Digital Newspaper Library provides access to the news and history of Florida through local Florida newspapers. The Florida Digital Newspaper Library is supported by the University of Florida's George A...
.
Sites of interest
- Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum
- Clewiston InnClewiston InnThe Clewiston Inn is a historic site in Clewiston, Florida, United States. It is located at U.S. 27, west of the junction with CR 832, and is the oldest hotel in the area of Lake Okeechobee. On February 21, 1991, it was added to the U.S...
- Clewiston Museum
- Dixie Crystal TheatreDixie Crystal TheatreThe Dixie Crystal Theatre is a historic site in Clewiston, Florida. It is located at 100 East Sugarland Highway. On September 25, 1998, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References:...
- Skydive Air Adventures
Notable natives
- Eric Green, football player
- Alfonso MarshallAlfonso MarshallAlfonso Lanard Marshall is a former American football cornerback who played for the Chicago Bears. He was selected with the 14th pick of the seventh round in the 2004 NFL Draft, out of the University of Miami....
, football player - Roland MartinRoland MartinRoland Martin may refer to:* Roland Martin , host of American fishing show on TV channel Versus* Roland S. Martin, American author and syndicated columnist...
, Professional Fisherman - Johnny JonesJohnny JonesJohn "Johnny" Jones was a pioneer settler in New Zealand.Born in New South Wales, Australia, Jones spent his early life on sealing and whaling ships, before becoming a ferryman at Port Jackson...
, football player