Merritt Island, Florida
Encyclopedia
Merritt Island is a census-designated place
in Brevard County
, Florida
, United States
. It is located on the east coast of the state on the Atlantic Ocean
. As of the 2000 census
, the population was 36,090. It is part of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name "Merritt Island" also refers to the extent of the former island, which is now a peninsula
.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
and NASA
's John F. Kennedy Space Center are located on the northern part of Merritt Island. The southern area is heavily residential, with centralized light commercial
and light industrial
areas.
The island does not belong to any official city. The central part of Merritt Island, previously known as Merritt City, is home to the majority of the population and includes the local high school, library, and shopping district.
, stressing the cultivation of pineapple
s and oranges
. The Indian River oranges and grapefruit
come from this sandy area.
The island's population grew in the 1950s and 1960s as the Space Race
began and nearby NASA expanded. Construction of a barge canal to the intracoastal waterway from the Atlantic Ocean (for power plant oil shipments) cut off the northern half of the island for many years. To this day, the northern portion of the island remains slightly less developed with a few areas remaining cattle pasture or citrus land. The small towns on the island vanished with the coming of the Space Age
, and now only live on in the names of streets and historic churches.
, the CDP has a total area of 47 square miles (121.7 km²), of which, 17.6 square miles (45.6 km²) of it is land and 29.4 square miles (76.1 km²) of it (62.49%) is water.
Merritt Island is an island. The construction of the Crawlerway
in the north (for NASA
space vehicles to move to the launch pad over the Banana Creek
) connected Merritt Island to a mainland peninsula
. To the west and south it is separated by the Indian River Lagoon
and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The east side of Merritt Island splits and is divided by Sykes Creek and Newfound Harbor. They, in turn, are separated by the Banana River Lagoon
from Cocoa Beach, Florida
.
To the north, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
, along with a narrow barrier island
that make up Canaveral National Seashore
, offer an unpopulated protected buffer area
for space shuttle launches at Kennedy Space Center. Migrating migratory birds
join the more resident wildlife including, alligators
, manatee
s, dolphin
s, sea turtles
, Bald Eagle
s, osprey
s, bobcat
s, and the elusive Florida panther
. A number of Bald Eagle nests are monitored atop power line poles along SR 3 within Kennedy Space Center.
To the west, the island connects to mainland Brevard County near Titusville and Cocoa on its northern end, and in Melbourne, Florida
on its southern end.
.
of 2000, there were 36,090 people, 14,955 households, and 10,049 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 2,044.6 people per square mile (789.5/km²). There were 15,813 housing units at an average density of 895.9 per square mile (345.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.22% White, 5.31% African American, 0.41% Native American, 1.65% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races
, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.83% of the population.
Of the 14,955 households, 27.1% had children under the age of 18, 52.9% were married couples
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.8% of households were solely individuals and 11.4% had a lone resident of 65 or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% of 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
. As a result, there are no city taxes. The county maintains sheriff
, fire
, and EMS
coverage.
-related industrial activities to support the space shuttle
, which was retired in summer of 2011, and other rocket launches on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Sea Ray
operates a factory on Merritt Island.
SR 520 and SR 528, to the barrier island to its east and the mainland to the west.
SR 3, a 4-lane highway, connects the Kennedy Space Center for workers from the more densely populated central and southern sections of the island.
is a public general aviation airport located on South Merritt Island and run by the Titusville-Cocoa (TICO) Airport Authority.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in Brevard County
Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located on the east coast of the state on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. As of the 2000 census
Census
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...
, the population was 36,090. It is part of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name "Merritt Island" also refers to the extent of the former island, which is now a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is an important U.S. National Wildlife Refuge on the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is also a 'gateway site' for the Great Florida Birding Trail.-Location and extent:...
and NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's John F. Kennedy Space Center are located on the northern part of Merritt Island. The southern area is heavily residential, with centralized light commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
and light industrial
Light industry
Light industry is usually less capital intensive than heavy industry, and is more consumer-oriented than business-oriented...
areas.
The island does not belong to any official city. The central part of Merritt Island, previously known as Merritt City, is home to the majority of the population and includes the local high school, library, and shopping district.
Etymology
Merritt Island owes its name to the generosity of the king of Spain. The entire island was part of a land grant given by the king to a nobleman named Merritt.Post-Columbian
Merritt Island's recent history dates back into the mid-19th century and centers on the growth of citrusCitrus
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...
, stressing the cultivation of pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
s and oranges
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
. The Indian River oranges and grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
come from this sandy area.
The island's population grew in the 1950s and 1960s as the Space Race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
began and nearby NASA expanded. Construction of a barge canal to the intracoastal waterway from the Atlantic Ocean (for power plant oil shipments) cut off the northern half of the island for many years. To this day, the northern portion of the island remains slightly less developed with a few areas remaining cattle pasture or citrus land. The small towns on the island vanished with the coming of the Space Age
Space Age
The Space Age is a time period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events. The Space Age is generally considered to have begun with Sputnik...
, and now only live on in the names of streets and historic churches.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 CDP has a total area of 47 square miles (121.7 km²), of which, 17.6 square miles (45.6 km²) of it is land and 29.4 square miles (76.1 km²) of it (62.49%) is water.
Merritt Island is an island. The construction of the Crawlerway
Crawlerway
The Crawlerway is a wide double pathway at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It runs between the Vehicle Assembly Building and the two launch pads at Launch Complex 39. It has a length of to Pad 39A and to Pad 39B...
in the north (for NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
space vehicles to move to the launch pad over the Banana Creek
Banana River
The Banana River is a lagoon that lies between Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon system, and connects at its south end to the Indian River; it is the only part of the lagoon system not in the Intracoastal...
) connected Merritt Island to a mainland peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
. To the west and south it is separated by the Indian River Lagoon
Indian River Lagoon
The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. It was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais Indian tribe, who lived along the east coast of Florida....
and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The east side of Merritt Island splits and is divided by Sykes Creek and Newfound Harbor. They, in turn, are separated by the Banana River Lagoon
Banana River
The Banana River is a lagoon that lies between Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon system, and connects at its south end to the Indian River; it is the only part of the lagoon system not in the Intracoastal...
from Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,482 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates of 2008, the city had a population of 11,920...
.
To the north, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is an important U.S. National Wildlife Refuge on the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is also a 'gateway site' for the Great Florida Birding Trail.-Location and extent:...
, along with a narrow barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
that make up Canaveral National Seashore
Canaveral National Seashore
The Canaveral National Seashore is a National Seashore located between New Smyrna Beach and Titusville, Florida, in Volusia County and Brevard County, United States. The park, located on a barrier island, is home to more than 1,000 plant species and 310 bird species. CANA occupies 58,000 acres ...
, offer an unpopulated protected buffer area
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
for space shuttle launches at Kennedy Space Center. Migrating migratory birds
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
join the more resident wildlife including, alligators
American Alligator
The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
, manatee
Manatee
Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...
s, dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s, sea turtles
Loggerhead sea turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...
, Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s, osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
s, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s, and the elusive Florida panther
Florida Panther
The Florida panther is an endangered subspecies of cougar that lives in forests and swamps of southern Florida in the United States. Its current taxonomic status is unresolved, but recent genetic research alone does not alter the legal conservation status...
. A number of Bald Eagle nests are monitored atop power line poles along SR 3 within Kennedy Space Center.
To the west, the island connects to mainland Brevard County near Titusville and Cocoa on its northern end, and in Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
on its southern end.
Places on Merritt Island
Merritt Island has several concentrations of population known as a placePlace (United States Census Bureau)
The United States Census Bureau defines the term place as a concentration of population. The types of places defined by the Census Bureau are incorporated place, such as a city, town or village, and census designated place , which resembles a city, town or village but lacks its own government...
.
- Allenhurst
- Angel CityAngel City, FloridaAngel City is a populated place located on the Horti Point peninsula of Merritt Island, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. Angel City had a post office located on South Banana River Drive between 1927 and 1931. It is believed that the community was named for an early settler, John Angel...
- Audubon
- Banyan
- Courtenay
- Fairyland
- Georgiana
- IndianolaIndianola, FloridaIndianola is a historic unincorporated community on Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is centered on Indianola Drive, which is about half a mile south of where State Road 528, the Bennett Causeway across the Indian River, enters Merritt Island...
- LotusLotus, FloridaLotus is a former village in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is the location of Honeymoon Hill, the highest point on Merritt Island. In some sections of the area, citrus groves grow between the Indian and Banana river lagoons...
- Merritt City
- Orsino
- ShilohShiloh, FloridaShiloh was a village in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It's the northernmost place in Brevard County. Scottsmoor also shares the title, across the Indian River. However, Shiloh is uninhabited. During the beginning of the Space Age, the village later annexed to John F...
- TropicTropic, FloridaTropic is an unincorporated area in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is the southernmost area on Merritt Island, and its identity was absorbed into the census-designated place of Merritt Island during the Space Age of the 1950s and '60s...
- Wilson
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 36,090 people, 14,955 households, and 10,049 families residing in the CDP. 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 2,044.6 people per square mile (789.5/km²). There were 15,813 housing units at an average density of 895.9 per square mile (345.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.22% White, 5.31% African American, 0.41% Native American, 1.65% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.68% 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 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.83% of the population.
Of the 14,955 households, 27.1% had children under the age of 18, 52.9% 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, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.8% of households were solely individuals and 11.4% had a lone resident of 65 or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% of 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
Government
With the lack of a municipal government Merritt Island is left to the administrative care of the local county government and the water and sewer (where available) are handled by neighboring Cocoa, FloridaCocoa, Florida
Cocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 16,412 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 16,478. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Cocoa was...
. As a result, there are no city taxes. The county maintains sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, fire
Fire fighting
Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
, and EMS
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
coverage.
Personal income
According to the 2000 Census:- Median household income = $43,532
- Median family income = $52,388
- Median income for males = $41,393
- Median income for females = $25,787
- Per capita incomePer capita incomePer 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...
= $23,961 - Below the poverty line:
- Families = 7.2%
- Population = 9.4%
- Those under age 18 = 13.8%
- Those over age 64 = 7.0%
Industry
There are also light industrial fabrication centers around the Merritt Island Airport, and NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
-related industrial activities to support the space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
, which was retired in summer of 2011, and other rocket launches on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Sea Ray
Sea Ray
Sea Ray is a brand of pleasure boats produced and sold around the world. The company currently operates as part of the Brunswick Boat Group, a division of the Brunswick Corporation.-History:...
operates a factory on Merritt Island.
Roads
The residential areas of Merritt Island, East and West Merritt Island, are only assessable by causeway or drawbridge at all points. The island is linked by causeways, SR 520 and SR 528, to the barrier island to its east and the mainland to the west. SR 3, a 4-lane highway, connects the Kennedy Space Center for workers from the more densely populated central and southern sections of the island.Airports
Merritt Island AirportMerritt Island Airport
Merritt Island Airport is a general aviation public airport under the administration of the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority. It located in Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, USA, northwest of Patrick Air Force Base.- History :...
is a public general aviation airport located on South Merritt Island and run by the Titusville-Cocoa (TICO) Airport Authority.
Landmarks
- J. R. Field HomesteadJ. R. Field HomesteadThe J. R. Field Homestead is a historic site located at 750 Field Manor Drive in Indianola on Merritt Island, Florida. On September 11, 1997, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at...
- Georgiana Church and Cemetery, 19th Century
- Hacienda del Sol, large historic agricultural estate on South Merritt Island (home still exists, property is now housing development)
- Old Haulover CanalOld Haulover CanalThe Haulover Canal is a waterway north of Merritt Island, Florida, near the former site of Allenhurst, that connects Mosquito Lagoon with the Indian River, and is part of the Intracoastal Waterway....
- Dr. George E. Hill HouseDr. George E. Hill HouseThe Dr. George E. Hill House is an historic house located at 870 Indianola Drive in Indianola on Merritt Island, Florida. On March 3, 1994, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at * at...
- NASA Kennedy Space CenterKennedy Space CenterThe John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
- Mather's Bridge Restaurant (now closed), previously Hacienda del Sol's workers mess hall, was joined by former field workers quarters (since destroyed) across South Tropical Trail at Mather's Bridge
- Merritt Island AirportMerritt Island AirportMerritt Island Airport is a general aviation public airport under the administration of the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority. It located in Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, USA, northwest of Patrick Air Force Base.- History :...
- Merritt Island Barge CanalBarge Canal (Florida)The Canaveral Barge Canal provides an east-to-west link between the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Lagoon across northern Merritt Island, Florida, in two segments separated by the Banana River. It is located 15 miles south of Titusville, Florida. The canal is 12 feet deep and has entrances to...
- Merritt Island DragonMerritt Island DragonThe Merritt Island Dragon was a dragon-shaped green cement structure that stood at the southern tip of Merritt Island where the Indian River Lagoon splits to form the Banana River Lagoon. The dragon was built circa 1971 by Florida artist Louis Van DerCar and property owner Aynn Christal. This...
(crumbled into the water because of negligence by owner and unwillingness of the county to subsidize rehabilitation) - Merritt Island National Wildlife RefugeMerritt Island National Wildlife RefugeMerritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is an important U.S. National Wildlife Refuge on the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is also a 'gateway site' for the Great Florida Birding Trail.-Location and extent:...
- Merritt Island Rotary Park Nature Trail and Center
- Pine Island Conservation Area
- Old St. Luke's Episcopal Church and CemeterySt. Luke's Episcopal Church and Cemetery (Courtenay, Florida)St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Cemetery, also known as the Old St. Luke's Church, is a historic Carpenter Gothic church built in 1888 and its adjacent cemetery in Courtenay, on Merritt Island, Florida, in the United States. It is located at 5555 North Tropical Trail. On June 15, 1990, St...
- Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary
Notable residents
- Emory L. BennettEmory L. Bennett-External links:*...
, medal of honor recipient; lived in Indianola briefly as a child - Zora Neale HurstonZora Neale HurstonZora Neale Hurston was an American folklorist, anthropologist, and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance...
, novelist, folklorist, anthropologist. - Roy C. PadrickRoy PadrickRoy C. Padrick , is an American actor and journalist. He was raised in Merritt Island, Florida, before joining the U.S. Navy in 1994 to begin his career in journalism.- Military career :...
, Navy journalist and actor was born on Merritt Island - Patrick D. SmithPatrick D. SmithPatrick D. Smith, is an American author and member of the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. His work has been nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize and five times for the Nobel Prize for Literature....
, author; long-time resident of Merritt Island - Cecil W. StoughtonCecil W. StoughtonCecil William Stoughton was an American photographer. Born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, Stoughton is best known for being President John F. Kennedy's photographer during his White House years....
, photographer for John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, lived on Merritt Island - Guenter WendtGuenter WendtGünter F. Wendt was a German-American engineer noted for his work in the U.S. manned spaceflight program. An employee of McDonnell Aircraft and later North American Aviation, he was in charge of the spacecraft close-out crews at the launch pads for the entire Mercury and Gemini programs , and the...
, engineer noted for his work in the U.S. manned spaceflight program - Cullen DouglasCullen DouglasCullen Douglas is an American film and television actor.He is best known for his television guest appearances on shows such as Prison Break, Kenan & Kel, CSI, Private Practice, and, most notably, as Mr. Arnold, "The Birdman," on Grey's Anatomy...
, actor and screenwriter lived and was educated on Merritt Island - Eric Robert RudolphEric Robert RudolphEric Robert Rudolph , also known as the Olympic Park Bomber, is a criminal responsible for a series of bombings across the southern United States between 1996 and 1998, which killed two people and injured at least 150 others in the name of an anti-abortion and anti-gay agenda...
, Olympic Park Bomber