Plant City, Florida
Encyclopedia
Plant City is a city in Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...

, 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...

, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, approximately midway between Brandon
Brandon, Florida
Brandon is a census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 103,483.-Founding:...

 and Lakeland
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...

 along Interstate 4
Interstate 4
Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...

. The population was 34,721 at the 2010 census.

Many people believe it was named for the flora (especially vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....

s and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...

s, as well as tropical houseplant
Houseplant
A houseplant is a plant that is grown indoors in places such as residences and offices. Houseplants are commonly grown for decorative purposes, positive psychological effects, or health reasons such as indoor air purification...

s) grown at plant nurseries
Nursery (horticulture)
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...

 in its tropical Gulf Coast climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...

. However, it was actually named after prominent railroad developer, Henry B. Plant
Henry B. Plant
Henry Bradley Plant , was involved with many transportation projects, mostly railroads, in the U.S. state of Florida. Eventually he owned the Plant System of railroads which became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad...

 (see Plant System
Plant System
The Plant System was a system of railroads and steamboats in the U.S. South, taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The original line of the system, named after its owner, Henry B...

).

Plant City is known as the winter strawberry
Garden Strawberry
The garden strawberry, Fragaria × ananassa, is a hybrid species that is cultivated worldwide for its fruit, the strawberry. The fruit is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness...

 capital of the world and hosts the annual Florida Strawberry Festival
Florida Strawberry Festival
The Florida Strawberry Festival is an annual event that takes place in Plant City, Florida. It was started in 1930 by the local Lions Club, after several attempts by locals in the previous 20 years to promote the local strawberry crop...

 in the late winter (usually in February or early March), which is attended by people from all over the United States as well as many people from around the world. Wishnatzki Farms
Wishnatzki Farms
Wishnatzki Farms is a produce shipping and growing company based in Plant City, Florida. The company is the largest producer and shipper of strawberries in Florida.-History:...

, the largest producer and shipper of strawberries in Florida, is headquartered in Plant City.

History

Plant City's original name was Ichepucksassa (also known as Idasukshed) after the Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

 village that once occupied the territory. Its name caused so much confusion that the city was renamed Cork, after the postmaster's Irish hometown. It was finally given the name Plant City in commemoration of Henry B. Plant and his railroad, which significantly boosted the commerce in this primarily agricultural community by incorporating it with the South Florida Railroad
South Florida Railroad
The South Florida Railroad was a railroad from Orlando to Tampa, Florida, becoming part of the Plant System in 1893 and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902.-History:...

.

Originally, Plant City was a large cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

 center, but after changing its primary crop to strawberries it gained recognition as the winter strawberry capital of the world.

The columnist John Keasler
John Keasler
John Keasler was an American newspaper columnist for The Miami News, which folded in 1988.Keasler grew up in Plant City, Florida, which is 26 miles east of Tampa. He got his start in journalism with a newsletter he penned while serving in World War II. He parlayed the newsletter into a job with the...

, who wrote 7,000 columns over 30 years for The Miami News
The Miami News
The Miami News was the dominant evening newspaper in Miami, Florida for most of the 20th century, its chief concurrent competitor being the morning-edition of The Miami Herald. The paper started publishing in May 1896 as a weekly called The Miami Metropolis. The Metropolis had become a daily paper...

, hailed from Plant City.

Plant City was also the spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...

 home of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....

 who played at Plant City Stadium
Plant City Stadium
Plant City Stadium is a stadium in Plant City, Florida. It is primarily used for softball and was the spring training home of Cincinnati Reds prior to moving to Ed Smith Stadium in 1998. The ballpark has a capacity of 6,000 people and opened in 1988....

 from 1988 to 1997.

Geography

Plant City is located at 28°1′N 82°8′W (28.0142, -82.1289).

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 22.8 square miles (59.1 km²), of which 22.6 square miles (58.5 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), or 0.53%, is water.

The city and its surrounding area are in the Southern Flatwoods
Flatwoods
Flatwoods, Pineywoods, Longleaf Pine-Wiregrass Ecosystem refers to an ecological community in the Southeastern coastal plain of North America...

 ecological community as defined by the US Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...

. http://www.mo15.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/mlra_fl.html The region as a whole is noted for its sandy, infertile, and poorly drained soils. In and around Plant City, however, high organic matter content and scattered phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...

 nodules make many of the soils more fertile than typical for the flatwoods. http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx

Climate

Plant City like all of Florida has a near tropical climate
Tropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...

 with humid and hot summers and warm, dry winters.

Public schools

Bailey Elementary - Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...

 (K-5)

Bryan Elementary (K-5)

Burney Elementary (K-5)

Cork Elementary (K-5)

Jackson Elementary (K-5)

Knights Elementary (K-5)

Hoboton Elementary (k-4)

Lincoln Elementary Magnet (K-5)

Robinson Elementary (K-5)

Springhead Elementary (K-5)

Trapnell Elementary (K-5)

Walden Lake Elementary (K-5)


Wilson Elementary (K-5)

Marshall Middle (6-8)

Tomlin Middle (6-8)

Turkey Creek Middle (6-8)

East County Alternative (6-12)

Simmons Career Center (6-12)

Durant High School (9-12)

Plant City High School
Plant City High School
The Plant City High School is a historic school in Plant City, Florida, United States. Built in 1914 on a design by Tampa based architect Willis R. Biggers, the current facility was established in 1972 on Maki Road and later designated with the address of 1 Raider Place.The original school site at...

 (9-12)

Strawberry Crest High School
Strawberry Crest High School
Strawberry Crest High School is a public high school in east Hillsborough County, Florida. It opened on August 25, 2009 with students from Armwood High School, Durant High School and Plant City High School. It was built to relieve the over-population of the students in these high schools...

 - Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...

 (9-12)

Simmons Exceptional Center (K-12)

Teen Parent East Program (K-12)

Plant City Adult Learning Lab (GED Prep)

Private schools

First Presbyterian Learning Center II (PK-K)

Palnez Academy (PK-6)

Evangelical Presbyterian Church Learning Center (PK)

Demographics

As of the 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...

of 2000, there were 29,915 people, 10,849 households, and 7,843 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 1,321.9 people per square mile (510.4/km²). There were 11,797 housing units at an average density of 521.3 per square mile (201.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.67% White, 16.16% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 9.10% 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 1.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.42% of the population.

There were 10,849 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% 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, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,584, and the median income for a family was $43,328. Males had a median income of $33,417 versus $23,585 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 $18,815. About 11.3% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Aviation

Plant City Airport
Plant City Airport
Plant City Airport is a public-use airport located two nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Plant City in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which also operates Tampa International...

 is a public-use airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

 located 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

.

Railroad

Plant City Union Depot
Plant City Union Depot
The Plant City Union Depot is a historic depot in Plant City, Florida, United States. It is located at Northeast Drane Street, and was built by both the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line Railroads. The ACL tracks rans east and west. The SAL tracks rans north and south and contained a...

 served both 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...

 and Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line...

 even after the merger into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was a former Class I railroad company operating in the Southeastern United States beginning in 1967. Its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak in 1971...

 until passenger service ceased operations in 1971, and has been on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 since 1975. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

's Silver Star still uses the line west-to-eastbound ACL tracks.

Major highways

  • Interstate 4
    Interstate 4
    Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...

  • U.S. Route 92
    U.S. Route 92
    U.S. Route 92 is a 177 mile intrastate U.S. Route in the U.S. state of Florida. The western terminus is at Alt US 19, SR 595, and SR 687 in downtown St. Petersburg. The eastern terminus is at SR A1A in Daytona Beach. Most of US 92 is designated unsigned State Road 600.-Route description:US 92...

  • Florida State Road 39
    Florida State Road 39
    State Road 39 is a north–south highway in eastern Pasco and Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. Between Plant City and Zephyrhills, the road is named Paul S. Buchman Highway. North of Zephyrhills, Florida the road is a secret state designation for U.S. Route 301 until the southern...

  • Florida State Road 39A
  • Florida State Road 553
  • Florida State Road 566
    Florida State Road 566
    State Road 566 is an about 3 mile-long, northwest-southeast highway near Plant City, Florida. Connecting U.S. Route 92 to Interstate 4 then traveling west to Branch Forbes Road outside the city limits of Plant City.-Route description:...

  • Florida State Road 574
    Florida State Road 574
    State Road 574 is an east–west state highway in Central Hillsborough County, Florida. It runs from Central Tampa, Florida to Plant City, Florida, and is not to be confused with Hillsborough County Road 574.-Route description:...


National historic sites

There are several locations in Plant City which have been included in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

. They are:
  • Bing Rooming House
    Bing Rooming House
    The Bing Rooming House is a historic home in the Lincoln Park neighborhood Plant City, Florida, United States. It is located at 205 South Allen Street....

  • Downtown Plant City Commercial District
    Downtown Plant City Commercial District
    The Downtown Plant City Commercial District is a U.S. historic district located in Plant City, Florida. The district is bounded by Baker and Wheeler Streets and the Seaboard Coast Line RR tracks. It contains 38 historic buildings.-External links:* at...

  • Downtown Plant City Historic Residential District
    Downtown Plant City Historic Residential District
    The Downtown Plant City Historic Residential District is a U.S. historic district located in Plant City, Florida. The district is bounded by North Drane, Thomas, West Tever, Franklin, and Carey Streets. It contains 185 historic buildings.-External links:* at...

  • Glover School
  • Hillsboro State Bank Building
    Hillsboro State Bank Building
    The Hillsboro State Bank Building is a historic bank in Plant City, Florida, United States. It is located at 121 North Collins Street. On August 1, 1984, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at * ** **...

  • Historic Turkey Creek High School
    Historic Turkey Creek High School
    The Historic Turkey Creek High School is a historic school in Plant City, Florida. It is located at 5005 Turkey Creek Road, South. On March 2, 2001, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at * ** **...

  • North Plant City Residential District
    North Plant City Residential District
    The North Plant City Residential District is a U.S. historic district located in Plant City, Florida. The district is bounded by Herring, Wheeler, Tever and Palmer Streets. It contains 73 historic buildings....

  • Plant City High School
    Plant City High School
    The Plant City High School is a historic school in Plant City, Florida, United States. Built in 1914 on a design by Tampa based architect Willis R. Biggers, the current facility was established in 1972 on Maki Road and later designated with the address of 1 Raider Place.The original school site at...

  • Plant City Union Depot
    Plant City Union Depot
    The Plant City Union Depot is a historic depot in Plant City, Florida, United States. It is located at Northeast Drane Street, and was built by both the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line Railroads. The ACL tracks rans east and west. The SAL tracks rans north and south and contained a...

  • Standard Oil Service Station
    Standard Oil Service Station
    The Standard Oil Service Station is a historic site in Plant City, Florida, United States. It is located at 1111 North Wheeler Street. On September 6, 1996, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places...


Mural ban

On October 12, 2009, the Plant City Commissioners voted 4-1 to essentially ban all new murals in the Historic District of Plant City. Current murals being painted are not affected by this ban, but no new murals can be painted unless the owner of the building can prove there was an already existing mural on the wall before 1994.
The ban was set in motion by a complaint that a recent mural - a rendition of Normal Rockwell's "April Fools" - contained a sex organ in the painting. Even though the creators of the mural insisted it was not intentional, and immediately altered the section of the mural, City Commissioner's hastily cast the vote adding that they may revisit this ban in the future. City Commissioner Mike Dodson was the only vote against the ban saying he was looking for a more thought out and complete ordinance over an immediate and outright ban.

Sister cities

Plant City has formalized sister city agreements with the following cities:
- Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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