St. Marks, Florida
Encyclopedia
St. Marks is a city in Wakulla County
, Florida
, United States
. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida
, Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The population was 272 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 299 http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2004-04-12.xls.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), of which, 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) of it is land and 0.52% is water.
of 2000, there were 272 people, 137 households, and 79 families residing in the city. The population density
was 141.0 people per square mile (54.4/km²). There were 168 housing units at an average density of 87.1 per square mile (33.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.75% White, 2.57% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 1.10% from other races
, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.
There were 137 households out of which 16.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.56.
In the city the population was spread out with 15.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 104.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,156, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $25,234 versus $21,458 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,994. About 19.1% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 6.7% of those sixty five or over.
On July 10, 2005, the storm surge associated with Hurricane Dennis severely flooded the town, causing major damage to local businesses and homes.
in Florida's Big Bend
is a very old and historic Gulf port. Fortifications built here by the Spanish in the 17th century, and rebuilt several times, provided the venue for force of arms repeatedly up through the American Civil War. In the best-known incident, Andrew Jackson, in his cavalier incursion into Spanish Florida
in 1818, executed Britist nationals Robert Christie Ambrister and Alexander Arbuthnot at the old fort. This nearly embroiled the United States in international strife. San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park
interprets the site of the old fort.
Today's St. Marks evidently has its roots in American commercial activity that took hold beneath the walls of the fort upon acquisition of Spanish Florida by the U.S. in 1821—before the settlement moved slightly up St. Marks River to the present position. Various articles in publications like Florida Historical Quarterly relate how the fort site later held a Government "naval" hospital to meet yellow fever
emergencies in the merchant marine. And just afterward Confederate batteries were established on the site in the Civil War. Their earthworks remain and are interpreted in the historic state park. But the site also exhibits old Spanish stonework, and not far away (though inaccessible) just down St. Marks River are shallow Spanish quarries where this limerock was evidently gotten in the 1730s.
There are brief accounts of a stone tower the Spanish built (now long gone) close by the quarries. The tower apparently would have afforded a sea view. Some scholars have asserted that if the Spanish on any occasion placed torches in this tower, the structure would have been thus functioning as the first lighthouse in the New World
. In any case, limestone quarried here by the Spanish did eventually help to make a lighthouse here—the St. Marks Light
constructed about 1830 by the U.S. Government. The lighthouse stands, after a couple of reconstructions, at the mouth of the river six miles from town and accessible by road. The lighthouse is, like San Marcos de Apalache, on the National Register of Historic Places
.
A railroad often cited as Florida's first connected the port of St. Marks with the territorial capital, Tallahassee, some 20 miles inland. The line was constructed about 1836, and until the Civil War it served in the export of Middle Florida's cotton through St. Marks.
Today the attraction of St. Marks for boaters, fishermen, and seafood lovers preserves a strong relationship with Tallahassee (as does the location of a generating plant for Tallahassee here). The now-abandoned rail line serves as the popular Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail State Park
--a paved 16+-mile bicycle and equestrian trail terminating at the St. Marks waterfront.
This section of the coast was surprised by the big storm surge of Hurricane Dennis
in 2005. As on other occasions in its history, St. Marks was flooded badly with saltwater. A principal casualty this time was the landmark Posey's Oyster Bar --"Home of the Topless Oyster." Attracting people from Tallahassee and elsewhere ever since the 1920s, this quaint establishment overhanging the river was one of the oldest businesses in Wakulla County. It enjoyed a measure of regional fame. Irreparably damaged, Posey's now belongs, with Ambrister and Arbuthnot and the Spanish, to the long history of St. Marks.
Wakulla County, Florida
Wakulla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 22,863. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 28,212 people...
, 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 part of the Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, Metropolitan Statistical Area
Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Tallahassee metropolitan area is the metropolitan area centered on Tallahassee, Florida.The Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan statistical area designated by the Office of Management and Budget and used by the Census Bureau and other agencies for statistical purposes...
. The population was 272 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 299 http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2004-04-12.xls.
Geography
St. Marks is located at 30.159244°N 84.207152°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 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), of which, 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) of it is land and 0.52% is water.
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 272 people, 137 households, and 79 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 141.0 people per square mile (54.4/km²). There were 168 housing units at an average density of 87.1 per square mile (33.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.75% White, 2.57% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 1.10% 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 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.
There were 137 households out of which 16.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% 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, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.56.
In the city the population was spread out with 15.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 104.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,156, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $25,234 versus $21,458 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 $14,994. About 19.1% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 6.7% of those sixty five or over.
On July 10, 2005, the storm surge associated with Hurricane Dennis severely flooded the town, causing major damage to local businesses and homes.
History
A long time has passed since St. Marks last had appreciable importance, but this place on Apalachee BayApalachee Bay
Apalachee Bay is a bay in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico occupying an indentation of the Florida coast to the west of where the Florida peninsula joins the United States mainland. It is bordered by Taylor, Jefferson, Wakulla and Franklin counties. The Aucilla, Econfina, St. Marks and Ochlocknee...
in Florida's Big Bend
Big Bend (Florida)
The Big Bend of Florida, U.S.A., is an informal region of the state with no official surveyed boundary. It includes part of the counties of the Florida Panhandle. Geologists prefer to characterize Florida’s Big Bend as the drowned karst section of the coast that occurs between the mouth of the...
is a very old and historic Gulf port. Fortifications built here by the Spanish in the 17th century, and rebuilt several times, provided the venue for force of arms repeatedly up through the American Civil War. In the best-known incident, Andrew Jackson, in his cavalier incursion into Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida refers to the Spanish territory of Florida, which formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and the Spanish Empire. Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, la Florida was a component of...
in 1818, executed Britist nationals Robert Christie Ambrister and Alexander Arbuthnot at the old fort. This nearly embroiled the United States in international strife. San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park
San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park
San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located in Wakulla County, Florida. It is located in St. Marks, off S.R. 363. The address is 148 Old Fort Road. On November 13, 1966, it was designated a National Historic Landmark and added to the U.S...
interprets the site of the old fort.
Today's St. Marks evidently has its roots in American commercial activity that took hold beneath the walls of the fort upon acquisition of Spanish Florida by the U.S. in 1821—before the settlement moved slightly up St. Marks River to the present position. Various articles in publications like Florida Historical Quarterly relate how the fort site later held a Government "naval" hospital to meet yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
emergencies in the merchant marine. And just afterward Confederate batteries were established on the site in the Civil War. Their earthworks remain and are interpreted in the historic state park. But the site also exhibits old Spanish stonework, and not far away (though inaccessible) just down St. Marks River are shallow Spanish quarries where this limerock was evidently gotten in the 1730s.
There are brief accounts of a stone tower the Spanish built (now long gone) close by the quarries. The tower apparently would have afforded a sea view. Some scholars have asserted that if the Spanish on any occasion placed torches in this tower, the structure would have been thus functioning as the first lighthouse in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. In any case, limestone quarried here by the Spanish did eventually help to make a lighthouse here—the St. Marks Light
St. Marks Light
The St. Marks Light is the second-oldest light station in Florida. It is located on the east side of the mouth of the St. Marks River, on Apalachee Bay....
constructed about 1830 by the U.S. Government. The lighthouse stands, after a couple of reconstructions, at the mouth of the river six miles from town and accessible by road. The lighthouse is, like San Marcos de Apalache, 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...
.
A railroad often cited as Florida's first connected the port of St. Marks with the territorial capital, Tallahassee, some 20 miles inland. The line was constructed about 1836, and until the Civil War it served in the export of Middle Florida's cotton through St. Marks.
Today the attraction of St. Marks for boaters, fishermen, and seafood lovers preserves a strong relationship with Tallahassee (as does the location of a generating plant for Tallahassee here). The now-abandoned rail line serves as the popular Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail State Park
Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail State Park
Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail State Park is a rail trail and Florida State Park located on of the historic railbed of the Tallahassee Railroad, which ran between Tallahassee and St. Marks, Florida. The trail ends near the confluence of the St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers. The portion...
--a paved 16+-mile bicycle and equestrian trail terminating at the St. Marks waterfront.
This section of the coast was surprised by the big storm surge of Hurricane Dennis
Hurricane Dennis
Hurricane Dennis was an early-forming major hurricane in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico during the very active 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Dennis was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the season...
in 2005. As on other occasions in its history, St. Marks was flooded badly with saltwater. A principal casualty this time was the landmark Posey's Oyster Bar --"Home of the Topless Oyster." Attracting people from Tallahassee and elsewhere ever since the 1920s, this quaint establishment overhanging the river was one of the oldest businesses in Wakulla County. It enjoyed a measure of regional fame. Irreparably damaged, Posey's now belongs, with Ambrister and Arbuthnot and the Spanish, to the long history of St. Marks.