1935 Hurricane. Ray Hueston answered . In his introduction to Keynames, Jim describes its scope, “The list which follows consists of an alphabetical compilation of every place name for an island or key in the Florida Keys…keys included begin to the north with Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay, and end with the westernmost of the Dry Tortugas Keys. 506 years ago, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León landed in what he christened “Florida.” Historians still wonder where the name came from. The history of Florida can be traced to when the first Native Americans began to inhabit the peninsula as early as 14,000 years ago. When de León arrived, flowers were likely everywhere. March 27, 1513, which was Easter Sunday—but wasn’t able to reach it, Florida “received its name from the abundance of wild flowers that flourished upon its soil.”, Juan Ponce de León and the Discovery of Florida Reconsidered, Throwing the Explorer out with the Fountain: American History Textbooks and Juan Ponce de León, How the Plastic Pink Flamingo Became an Icon, The Hidden Meaning of a Notorious Experiment, Herbs & Verbs: How to Do Witchcraft for Real. , which is the largest continuous stand of sawgrass prairie in North America and the only subtropical preserve on the continent. The Florida Historical Quarterly, Vol. The winter homes of Thomas Edison ("Seminole Lodge") and Henry Ford ("The Mangoes") are a primary tourist attraction in the region. There are approximately 1.25 million alligators inhabiting the state, which is tied with Louisiana for the most. But if he set sail in 1513, his arrival wouldn’t correspond with the holiday, some historians noted. A 1912 newspaper article described Zephyrhills as “the healthiest place in Florida;” it incorporated as a town in 1914. As they passed, they would call out "cocoa, cocoa" until the woman supplied them with refreshment. Florida's nickname of the Sunshine State was officially adopted by the Florida state legislature in 1970. How Did Florida Get Its Name? Today, you'll get Part 4, the last of our counties lists. His application was sent back, stating that the town be given a shorter name, one that would not easily be confused with other towns. Today, we hear about Key West, the city that used to be the biggest in South Florida. At night, large white moonflowers would open up. Melissa's career in writing started more than 20 years ago. People who are from Florida or live in the state are called Floridians. It’s also no coincidence that the state flower is the orange blossom. Consider Traveling By Train, New Tool Helps Homeowners Compare Instant Offers From iBuyers, Red Tide continues to irritate Southwest Florida Beaches, Altmed Florida brings popular edible Medical Cannabis brand Wana Brands to its Dispensaries, Florida begins paying out extra $300 weekly, still working to extend federal unemployment programs. From the man who claimed it to the pioneers who tamed it to the inhabitants soaking it all in, this is how Florida got its name and nicknames associated with it. His application was sent back, stating that the town be given a shorter name, one that would not easily be confused with other towns. Florida is the fourth most-populated state in the country, and it's beaches draw thousands of … Orlando” who died near the site of Fort Gatlin while taking an ox caravan to Tampa. 1 decade ago. Eliot Kleinberg @eliotkpbp Sunday Nov 24, 2019 at 9:36 PM. Chapman notes that writer Peter Parley, who composed an 1860 history and geography textbook, wrote that Florida “received its name from the abundance of wild flowers that flourished upon its soil.” De León arrived in the middle of spring, when Florida, now famous for its botanical beauty, was in full bloom. , so it’s easy to see how it got this name. In order to understand the origins of the city’s name, it is essential to know the important role that citrus production plays in the economy of Central Florida… Copyright © FloridaInsider - All Rights Reserved. It was Easter Sunday when Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon laid eyes on a lush and thriving land. Florida History: How did each Florida county get its name? Help us keep publishing stories that provide scholarly context to the news. Others are convinced it was named after the Portuguese … Florida became a state 12 years before in 1845, and around that time, the county, then known as Mosquito County, was changed to Orange County. The explorer’s homeland of Spain was celebrating Pascua Florida, the feast of flowers, as he claimed the newly found territory on April 2nd. By Eliot Kleinberg Palm Beach Post Thursday Aug 22, 2019 at 4:31 AM Aug 22, 2019 at 7:44 AM. Near present-day St. Augustine, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León comes ashore on the Florida coast, and claims the territory for the Spanish crown. How did the storm get its name, and how do you pronounce it? 1 (Summer 2013), pp. What better way to lay the foundation of Florida history than with the origin of each county’s name? Although Florida Time - How Key West got its name . Get your fix of JSTOR Daily’s best stories in your inbox each Thursday. Florida is home to the Everglades National Park, which is the largest continuous stand of sawgrass prairie in North America and the only subtropical preserve on the continent. In April of 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León set foot on the stretch of land we call Florida today. Others believe it comes from the cracked corn used to make moonshine. The Great Hurricane of 1935 finally did them all in and most of the towns along the way to Key West just disappeared. According to some historical accounts of de León’s journey, his crew landed in the future Florida on Easter Sunday. The state certainly deserves to be named after its biodiversity. During its history of over 450 years, the town, like its namesake, has experienced its … Historians favor the idea that Ponce de Leon named the state because he discovered it on Easter or Palm Sunday. The most accepted version of how it got its name appears to be that the Spanish corrupted "Cayo," a Taino word for small island, and added … Masaryktown, Hernando County -- Named after the first president of Czechoslovakia, Masarytown was founded by the editor of a Czech newspaper in New York. From the man who claimed it to the pioneers who tamed it to the inhabitants soaking it all in, this is how Florida got its name and nicknames associated with it. The Atlas of Florida is our source for Florida city and county names. So it’s just a bit unexpected to learn that Frostproof is a town in one of the muggiest states in America—Florida. Can You Be a Good Scientist and a Horrible Person at the Same Time? Speak now. It got its name by the Spanish words "Pascua Florida" meaning flowery easter. Florida's cities and counties are named for influential residents, Indian words used to describe the area, and former governors. For these very religious Spaniards, the day of Jesus’s resurrection was one of the most sacred holidays of the year. Source(s): https://owly.im/a8gUW. Florida declared the alligator their official state reptile in 1987. Another popular legend of how Orlando got its name centers around a man named “Mr. JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. We publish articles grounded in peer-reviewed research and provide free access to that research for all of our readers. What better way to lay the foundation of Florida history than with the origin of each county’s name? Florida's written history begins with the arrival of Europeans; the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León in 1513 made the first textual records. Native Nations and the BIA: It’s Complicated, The Early American Radical Fiction of John Lithgow. Florida declared the alligator their. So a prominent early theory states that de León named the new land La Pascua Florida in honor of Easter Sunday. Those escapees were called “fly-up-the-creeks.”, According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel, when authorities would question folks where the runaways might be, they would respond, “Well, I suppose they just flew up the creek.”, The green heron, also known as the mangrove heron, shares the moniker of “fly-up-the-creeks.”. Name Origins of Florida Places Florida's cities and counties are named for influential residents, Indian words used to describe the area, and former governors. Another nickname for Florida is The Peninsula State. Even if the fountain wasn’t what really brought him to the peninsula, it’s not hard to imagine that this land of flourishing flowers could be home to a mythical spring of everlasting life. Landing not far from today’s St. Augustine, de León examined the coast, found neither the gold nor the fountain, and moved on after naming the place “Florida.”. "la Florida," he called this land, Spanish for flowery, covered with flowers, or abounding in flowers. Eliot Kleinberg @eliotkpbp Wednesday Aug 21, 2019 at 5:31 AM Aug 22, 2019 at 8:44 AM. THE STATE NAME: As mentioned above, Florida was named by Ponce de Leon in 1512. JSTOR is part of ITHAKA, a not-for-profit organization helping the academic community use digital technologies to preserve the scholarly record and to advance research and teaching in sustainable ways. One group believes it stems from the sound of cracking whips ranchers used to herd cattle. The early chroniclers of de León’s journey chose the former point of view, but as American culture becomes more secularized, historians may be favoring the latter. In 1926, the three separate towns of Daytona, Daytona Beach and Seabreeze merged as Daytona Beach. The nickname was officially adopted by the 1970 legislature. There has been some settlement at the crossroads where Yeehaw Junction sits, now the … The region from Panama City to Pensacola gets its colorful name from the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. What better way to lay the foundation of Florida history than with the origin of each county’s name? 1-31 (31 pages), The Florida Historical Quarterly, Vol. The nickname was officially adopted by the 1970 legislature. Florida is said to have been first seen by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León on Palm Sunday, second of April 1513. © ITHAKA. 94, No. Fort Myers is a gateway to the Southwest Florida region and a major tourist destination within Florida. There has been some settlement at the crossroads where Yeehaw Junction sits, now the … Florida's nickname of the Sunshine State was officially adopted by the Florida state legislature in 1970. Lastly, there’s the nickname of “Florida Cracker.” There are two competing theories on how this sobriquet came about. Florida shares this nickname with Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, which all have shorelines on the Gulf of Mexico. Others believe it comes from the cracked corn used to make moonshine. Today, you'll get Part 4, the last of our counties lists. Let’s take a look at how the 27th state to join the U.S. got its name and the many nicknames that perfectly describe it. All State Nicknames. Who Wrote the Declaration of Independence? According to another hypothesis, the state earned its name because of its lush vegetation and beautiful blossoms. Official State Nickname of Florida. These pages briefly explain the meaning behind the names of some of its cities and all of its counties. A locally popular etymology is that the name Hollywood traces to the ample stands of native Toyon, or "California Holly," that cover the hillsides with clusters of bright red berries each winter. Today, you'll get Part 4, … Anupam_ts/CC-BY 2.0 Florida is called the Sunshine State because of its subtropical to tropical climate and annual average of 230 days with sunshine. Have a correction or comment about this article? Just on the beach, they would have seen the bright yellow beach sunflowers and big purple beach morning glory. .” There are two competing theories on how this sobriquet came about. read more By 1850, Jernigan had a post office, and by 1856 the community had expanded northward, and changed its name to Orlando. In honor of the Eastertime tradition, Ponce de Leon named the region “Florida” which is Spanish for “land of flowers.”. inhabiting the state, which is tied with Louisiana for the most. JSTOR Daily provides context for current events using scholarship found in JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, books, and other material. In 1896, nearly twenty years after the death of the Leonard Destin, a close friend and former employee named William Marler applied to become the first Postmaster of East Pass. Welcome to Florida … Whatever its origin, by 1884 the name Cocoa had become permanently associated with what was then an infant settlement. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys. Welcome to Florida Time. He was worried about the brand-new American republic. In 1857, the U.S. Post Office adopted the name change. “We are essentially a bridge between the temperate environment of the north and west, and the tropics and south,” Chesnes explains. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys. The ubiquitous pink flamingo lawn ornament is 60 years old, a product of the age of suburbs and plastic. Is that still the case? Near present-day St. Augustine, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León comes ashore on the Florida coast, and claims the territory for the Spanish crown. Florida has roughly 230 days of sunshine a year, so it’s easy to see how it got this name. For example, one paper notes that the crew sighted the landmass on March 27, 1513, which was Easter Sunday—but wasn’t able to reach it until a few days later in early April. 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