Florida, Missouri
| Florida, Missouri | |
|---|---|
| — Village — | |
 |
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| Coordinates: 39°29′30″N 91°47′24″W / 39.49167°N 91.79°WCoordinates: 39°29′30″N 91°47′24″W / 39.49167°N 91.79°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Monroe |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| • Land | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 659 ft (201 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 0 |
| • Density | 0/sq mi (0/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 65283 |
| Area code(s) | 573 |
| FIPS code | 29-24760[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0718036[2] |
Florida is a village in Monroe County, Missouri, United States, best known as the birthplace of writer Mark Twain on November 30, 1835.[3] Twain described Florida, his birthplace as a "nearly invisible village". While its maxiumum population reached 280 in 1880, it has steadily declined in its residents. The population was 9 at the 2000 census and 0 at the 2010 census. [4][5]
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (whose nom de plume was Mark Twain) was born in Florida in a clap boarded house. The original structure is now preserved inside the museum (also called "shrine") at the Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site. The historic site and surrounding Mark Twain State Park stand as a tribute to the author-humorist.[6] There is also a small aforementioned museum with interesting artifacts, including first editions of some of Twain's books.
In addition to being the birthplace of Clemens, Florida was felt to have the potential of being a "boom" town on its location at the confluence of the North, South, and Middle forks of the Salt River. Located 48 miles upstream from its mouth emptying into the Mississippi River at Louisiana, Missouri, this strategic location of Florida was felt to be a potential "growth center" in the settlement of Missouri. Established the same year (1831) as Chicago, Illinois, the town initially flourished. When the shallow Salt River did not allow navigable waterways to the Mississippi River. the village eventually floundered by failure in allowing waterway commerce nor in attracting railroad lines. For example, John Clemens, father of Mark Twain, along with other investors, had formed the Salt River Navigation Company in 1836 in hopes of developing this water commerce. When this enterprise failed, and the town would not grow fast enough to stimulate his general supply store, the Clemens family left Florida after five years of young Samuel's life, moving to Hannibal, Missouri. Nonetheless, Samuel continued to visit Florida for extended summer vacations at his uncle John Quarles farm. Such summer memories and social interactions with Quarles house servants formed many of the sketches and perspectives that Clemens placed in his novels. The Quarles farmhouse remains as an active archeological project available to the public near Florida.
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[edit] Geography
Florida is located at 39°29′30″N 91°47′23″W / 39.49167°N 91.78972°W (39.491712, -91.789973)[7]. The village is now located along a man-made lake called Mark Twain Lake, originally the Salt River flowed near the bluff on which Florida stands. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), all land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2010, the village of Florida, Missouri was uninhabited.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 9 people, 4 households, and 2 families residing in the village. The population density was 86.4 people per square mile (34.8/km²). There were 21 housing units at an average density of 201.7/sq mi (82.1/km²). All residents were White.
There were 4 households out of which one had children under the age of 18 living with them, one was a married couple living together, one had a female householder with no husband present, and two were non-families. One household was made up of an individual who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 3.
In the village the population was spread out with two under the age of 18 (both females), two from 18 to 25, two from 25 to 45, one from 45 to 65, and two who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. There were six females (including the two under 18) and three males.
[edit] Notable sites
Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) was born in Florida. In his autobiography, Twain wrote,
"The village contained a hundred people and I increased the population by 1 per cent. It is more than many of the best men in history could have done for a town."[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Mark Twain quotations - Florida, Missouri
- ^ a b "Geographic Names Information System". United States Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Household Population and Household Type by Tenure: 2010, 2010 Census Summary File 1". http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF1_QTH3&prodType=table. Retrieved 03 September 2011. Generated using American FactFinder.
- ^ mostateparks.com
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ Twain, Mark; Charles Neider (1986). Mark Twain at His Best: A Sampler. New York: Doubleday. pp. 399. ISBN 0385198361.
[edit] External links
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