White Springs, Florida
| White Springs, Florida | |
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| — Town — | |
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| Coordinates: 30°19′54″N 82°45′22″W / 30.33167°N 82.75611°WCoordinates: 30°19′54″N 82°45′22″W / 30.33167°N 82.75611°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Hamilton |
| Incorporated | 1885 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.8 sq mi (4.8 km2) |
| • Land | 1.8 sq mi (4.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 112 ft (34 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 819 |
| • Density | 455/sq mi (170.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 32096 |
| Area code(s) | 386 |
| FIPS code | 12-77400[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0293230[2] |
| Website | http://www.whitesprings.org/ |
White Springs is a town in Hamilton County, Florida, on the Suwannee River. The population was 819 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the town had a population of 828. Home of the annual Florida Folk Festival, it is a tourist destination noted for historic charm, antique shops and river recreation.
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[edit] History
The Suwannee River was once the boundary between the Timucuan tribe to the east and Apalachee tribe to the west. When Spanish explorers visited the area in the 1530s, it was inhabited by the former, who believed its springs possessed healing powers.[3] The first purchases of land date from 1835, when Bryant and Elizabeth Sheffield bought tracts for a cotton plantation. Mr. Sheffield became an advocate of sampling the waters, proclaiming their curative benefit for such ailments as rheumatism, kidney trouble and nervousness.
Consequently, White Sulphur Springs in the 19th century became Florida's first tourist destination. Crowds of health seekers arrived, first by stagecoach and then railroad, and hotels were built near the springs to accommodate them. With additional wealth derived from cotton and lumber, the town grew and was incorporated in 1885. Today, many of the original Victorian buildings survive, particularly within the White Springs Historic District, established in 1997 by the National Register of Historic Places.[4]
The songwriter Stephen Foster is remembered here at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park.
[edit] Geography
White Springs is located at 30°19′54″N 82°45′22″W / 30.33167°N 82.75611°W (30.331647, -82.756008).[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), all of it land. White Springs is on the Suwannee River. The town is crossed by U.S. Route 41 and state roads 25, 25A, 100 and 136.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 819 people, 340 households, and 227 families residing in the town. The population density was 446.0 people per square mile (171.9/km²). There were 393 housing units at an average density of 214.0 per square mile (82.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 36.75% White, 62.15% African American, 0.37% Native American, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.
There were 340 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.2% were married couples living together, 26.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,861, and the median income for a family was $32,115. Males had a median income of $31,953 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,555. About 20.0% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 26.6% of those age 65 or over.
[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.
- ^ History of White Springs, Florida
- ^ History of White Springs, Florida
- ^ "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.
[edit] External links
- White Springs homepage
- Florida Folk Festival
- Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center
- Homepage of the Florida Folklife Collection (housed at the State Archives of Florida) which includes thousands of images and recordings of the Florida Folk Festival; held annually in White Springs, Florida
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