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90-613: The Florida Southern Railway was first chartered as the Gainesville, Ocala, and Charlotte Harbor Railroad in 1879, with a planned route from Lake City to Charlotte Harbor with a branch to Palatka to connect with steamboats on the St. Johns River . The name was then changed to the Florida Southern Railway in 1881. The first segment of the line opened on August 21, 1881, from Gainesville to Rochelle along with

180-441: A Category 4 hurricane , came through the city on August 13, 2004. Charley was the strongest tropical system to hit Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and the first hurricane since Hurricane Donna in 1960 to make a direct hit on Florida's southwest coast. In the years following the storm, buildings were restored or built to hurricane-resistant building codes. The new buildings, restorations and amenities concurrently preserved

270-774: A Union cavalry raid in Lake City. After the Union cavalry was repulsed, Finnegan moved his forces to Olustee Station about ten miles east of Lake City. The Confederate presence at Olustee Station was reinforced to prepare for the Union troops coming from Jacksonville. Union forces engaged the Confederates at the Battle of Olustee on February 20, 1864, near the Olustee Station. It was the only major battle in Florida during

360-643: A branch of the South Florida Railroad , another railroad Plant was involved with. The South Florida Railroad's Pemberton Ferry branch would then operate from Pemberton Ferry south to Lakeland , where it would cross and briefly join the South Florida Railroad's main line, and then turn south to Bartow . In Bartow, the Florida Southern would resume and finish the route south to Charlotte Harbor. This would also benefit

450-409: A deliberate affront to Kelly B. Harvey and those who had voted to change the name of the town from Trabue to Punta Gorda. The Punta Gorda Herald was founded by Robert Kirby Seward in 1893 and published weekly during its early years. The newspaper covered such events as rum-running, other smuggling activities, and lawlessness in general. It underwent many changes in both ownership and name, and today

540-438: A downtown with shopping, restaurants, and parks. In the early 1980s at the site of the old Maud Street Fishing Docks, a new shopping, restaurant and marina complex, Fishermen's Village, was constructed that continues to be one of Southwest Florida's primary attractions. In 2004, a major hurricane, Hurricane Charley , moved through Punta Gorda, damaging many buildings, but also creating an opportunity for revitalization of both

630-489: A group of amateur radio operators who enjoyed the ability to communicate all over the world. This radio club still exists today. Lake City's centennial was celebrated in 1959 with parades, fireworks, and a 58-page book documenting one hundred years of progress, A Century in the Sun . The citizens of the town dressed in period attire, complete with whiskers. A good-natured clash arose between the men with additional facial hair and

720-531: A house on property that is now at the center of the city. About two years later, Lockhart sold his claim to James Madison Lanier, a hunter and trapper, who lived there for two years. In 1879, a charter for a railroad with termini at Charlotte Harbor and Lake City, Florida , was established under the name Gainesville, Ocala, and Charlotte Harbor Railroad. It was taken over by the Florida Southern Railroad , which reaffirmed Charlotte Harbor as

810-498: A large Native American group called the northern Utina, possibly near present-day Lake City, who were part of the western Timucua people. Some northern Utina were led by powerful chiefs. In the 17th century Spanish missionaries established missions in this area, west of the site of present-day Lake City. Called Santa Cruz de Tarihica, it was used by the Spanish to develop agriculture and bring Native Americans within their sphere. In

900-470: A large percentage of Florida 's tourist and commercial traffic. Lake City is the northernmost sizable town/city in Florida on Interstate 75 and the location where I-10 and I-75 intersect. Interstate 10 is the southernmost east-west major interstate highway and traverses the country from Jacksonville, Florida , to Santa Monica, California . U.S. 41 and U.S. 90 (the U.S. highway versions of I-75 and I-10) have intersected in Lake City since 1927, long before

990-517: A mutually beneficial agreement with the Florida Southern to avoid having two competing lines. In the agreement, Plant would not build the Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad , past Gainesville. He bought the Florida Southern's unfinished line and charter north of Gainesville and completed it as part of his line. The Florida Southern would then operate the combined network from Gainesville south to Pemberton Ferry where it would connect with

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1080-484: A number of institutions were established to help with the war effort as well as those in Lake City. The Lake Shore Hospital was dedicated in 1940 to provide medical care for those in the Lake City area. The Lake City Woman's Club became the United Service Organizations (USO) headquarters to entertain service personnel stationed in Lake City. Naval Air Station Lake City was commissioned in 1942 on

1170-568: A point of land that juts into Charlotte Harbor , an estuary off the Gulf of Mexico . In the late 1800s, white settlers began to arrive in the present-day Punta Gorda area. Frederick and Jarvis Howard, Union Army veterans, homesteaded an area south of the Peace River near present-day Punta Gorda about a decade after the Civil War . In 1876, James and Josephine Lockhart bought land and built

1260-590: A public art sculpture of the face of a Native American man and a Native American woman. On September 28, 2022, the Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall in Punta Gorda, resulting in severe damage throughout Florida. Coincidentally, the storm made landfall with the same wind speed (145 mph, 235 km/h) as Hurricane Charley, and its minimum barometric pressure was only one millibar less than Charley's. There are many historic places in Punta Gorda, including ten on

1350-516: A terminus in its own charter. In 1883, Lanier sold his land to Isaac Trabue, who purchased additional property along the harbor and directed the platting of a town (by Kelly B. Harvey) named Trabue. Harvey recorded the plat on February 24, 1885. At the time, Isaac was in Kentucky, and his cousin, John Trabue, was in charge of selling lots. To ensure his development's success, Trabue convinced the Florida Southern Railway to bring its road to his town on

1440-569: A total area of 12.4 square miles (32.2 km ), of which 12.0 square miles (31.1 km ) is land, and 0.39 square miles (1.0 km ) or 3.20%, is water. Lake City is part of the humid subtropical climate zone of the Southeastern United States . Due to its latitude and relative position north of Florida's peninsula it is subject at times to continental conditions, which cause rare cold snaps that may affect sensitive winter crops. The hottest temperature ever recorded in

1530-689: Is a city located in Southwest Florida and is the county seat of Charlotte County, Florida , United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census the city had a population of 19,471, up from 16,641 at the 2010 census. Punta Gorda is the principal city of the Punta Gorda, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area , part of the North Port-Bradenton Florida Combined Statistical Area . Punta Gorda was the scene of massive destruction after Charley ,

1620-406: Is a local center of business. The airport is classified as a general aviation facility, but two on-site operations are somewhat unusual. HAECO (formerly TIMCO ) is an aircraft modification and rehabilitation operation for large (B-727, 737 and Airbus A-320 A-319) civilian and military aircraft. The U.S. Forest Service uses C-130 transport aircraft in support of its forest fire-fighting operations in

1710-458: Is in the center of Punta Gorda; the highway leads northeast 25 miles (40 km) to Arcadia and 1,206 miles (1,941 km) to its northern terminus in Winchester, Virginia . Interstate 75 bypasses Punta Gorda to the east, with access via U.S. 17 from Exit 164. In 2010, over 90% of Punta Gorda commuters traveled by automobile, with about 81% driving alone and 9% carpooling. According to

1800-515: Is known as The Charlotte Sun Herald . Early Punta Gorda greatly resembled the modern social climate of various classes living together and working together. While the regal Punta Gorda Hotel, at one point partly owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt , reflected the upper class, Punta Gorda was a pretty rough town, like most frontier towns. Its location at the end of the railway line spiked the crime rate, resulting in approximately 40 murders between 1890 and 1904. This included City Marshal John H. Bowman, who

1890-513: Is located in northern Florida at 30°11′N 82°38′W (30.1896, –82.6397). It lies near the intersection of Interstate 10 and Interstate 75 . Jacksonville is 60 miles (97 km) to the east, Tallahassee is 106 miles (171 km) to the west, Gainesville is 46 miles (74 km) to the south, and Valdosta, Georgia , is 62 miles (100 km) to the northwest. According to the United States Census Bureau , Lake City has

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1980-580: Is now the Punta Gorda Linear Park . Much of U.S. Route 17 was built alongside the Charlotte Harbor Division and the highway has largely been widened into the abandoned right of way between Bowling Green and Arcadia. Lake City, Florida Lake City is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Florida , United States. As of the 2020 census , the city's population was 12,329, up from 12,046 at

2070-666: Is operated by the Florida Northern Railroad , a shortline run by Regional Rail, LLC , which crosses the S Line in Ocala. A short segment was still active near Leesburg which had been operated by the Florida Midland Railroad since 1987 (this line also used former Seaboard track from Wildwood to Leesburg). This line was abandoned in late 2000. The Good Neighbor Trail runs on the former right of way between Croom and Brooksville. Two segments of

2160-539: The Army of Northern Virginia . In February 1864, Union troops under Truman Seymour advanced west from Jacksonville . His objective was to disrupt Confederate supplies, and obtain African-American recruits and supplies. Confederate General Joseph Finnegan assembled troops and called for reinforcements from P. G. T. Beauregard in response to the Union threat. On February 11, 1864, Finnegan's troops defeated

2250-672: The National Register of Historic Places : Punta Gorda lies on the south bank of the tidal Peace River and the eastern shore of Charlotte Harbor , an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. Unincorporated communities bordering Punta Gorda include Charlotte Park (nearly surrounded by the city), Solana to the east, and Charlotte Harbor to the north, across the Peace River. Port Charlotte is west of Punta Gorda's incorporated residential neighborhoods Deep Creek and Suncoast Lakes, north of

2340-633: The Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park . The Alligator Warrior Festival is held each year on the weekend of the 3rd Saturday in October to recognize the early history of Columbia County prior to the Civil War. The first Alligator Festival was held in 1995 at Olustee Park in downtown Lake City. Starting in 2010 the annual festival has been held at O'Leno State Park 20 miles (32 km) south of Lake City where

2430-630: The University of Florida . Columbia High School constructed a second building in 1906 that was used until 1922. In 1907, Lake City officials leased the former property of the Florida Agricultural College to the Florida Baptist Convention; they founded a Baptist college called Columbia College. Columbia College lasted for ten years until the college became overwhelmed with debt. Columbia College deeded

2520-637: The southeastern United States . Lake City was a scheduled stop for Amtrak 's Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and Orlando from 1993 to 2005, when damage to railroad lines and bridges by Hurricane Katrina caused the curtailment of all service east of New Orleans, Freight service is provided by the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad , which acquired most of the former CSX main line from Pensacola to Jacksonville on June 1, 2019. Punta Gorda, Florida Punta Gorda ( / ˌ p ʌ n t ə ˈ ɡ ɔːr d ə / ; English: Fat Point )

2610-463: The 18th century, a Seminole community called Alligator Village ( Alapata Telophka ) occupied this area. Historians do not know when it was established, but its existence was documented by the U.S. Army in 1821. A February 1821 report by Captain John H. Bell mentions that the mico (chief) of Alligator Village had recently died and missed a gathering of chiefs. The most famous resident of Alligator Village

2700-585: The 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, composed of Columbia County, as well as a principal city of the Gainesville —Lake City, Florida Combined Statistical Area . Lake City is 60 miles west of Jacksonville . Lake City began as the town of Alligator in 1821 near the Seminole settlement known as Alligator Village. Alligator became the seat of Columbia County in 1832 when it

2790-513: The Atlantic Coast Line's network after it was acquired in 1902. The main route would become part of the Atlantic Coast Line's High Springs—Croom Line with track from Croom (the later name of Pemberton Ferry) to Brooksville becoming their Brooksville Branch. The Atlantic Coast Line's West Coast Champion used the line for much of its history on its run from Jacksonville to St. Petersburg. By 1982, track south of Micanopy Junction

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2880-581: The Baker Pre-K Center. Good Shepherd Day School is Punta Gorda's only private grade school. Florida SouthWestern Collegiate High School is a charter school. Florida SouthWestern State College 's Charlotte Campus is Punta Gorda's institution of higher learning. The Punta Gorda Public Library is in Punta Gorda, and is one of four branches in the Charlotte County Library System. It was established in 1908, making it

2970-448: The Charlotte Harbor Division are also still in service. Trackage from Homeland (just south of Bartow) to Bowling Green is now the southernmost segment of CSX's Valrico Subdivision , which continues to carry phosphate traffic. From Arcadia south to Punta Gorda, the line is operated by Seminole Gulf Railway (who also operates the extension to Fort Myers ). Some of the original right of way through downtown Punta Gorda west of US 41

3060-589: The Charlotte Harbor Division was accomplished by local civil engineer Albert W. Gilchrist , who would later serve as Florida's 20th governor. The Charlotte Harbor Division was completed with its first train to Punta Gorda (initially known as Trabue) on July 24, 1886. Plant would go on to open a hotel in Punta Gorda in 1896. This hotel, the Hotel Punta Gorda, would later be owned by Barron Collier (the namesake of nearby Collier County ). The Florida Southern Railway went into receivership in 1890, though

3150-653: The Charlotte Harbor Division was operated independently through the receivership. It came out of receivership in 1892 and was reorganized as the Florida Southern Railroad. The Charlotte Harbor Division was converted to standard gauge in 1892. The Florida Southern was fully absorbed into the Plant System in 1896, which was then sold to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The Atlantic Coast Line continued to operate

3240-737: The Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation . The Florida Southern's northern lines began along Main Street in Gainesville , where it continued south from Henry Plant's Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad .  The line headed southeast from Gainesville to Rochelle, where it split with the Palatka Branch heading east to Palatka via Hawthorne and Interlachen .  The main line continued south from Rochelle to Ocala .  A short branch just south of Rochelle also split from

3330-801: The Florida Southern lines and also rebuilt many of the original wooden stations along the lines with brick stations up until the 1920s. The Atlantic Coast Line became the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1967 after merging with their former rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad . In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System , creating the CSX Corporation . The CSX Corporation initially operated

3420-537: The Florida Southern today remain active today and some abandoned segments have since become rail trails . The Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail runs on the Florida Southern's former right of way between those two locations. From Hawthorne east to Edgar , the line is still in service and is now CSX's Edgar Spur (which now connects to CSX's S Line ). Another active segment remains in Northern Florida between Lowell , Ocala , and Candler . This segment

3510-693: The Interstate highways were built. The city relies on travelers for a considerable part of its economy. Lake City is the location of the Osceola National Forest 's administrative offices. Since 2000, three companies have begun large operations in Lake City: Hunter Panels, New Millennium and United States Cold Storage. Target built their first company-owned and third-party-operated perishable food distribution center in Lake City in 2008. In 2011, The top employers in

3600-584: The Lake City area are: Every February since 1976, Lake City has hosted the Olustee Battle Festival and reenactment of the Battle of Olustee spanning three days. The festival begins with a memorial service at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Lake City to honor those who died from both sides on day one and ends with a reenactment at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park on day three. From day one to day three various activities from live entertainment to exhibits are on display in downtown Lake City and

3690-600: The Paschal B. Nobles-Punta Gorda Public Library opened to the public. The Punta Gorda Charlotte Library moved to a new, larger site on Shreve Street in 2019. The new library branch has features such as study niches, conference rooms, and an archive reading room. U.S. Route 41 , the Tamiami Trail , runs through the center of the city, leading south 23 miles (37 km) to Fort Myers and northwest 30 miles (48 km) to Venice . The southern terminus of U.S. Route 17

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3780-445: The Peace River. Harbour Heights lies east of Punta Gorda's Deep Creek residential neighborhood. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 21.0 square miles (54.4 km ), of which 15.0 square miles (38.9 km ) is land and 6.0 square miles (15.5 km ) (28.52%) is water. As of October 5, 2017, Punta Gorda has 11 zoning districts, five overlay districts, and three planned development districts. Of

3870-584: The South Florida Railroad since it did not yet have any rail connection with the rest of the Plant System. The Florida Southern Railway reached Leesburg by 1883, where it connected with the St. Johns and Lake Eustis Railway , which extended east towards Tavares , Altoona , and Astor . The Florida Southern later leased this branch line. The Florida Southern Railway reached Pemberton Ferry (known today as Croom) by 1884 and would be extended west from there to Brooksville in January 1885. Construction began on

3960-474: The United States formed their own settlement adjacent to Alligator Village and called it Alligator . Following the 1823 Treaty of Moultrie Creek , the residents of Alligator village relocated to the banks of Peace Creek in the newly established Seminole reservation, leaving Alligator Town on its own. When Columbia County was formed in 1832 from Duval and Alachua counties, Alligator Town was designated as

4050-563: The appropriate facilities exist for a full-scale battle reenactment, historic camping and large crowds. Lake City is governed by a council/city manager form of government. The city council consists of five members, with four representing four city districts, while the Mayor serves at-large throughout all of Lake City. The administration of Lake City consists of The City Manager's Office, The Assistant City Manager, Human Resources, Procurement, Finance and Technology. The Lake City Police Department

4140-440: The branch from Rochelle to Palatka. In Palatka, a roundhouse with a turntable was built as well as a wharf in the St. Johns River . The main line was then extended from Rochelle to Ocala by the end of 1881. A branch to Micanopy was also included. By 1883, the southern end of the main line reached Leesburg, and construction began at the northern end to extended the line from Gainesville to Hague . In 1883, Henry B. Plant

4230-500: The city was 106 °F (41 °C) on June 4, 1918, and the coldest temperature ever recorded was 6 °F (−14 °C) on February 13, 1899. Lake City first appeared in the 1850 U.S. Census as "Alligator", with a total recorded population of 131. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 12,329 people, 4,569 households, and 2,321 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 12,046 people, 4,650 households, and 2,558 families residing in

4320-568: The city's past while showcasing newer facilities. During this time, Laishley Park Municipal Marina was built and the Harborwalk , Linear Park and various trails were created throughout the city for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Before the arrival of European explorers and settlers, the region centered on present-day Punta Gorda was home to the Calusa people. The name Punta Gorda ("Fat Point") has been on maps at least since 1851, referring to

4410-403: The city. Around 40% of the people of Lake City are affiliated with a religion. Evangelicalism is the largest religious affiliation with 27.9% followed by Protestant (4.7%), Black Protestantism (3.5%), Catholicism (2.4%) and other religions (1.6%). 59.8% are not affiliated with any religion. Mountaintop Ministries Worldwide , formerly End Time Ministries and commonly called End Timers,

4500-400: The end of a long pier into Charlotte Harbor known as Long Dock just west of downtown Punta Gorda where connections to steamships could be made. One of the Atlantic Coast Line's first orders of business regarding the Plant System after acquiring it was extending the Florida Southern's Charlotte Harbor Division south to Fort Myers . Despite owning a hotel there, Plant had been reluctant to have

4590-412: The harbor from Hickory Bluff was a small town being planned by a man named Isaac Trabue. Trabue owned waterfront property and successfully convinced the Florida Southern to instead run the railroad to his planned town, which would become Punta Gorda . Trabue offered half of his land holdings to the Florida Southern in exchange for the railroad coming to his town. Surveying work to determine the route for

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4680-547: The historic downtown and the waterfront. During the first part of the 21st century, Punta Gorda continued to grow and improve, adding a new Harborwalk that continues to expand, a linear park that winds through the city, and many new restaurants and neighborhoods. A replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 5, 2016. The city also features the Whispering Giant statue,

4770-544: The land and buildings back to Lake City in 1919. During World War I , the campus of Columbia College was used as a training site for local troops for the war. The facility was adapted for use as U.S. Hospital No. 63, the predecessor of the Veterans Hospital constructed in Lake City. More than 34 Lake City soldiers were killed in World War I. In 1940, the population of Lake City was 5,836. During World War II ,

4860-469: The level of the canal front land. This gave dry home sites access to the Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico . Johns went on to develop several other communities in Punta Gorda, among which were Burnt Store Isles, another waterfront community with golf course, and Seminole Lakes, a golf course community . These communities provided waterfront or golf course homes for retirees with access to

4950-598: The library as a project. The library remained at the Women's Club building until land from the Retta Esplanade lot was donated for a new library in 1958. In 1973, the City of Punta Gorda donated the land at 424 West Henry Street for a new library. This donation was intended for a playground, but with the permission of Mrs. Paschal B. Nobles, who donated the land, construction began for the new library. On July 22, 1974,

5040-479: The library's new home due to its central location and popularity among established Punta Gorda groups and clubs, such as the Fortnightly Club and the Women's Civic Improvement Association. The library remained in the lodge until 1928, when a hurricane damaged part of the roof. Many books were destroyed, and the volumes that could be salvaged were moved to the new Women's Club building, where members adopted

5130-489: The line continue to Fort Myers (which had already been established as a city when the line was built unlike Punta Gorda) under his ownership as Charlotte Harbor was his ultimate goal. However, the Atlantic Coast Line saw greater opportunity. The Atlantic Coast Line would complete the extension to Fort Myers in 1904, and would designate the line as the Lakeland—Fort Myers Line (X Line). The company further extended

5220-522: The line to Naples and Collier City (on Marco Island ) during the Florida land boom of the 1920s . The Atlantic Coast Line's Gulf Coast Special and West Coast Champion were notable passenger services to operate on the line from Bartow to Naples. In 1984, the line was abandoned Between Bowling Green and Arcadia. Remaining track south of Arcadia is still connected to CSX's network via the former Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway . Some segments of

5310-463: The main line to the small town of Micanopy .  From Ocala, the main line continued south-southeast to Leesburg before turning southwest to Center Hill , Pemberton Ferry , and Brooksville .  The line connected with the South Florida Railroad 's Pemberton Ferry Branch at Pemberton Ferry, which connected the line with the Florida Southern's Charlotte Harbor Division.  The Florida Southern's northern segment would play an important role in

5400-487: The mayor's wife Martha Jane, who had recently moved to the town, refused to hang her lace curtains in a town named Alligator. During the American Civil War the railroad between Lake City and Jacksonville was used to send beef and salt to Confederate soldiers. During the summer of 1862, the 8th Florida Infantry Regiment was mustered in at Lake City. The unit was soon deployed to Virginia and fought as part of

5490-540: The oldest branch of the Charlotte County Library System, which was created in 1963. The library was initially contained within an Episcopal Church rectory and supervised by the vicar's wife, Theodosia Trout, until 1909. The church that first housed this library still stands across the street, under the name Church of the Good Shepherd. The library was eventually moved due to its popularity interfering with church activities. The Masonic Lodge on Sullivan Street became

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5580-417: The population were female persons. There were 2,446 veterans living in the city and 8.4% of the population were foreign born persons. In 2020, the owner occupied housing unit rate was 81.2%. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $ 377,100. The median gross rent was $ 1,152. 93.5% of households had a computer and 88.8% of households had a broadband internet subscription. The median household income

5670-558: The school to seek help from the Florida legislature. The University of Florida assumed management of the school, and in 1950 it became the University of Florida Forest Ranger School. As part of the network of community colleges established in Florida, the school became the Lake City Junior College and Forest Ranger School in 1962. Lake City Junior College was renamed to Lake City Community College in 1970; in 2010, it

5760-709: The seat of the county government. During the Seminole Wars , several forts were established in the area, including Fort White on the Santa Fe River , and Fort Alligator, also called Fort Lancaster, in present-day downtown Lake City. By 1845, the last of the Seminole left the area of present-day Lake City or were forcibly removed by the US Army. In 1847, Company C of the Florida Volunteers, which

5850-728: The site of the Lake City Flying Club air field. NAS Lake City was a support facility for Naval Air Station Jacksonville and trained pilots to fly the Lockheed Ventura . Military operations at NAS Lake City ended in March 1946, and it was decommissioned as an active naval air station. After World War II a local air base was converted for use in 1947 as the Columbia Forestry School. The Columbia Forestry School had low enrollments and funds, forcing

5940-576: The south side of Charlotte Harbor. The railroad rolled into Trabue in August 1886, and with it came the first land developers and Southwest Florida's first batch of tourists. Punta Gorda became the southernmost stop on the Florida Southern Railroad , until an extension was built to Fort Myers in 1904, attracting the industries that propelled its initial growth. On December 3, 1887, dissatisfied with Trabue's lack of infrastructure development, 34 townspeople met at Hector's Billiard Parlor to discuss incorporation . The group voted to incorporate and rename

6030-434: The southern segment of the line, known as the Charlotte Harbor Division, in September 1885 from Bartow along the Peace River (where large deposits of valuable phosphate was discovered in 1881) to Arcadia and Charlotte Harbor. The Charlotte Harbor Division was initially intended to terminate on the north side of Charlotte Harbor at a location known as Hickory Bluff (just southeast of Port Charlotte ). However, just across

6120-445: The town after the Spanish name for the point on which it was located, Punta Gorda. Once Punta Gorda was officially incorporated, mayoral elections took place and a council was formed. The first mayor, W. H. Simmons, was elected. Phosphate was discovered on the banks of the Peace River just above Punta Gorda in 1888. Phosphate mined in the Peace River Valley was barged down the Peace River to Punta Gorda and Port Boca Grande , where it

6210-456: The war, the airfield was turned over to Charlotte County. Today the old airfield is the Punta Gorda Airport , serving both commercial and general aviation. Punta Gorda's next intense growth phase started in 1959 with the creation of a neighborhood of canal-front home sites, Punta Gorda Isles, by a trio of entrepreneurs, Al Johns, Bud Cole and Sam Burchers. They laid out 55 miles of canals 100 feet wide and 17 feet deep using dredged sand to raise

6300-450: The war. Union casualties were 1,861 men killed, wounded or missing; Confederate casualties were 946 killed, wounded or missing. The Confederate dead were buried in Lake City. In 1928 a memorial for the Battle of Olustee was established in downtown Lake City. The Civil War badly damaged Florida's railroads, including the Florida, Atlantic and Gulf Central Railroad . The railroad was rebuilt by carpetbagger George William Swepson and

6390-419: The women who did not like it. In 1963, Interstate 75 and Interstate 10 were opened, intersecting at Lake City. In the 1960s, Columbia County schools were not desegregated. In 1970, a judge ordered all Columbia County public schools to integrate. During the Vietnam War , 23 local Lake City soldiers were either killed or M.I.A. In 1978, the Columbia County Public Library was established. Downtown Lake City

6480-456: The zoning districts, six are designated for residential use, two for commercial use, one for governmental use, and two districts allow mixed use. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 19,471 people, 9,780 households, and 6,383 families residing in the city. In 2020, there was an average of 1.99 persons per household. Of that population, 3.6% was under 5 years old, 11.1% were under 18 years old, 50.4% were 65 years and older. 53.6% of

6570-582: Was $ 68,923. 9.3% of the population lived below the poverty threshold . In 2020, 96.3% of the population 25 years and older were high school graduates or higher, and 38.4% of the population 25 years and older had a Bachelor's degree or higher. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 16,641 people, 8,134 households, and 5,798 families residing in the city. Punta Gorda is home to five public schools operated by Charlotte County Public Schools : Charlotte High School , Punta Gorda Middle School , Sallie Jones Elementary School , East Elementary School, and

6660-542: Was Alligator Warrior ( Halpatter Tustenuggee ), also known as Chief Alligator. He was the grandson of Micanopy (King) Payne ( Mekk-Onvpv Pin ) and led Seminole warriors in the Second Seminole War (1835–1842) to resist their people's relocation to the Arkansas Territory (now known as Oklahoma ). After Florida became a territory of the United States in 1821, pioneer and immigrant settlers from

6750-505: Was Lake City and Columbia County's major hotel and central business center from 1902 to 1955. The population of Lake City in 1900 was 4,013; in 1905 was 6,509; and 1910 was 5,032. Florida Agricultural College was established in 1884 as part of the Morrill Land Grant Act ; in 1904 it became a full university with twenty-five instructors. In 1905 the Florida Agricultural College was moved to Gainesville , becoming part of

6840-474: Was abandoned. By 1989, track was abandoned from Rochelle to Hawthorne. The Charlotte Harbor Division began at the south end of the South Florida Railroad's Pemberton Ferry Branch in Bartow .  From Bartow, it continued south roughly paralleling the Peace River through Fort Meade , Wauchula , and Arcadia before coming to an end at Punta Gorda along Charlotte Harbor . The terminus was initially located at

6930-423: Was broken up into segments. These abandonments were mostly due to the line's proximity to CSX's S Line (the former Seaboard Air Line main line). By 1989, track was abandoned from Gainesville to Rochelle (along with the Palatka Branch to Hawthorne). The Palatka Branch ran from Rochelle east to Palatka via Hawthorne , Edgar , and Interlachen . By 1982, the former Florida Southern's track from Palatka to Edgar

7020-567: Was completed; it later was adapted for use as the City Hall. In 1891, Lake City became the first city in Florida to have electric lights from a local power and light company. By the early 20th century, Lake City had become an important railroad junction, served by the Seaboard Air Line , Atlantic Coast Line , Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad . Hotel Blanche was built in 1902 as an attraction for expected tourists. The hotel

7110-469: Was composed of Lake City members, served in the Mexican–American War . In November 1858, a railroad was completed connecting Jacksonville to Alligator, which opened the town to more commerce and passenger traffic. Alligator Town was incorporated and its name changed to Lake City in 1859; M. Whit Smith was elected as the town's first mayor. According to an urban legend, the name was changed because

7200-432: Was established near Lake City by Charles Meade in 1984. The basis of the ministry was that Lake City would be the only place to survive Armageddon and believers were to stay in an underground bunker on Meade's property. As of 2016 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Lake City, Florida are: Lake City and Columbia County are known as "The Gateway to Florida" because Interstate 75 runs through them, carrying

7290-510: Was formed from Duval and Alachua counties. In 1858, Alligator was incorporated and renamed Lake City. The Battle of Olustee , the largest American Civil War battle in Florida, took place near Lake City in 1864. In 1884, the Florida Agricultural College was established in Lake City as a land grant college; it was relocated to Gainesville in 1905 to form part of the University of Florida . The city's sesquicentennial

7380-749: Was founded around 1861 during the Civil War. The first fire department was established in 1883 to complement the police department. Argatha Gilmore was the Chief of Police in 2009 after serving 25 years with the Tallahassee Police Department. The Columbia County School District , the only school district in the entire county, operates nine elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools and an alternative school. Lake City also has one higher education institution, Florida Gateway College , that offers associate degrees and four-year bachelor's degrees . The Lake City Gateway Airport

7470-517: Was held in 2009. Lake City is known as "The Gateway to Florida" because it is adjacent to the intersection of Interstate 75 and Interstate 10 . The city is the site of Lake City Gateway Airport , formerly known as NAS Lake City. Florida Gateway College is located in Lake City. In 1539, Hernando de Soto and his Spanish expedition arrived in Tampa Bay . The de Soto expedition proceeded north from Tampa Bay looking for gold. His expedition met

7560-415: Was in the midst of building his own system of railroads south from Du Pont, Georgia to Live Oak, Florida and south to Charlotte Harbor with plans to build in a similar path. Construction was underway on the Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad when he learned of the Florida Southern's plans. Plant then sought to buy the Florida Southern but was unsuccessful. Despite this, he did manage to make

7650-506: Was loaded onto vessels for worldwide shipment. In 1896, the Florida Times-Union reported that phosphate mining was Punta Gorda's chief industry and that Punta Gorda was the world's greatest phosphate shipping point. By 1907, a railroad was built direct to Port Boca Grande, ending the brief phosphate shipping boom from Punta Gorda. In 1890, Isaac Trabue appointed the first postmaster , Robert Meacham, an African American , as

7740-542: Was renamed as Florida Gateway College. By 1950, the population of Lake City was 7,571. The forestry products industry ( turpentine , lumber , and pulpwood ) had become a mainstay of the local economy. During the Korean War , five Lake City soldiers were killed. A monument was dedicated in 1985 in their honor and memory. In 1958, the Columbia Amateur Radio Society was formed. This was

7830-729: Was renamed the Florida Central Railroad in 1868. In 1869, the Pensacola and Georgia Railroad was merged with a railroad from Jacksonville to Lake City to form the Jacksonville, Pensacola and Mobile Railroad . In 1874, a fire destroyed most of the wooden buildings in Lake City. In 1874, Lake City's first newspaper was published, called the Lake City Reporter . In 1876, the Bigelow Building

7920-498: Was revitalized in the 1990s with new businesses, shops, and restaurants. In 2000, Lake City had a population of 9,980. On 10 June 2019, Lake City was hit by a cyber ransomware attack that rendered many of the city's communication systems inoperable. On 25 June 2019, the City's insurance company, the Florida League of Cities, paid 42 bitcoins —over US$ 480,000—for a mechanism to retrieve the City's files and data. Lake City

8010-428: Was shot and killed in his front parlor on January 29, 1903, in view of his family. In 1925, a bungalow was built by Joseph Blanchard, an African American sea captain and fisherman. The Blanchard House Museum still stands as a museum, providing education about the history of middle-class African American life in the area. Punta Gorda maintained steady growth. Charlotte County was formed in 1921 after DeSoto County

8100-418: Was split. Also in 1921, the first bridge was constructed connecting Punta Gorda and Charlotte Harbor along the brand-new Tamiami Trail . This small bridge was replaced by the original Barron Collier Bridge in 1931, and then by the current Barron Collier Bridge and Gilchrist Bridge crossing the Peace River. During World War II, a U.S. Army airfield was built in Punta Gorda to train combat air pilots. After

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