A view of Bartow's business district, early 1920s
'Bartow' is a city located in the
U.S. State of
Florida in
Central Florida east of the
Tampa Bay area. The population was 15,340 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 16,278.
[1] It is the
county seat of
Polk County.
Bartow is quickly growing with new business and people from all over the country re-locating to live in the quiet and quaint town. The town of Bartow was named in honor of
Francis S. Bartow, the first
Confederate officer to die in the
American Civil War. Residents of the city are known as ''Bartowans''. While Bartow itself is not a very large city- the Polk County cities of
Lakeland and
Winter Haven have larger populations-however, Bartow does have the distinction of being the second largest in geographical area and the city in Polk County with the longest, most colorful history. The city is known for its historic
downtown,
oak trees (which are both large and numerous often forming canopies over much of the paved streets), early 20th century
ante-bellum styled
architecture, and
azalea bushes which bloom everywhere in the spring. The city has been called ''The City of Oaks'', ''The City of Oaks and Azaleas'' and ''The Capitol of Imperial Polk County.''
History
In the early
19th Century, very few people lived in Florida, especially the area south of
Gainesville. The relentless heat and humidity, venomous
snakes, and uncharted
swampland made a comfortable life in southern Florida an uncertainty. A bigger threat to any would-be settlers was the
Seminoles, a
Native American tribe native to
Florida. While a few of the Seminole had left for
Oklahoma, some decided to stay in Florida and make life rough for any new settlers who tried to make a living. After the
Second Seminole War ended in
1842, southern Florida seemed ripe for settlement. Still, many felt uneasy about the continued Seminole presence in the
Everglades and stories were always told about hostile encounters "not far away". So most of the early settlements in
peninsular Florida were set up as forts, to discourage any Seminole attacks - just in case. In 1850, the first permanent new settlers came to the area near the
headwaters of the 'Peas River' or
Peace River and established 'Fort Blount'. This settlement was somewhat stalled by the
American Civil War a decade later, although the
Polk County government was established in 1861. After the war, in
1867, the county commissioners decided the county seat should be named after General Francis Bartow, the first Confederate officer to die in the war, and so, the name of Fort Blount was changed to Bartow. A few years later, thanks to land donations from
Jacob Summerlin, the
Polk County government was firmly established in Bartow.
Geography and climate
Geography
Location of Bartow, Florida
Bartow is located at (27.892551, -81.839636) which is approximately 38
miles east of
Tampa, 55 miles southwest of
Orlando, and 15 miles west of
Lake Wales. The cities of Bartow, Lakeland, and Winter Haven form an
equilateral triangle pointed downward with Bartow being the south "point", Lakeland the west "point", and Winter Haven the east "point". The city is located near the
headwaters of the
Peace River at
Lake Hancock. The major roads which go through Bartow are
U.S. Highway 17,
U.S. Highway 98, and
State Road 60.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, in 2000 the city had a total area of 29.4
km² (11.4
mi²). 29.1 km² (11.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.23%) is water. Since then, the city has annexed much land, quadrupling in size. Much of that land is undeveloped, although the city has rezoned much of it for
residential use and it is estimated that the population of Bartow may increase threefold in the next couple of decades.
Climate
The climate of Bartow, like most of Florida, is humid
subtropical. Most of the inland areas farthest away from the ocean tend to have more extreme temperature ranges than those areas on the coast. Since Bartow is one of the cities furthest from the coast in peninsular Florida, it can be among the hottest places in the state on some summer days, and during the occasional winter Arctic blast, it has had temperatures in the teens (Fahrenheit).
While Bartow's distance from the coast has offered protection from most of the effects of landfalling hurricanes which occasionally cross the state, Bartow has on rare occasion been affected severely, most recently in
2004 when Hurricanes
Charley,
Francis and
Jeanne crossed the state with the center of all three storms coming close to Bartow. The most severe of these, Charley rapidly crossed Polk County as a Category 3 storm, destroying up to a third of Bartow's famous oak trees.
Physiography and soils
Bartow is located on the South Central Florida Ridge, as classified by the
USDA.
[2] Many soils in the Bartow area are
sandy throughout; others have sandy surface layers and
clayey subsoils, and the eastern outskirts of town have a clay-rich floodplain through which the Peace River flows. Drainage outside of the floodplain ranges from good to excessive for the most part except for a poorly drained band which cuts across the northern part of town. Much of Bartow is built on the Fort Meade soil series, which is well drained, high in organic matter, and rich in
phosphorus -- an uncommon combination in Florida, much appreciated by area gardeners.
[3][4].
People and culture
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 15,340 people, 5,531 households, and 3,777 families residing in the city. The
population density was 527.4/km² (1,366.5/mi²). There were 6,099 housing units at an average density of 209.7/km² (543.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.91%
White, 28.39%
African American, 0.46%
Native American, 0.92%
Asian, 0.08%
Pacific Islander, 2.22% from
other races, and 2.03% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 8.11% of the population.
There were 5,531 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were
married couples living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,568, and the median income for a family was $44,093. Males had a median income of $31,716 versus $21,309 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $19,487. About 9.7% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Historic buildings and landmarks
★ 'Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church'- 205 East Stanford Street. Built in
1926;
Neogothic styling. One of the largest church buildings in Bartow.
★ 'Conant House'- 1010 South Broadway. Example of
Colonial revival style.
★ 'First Methodist Church'- 310 South Broadway. Build in
1907, this is a fine example of
Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. One of the first two churches in Bartow.
★ 'Hugh Wear House'- 310 South Orange Avenue. Built in
1889, but burned to the ground in the 1990s.
★ 'Redeemer Lutheran Church' - 390 East Parker Street.
Gothic Revival architecture with a cross-shaped floor plan.
★
★ (built as Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, transferred ownership when the Episcopal parish outgrew it and built a new sanctuary)
★ '
South Florida Military Academy'- 1140 South Broadway. This school was eventually amalgamated into the
University of Florida.
★ 'Stuart Hotel'- 145-195 South Central Avenue. Three-story brick building built in
1914.
★ '
Swearingen-Langford House'- 690 East Church Street (in Church Street Historic District).
Neoclassical brick home built in
1925; location for a movie and several commercials.
★ 'Thomas Lee Wilson House'- 555 East Stanford Street. Was used as the Funeral Parlor in the movie '
My Girl'.
★ 'Windsweep'- 935 South Oak Avenue. Built in
1909, this house was the residence used in the movie
China Moon.
★ 'The Wonder House'- 1075 Mann Road. Features natural
air-conditioning (using rainwater), secluded outdoor bathtubs, and numerous mirrors that let residents see who was at the door from other parts of the home.
Annual Events
Neighborhoods
Media
The city has a semi-weekly newspaper the
Polk County Democrat, which in spite of its name, is actually a fairly conservative newspaper in its editorial content.
The Ledger, which is based in Lakeland, is the most common daily newspaper in Bartow. The
Tampa Tribune is also read by many residents. While there are no television stations located in Bartow, broadcast signals from Tampa Bay area television stations are available. Most cable and satellite providers offer Tampa Bay and Orlando area stations. There are two radio stations that broadcast from within the city, WQXM (1460 AM)(formerly WBAR till 9/2004)(was WRMX from 9/2004 to 10/2004) and WWBF (1130 AM)(changed from WPUL in 1984).
Attractions in Nearby Cities
Cypress Gardens Adventure Park
Florida Flywheelers Antique Engine and Tractor Club Inc.
Located at 7000 Avon Park Cut Off Road just 2 miles south from the intersection of Highway 98.
3 Big shows a year in November, January, and February present almost 240 acres of antique engines, tractors, and an Old Village.
During the Christmas season the park is lit up with many thousands of lights. Hay rides, and trams give the tour of lights with all proceeds going to Toys for Tots and the cities of Fort Meade and Avon Park to aid needy families.
Visit the website at
Flywheelers Home Page for details of shows and other events.
Education
The Schools in Bartow are under direction of the School Board of Polk County, Florida.
High Schools -
Bartow High School (Formerly Summerlin Institute);
International Baccalaureate World School (located on the BHS Campus);
Summerlin Academy (Opened Fall 2006)
Middle Schools -
Bartow Middle School (Formerly Bartow Junior High School);
Union Academy Magnet Middle School (Formerly Union Academy High School
)
Elementary Schools -
James E. Stephens Elementary School;
Gibbons Street Elementary School;
Floral Avenue Elementary School;
Bartow Elementary Academy
Other Schools -
Gause Academy; Polk Life and Learning Center
Private Schools-
First Methodist School;
Word of Life Christian School
Government and Politics
Infrastructure
Street Layout
The city is laid out in a typical four quadrant grid. The north-south axis is Broadway Avenue, and the east-west axis is Main Street. At the center of the grid is the historic downtown of Bartow which includes the old courthouse, the new courthouse, and the County Administration building as well as other government offices. As a typical rule, most of the residential (especially the older neighborhoods) are in the southern half of town.
Utilities
Transportation
The major highways which run through Bartow are US 98, US 17, and State Road 60. US 17 provides easy access to Winter Haven and Ft. Meade. Going north on US 98 from Bartow is a 15 minute drive to Lakeland. West on State Road 60 leads to Tampa, while east takes one to Lake Wales, and further down, to Vero Beach. The quickest route to Orlando from Bartow is Interstate 4 via the Polk Parkway, which is accessed from US 98 between Bartow and Lakeland.
For small aviation needs, Bartow Municipal Airport is available. Both Tampa International Airport and Orlando International Airport are less than an hour away.
Bartow has its own bus system, the Bartow Shuttle which runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and also offers intercity service to other cities in Polk County through the Polk County InterCity Transit System. The Citrus Connection, which serves Lakeland and Winter Haven, also has buses that serve the Bartow downtown area.
Economy
The Phosphate mining industry located west of Bartow is the largest in the United States. While Polk County is no longer the leading citrus growing county in the United States, it still plays a role in the economy of Bartow and Polk County. As the seat of government of a county with almost half a million people, State and County governments are a large employer in Bartow. The local Ford dealership, 'Bartow Ford,' is one of the largest new car dealerships in the country with some of the highest sales in the nation.
Notable natives, citizens, and associated people
★ Spessard Holland- Former Florida governor and U.S. senator.
★ Keydrick Vincent - NFL player (Baltimore Ravens), born in Bartow: Apr 13, 1978
★ Marcus Floyd - NFL player (Carolina Panthers), born in Bartow: Oct 12, 1978
★ Ray Lewis - NFL linebacker (Baltimore Ravens), born in Bartow: May 15, 1975
★ Theron Smith - NBA player (Charlotte Bobcats), born in Bartow: Oct 3, 1980
★ Tracy McGrady - NBA player (Houston Rockets), born in Bartow: May 24, 1979
★ Jacob Summerlin- King of the Crackers, first child born in Florida after ceded from Spain, founder of Bartow and Orlando, Florida.
★ Evander McIvor Law- Confederate General during American Civil War.
★ Stephen H. Grimes- Former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice.
★ Adam Putnam- Current U.S. Congressman, Florida 12th District.
★ Katherine Harris- Former U.S. Congressman, Florida 13th District; Florida's Secretary of State during the controversial Florida Recount of 2000
★ Ken Riley- Born in Bartow: August 6, 1947. Former NFL Cornerback with the Cincinnati Bengals [1969-1983) - Ken was one of the best cornerbacks of all time. He set the team single season record for interceptions (9) and the career record (65). In his last two seasons of play, Riley led the AFC with five and eight interceptions respectively. At the time of his retirement, Ken Riley was rated third in the NFL record book for all-time career interceptions with 65. Despite his accomplishments, Riley has not been voted into the NFL's Hall of Fame despite having been repeatedly nominated for that honor.
★ James "Bubba" Stewart was born in Bartow and is now the worlds foremost Supercrosser.
Miscellaneous facts
★ The law firm of Holland & Knight, one of the largest law firms in the United States, was founded in Bartow.
★ The 1991 movie My Girl starring Anna Chlumsky, Macaulay Culkin, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis was filmed mostly in Bartow.
★ Charlie Smith, considered by many to be the oldest living American ever (although many disputed his age) lived most of his life in Bartow. His age was believed to be 137 when he died in 1979
★ Bartow was home to one of the original teams of the Florida State League.
External links
★ Bartow Chamber of Commerce
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