Palmetto, Florida

Palmetto
City
Seal
Location in Manatee County and the state of Florida
Palmetto Location in the United States
Coordinates: 27°31′20″N 82°34′42″W / 27.52222°N 82.57833°W / 27.52222; -82.57833Coordinates: 27°31′20″N 82°34′42″W / 27.52222°N 82.57833°W / 27.52222; -82.57833
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Manatee
Incorporated (city)	1897
Government
• Type	Strong Mayor-Commission
• Mayor	Shirley Groover Bryant
Area [1]
• Total	5.79 sq mi (14.99 km2)
• Land	5.31 sq mi (13.74 km2)
• Water	0.48 sq mi (1.25 km2)
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	12,606
• Estimate  (2019)[4]	13,748
• Density	2,591.03/sq mi (1,000.35/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	34220–34221
Area code(s)	941
FIPS code	12-54250[2]
GNIS feature ID	0288429[3]
Website	palmettofl.org

Palmetto is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was listed as 12,606.^[5] It is part of the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History[]

A post office called Palmetto has been in operation since 1868.^[6] Samuel Sparks Lamb is considered the "Father of Palmetto," having surveyed and plotted the city at its outset and donated several plots of land.^[7] He owned a general merchandise store in town.^[8] Samuel Sparks Lamb was from Clarke County, Mississippi and would arrive in the area near the Manatee River in 1868 establishing Palmetto.^[9] The city received its name from the palmetto trees near the original town site.^[10] Palmetto would first be incorporated in May 1893 as a village with its first mayor being P.S. Harlee. Palmetto would be reincorporated as a city in 1897 and in the following years grew.^[11] In 1902 with the arrival of the railroad, the center of town moved from the waterfront to the train station.^[12]

Compiled during the late 1930s and first published in 1939, the Florida guide listed Palmetto's population as 3,043 and described it as:

on the north bank of the Manatee River, has low frame-and-brick business buildings and numerous clapboard houses. The riverfront is alive with fishing and pleasure craft. Much of the town's income is derived from the packing and shipping of fruits and vegetables.^[13]

— Federal Writers' Project, "Part III: The Florida Loop", Florida: A Guide to the Southernmost State (1947)

A dolomite mine existed in Palmetto on the Manatee River from the 1950s to 1974. Several failed attempts were made to redevelop the property. In 1974, the property was almost sold for residential development but the company backed out due to the economic recession that was occurring. In 1978, a proposal was made to create a residential community on the site. The site's master plan contained a nationwide motel chain with a restaurant, high-rise apartments along the Manatee River, single-family houses, and a shopping center built around a lake created from mining activities. The former 214-acre dolomite mine site was bought by WC Riveria Partners. It was then redeveloped in 1998 as Riveria Dunes, a residential community with a marina, townhouses, and homes.^[14][15]

Geography[]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11 km²), of which 4.3 square miles (11 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) (2.92%) is water.

Demographics[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 12,606 people, 4,891 households, and 3,192 families residing in the city.^[17] The population density was 2,865 inhabitants per square mile (1,106/km²). There were 6,729 housing units at an average density of 1,529.4 per square mile (590.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.10% White, 10.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 14.2% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.3% of the population.^[18]

There were 4,891 total households: 3,192 (65.3%) family households and 1,699 (34.7%) non-family households. Of the 3,192 family households 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present. Within all households, 28.1% were made up of householders living alone and 14.8% had the individual living alone and was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.07.

In Palmetto, the age distribution among the population includes 24.8% being 19 years old and under, 5.6% from 20 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.012 males. For every 100 males age 18 and over, there were 98.86 females.

Government[]

The Mayor of Palmetto is the city's head executive and is elected every four years. The city commission serves as the city's legislative body and has five members. Three of the commissioners are elected from there respective wards while the other two are elected at-large citywide. The city commission has the power to elect a vice-mayor who serves for a one year term.^[19]

Education[]

Palmetto is home to Blackburn, Palmetto, James Tillman, Virgil Mills and Palmview Elementary Schools, Lincoln and Buffalo Creek Middle Schools and Palmetto High School. Charter schools include Manatee School for the Arts (grades 6-12), Imagine School of North Manatee (grades K-8), and Palmetto Charter School (grades K-8).^{[citation needed]}

Media[]

The metro area has TV broadcasting stations that serve the Tampa-Saint Petersburg-Sarasota (DMA) as defined by Nielsen Media Research.^{[citation needed]}

The city acts as the background for the TNT drama Claws.^{[citation needed]}

Notable people[]

• George Dickie, philosopher
• Eric Engberg, former CBS News correspondent.
• Winfield R. Gaylord, Wisconsin state senator, socialist politician, minister.^[20]
• Ralph Haben, former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.^[21]
• Tom Hume, former pitcher and coach for Cincinnati Reds
• Curtis Johnson, sprinter in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
• Nick Neri, race car driver.
• Mistral Raymond, former NFL defensive back for the Minnesota Vikings and former captain at the University of South Florida.^{[citation needed]}
• Willie Taggart, former head football coach at Florida State University, University of Oregon, and South Florida.^[22]

Points of interest[]

• Palmetto Estuary Preserve
• Palmetto Historic District
• Palmetto Historical Park

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palmetto, Florida.

External links[]

• City of Palmetto