Editing Apalachicola, Florida (section)

==History==
[[Image:Trinityepiscapalachicola1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Trinity Episcopal Church (Apalachicola, Florida)|Trinity Episcopal Church]]]]
[[Image:Apalachicola mnmt Gorrie and church01.jpg|thumb|left|[[John Gorrie]] Monument, located in Gorrie Square, with Trinity Episcopal Church in the background]]

The [[Apalachicola Province]], after whom the river and, ultimately the city, are named, was located along the lower part of the [[Chattahoochee River]] in Alabama and Georgia in the 17th century, when the Spanish included the Chattahoochee as part of the Apalachicola River.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Worth |first=John E. |chapter-url=https://pages.uwf.edu/jworth/Worth%202000_Lower%20Creeks.pdf |title=Indians of the Greater Southeast: Historical Archaeology and Ethnohistory |publisher=University of Florida Press |year=2000 |isbn=9-780-8130-2086-0 |editor-last=McEwan |edition=Bonnie G. |chapter=The Lower Creeks: Origin and History |pages=266–297}}</ref> The name is a combination of the [[Hitchiti]] words ''apalahchi'', meaning "on the other side", and ''okli'', meaning "people". In original reference to the settlement, it probably meant "people on the other side of the river".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/facts/reports/names/index.cfm#A|title=Name Origins of Florida Places @ Florida OCHP|website=dhr.dos.state.fl.us}}</ref>

Between the years 1513 and 1763, the area that now includes the city of Apalachicola was under Spanish jurisdiction as part of [[Spanish Florida]]. While the Spanish established [[Spanish missions in Florida|missions]] with the [[Apalachee]] people to the northeast of the city of Apalachicola (centered around Tallahassee), and with the [[Chatot]] people to the north in the upper Apalachicola River valley and the [[Chipola River]] valley, the Spanish did not establish any missions in the area of the lower Apalachicola River during the duration of Spain's first occupation of Florida. The earliest-known settlement by non-indigenous people was in 1705, when the Spanish built a fort in the area.<ref name=SpanSet>{{Cite web|title=APALACHICOLA HISTORY|url=https://www.cityofapalachicola.com/community/apalachicola-history/|website=www.cityofapalachicola.com}}</ref> In the 1750s, during the [[French and Indian War]], the British captured the Spanish colony of [[Cuba]]; however, because Cuba was a prized possession for the Spanish, and Florida was mostly unused backwater, the Spanish traded Florida to the British in return for regaining Cuba. Between the years 1763 and 1783, the area that is now Apalachicola fell under the jurisdiction of [[British West Florida]]. A British trading post called "Cottonton" was founded at this site on the mouth of the [[Apalachicola River]]. In 1783, [[British West Florida]] was transferred to Spain; however, the trading post (and its British inhabitants) remained and continued facilitating trade along the [[Apalachicola River]] (which was connected to the trading network along the [[Chattahoochee River]]). Gradually, after acquisition by the United States and related development in [[Alabama]] and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], it attracted more permanent European-American residents. In 1827, the town was incorporated as "West Point". Apalachicola received its current name in 1831, by an act of the [[Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida]].<ref name=ApaInc>{{cite book|last=Fabel|first=Robin F. A.|year=1988|title=The Economy of British West Florida, 1763–1783|location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama|publisher=The University of Alabama Press|p=51, 177|isbn=0-8173-0312-X}}</ref><ref name=APInc>{{cite book|last=Born|first=John D.|year=1968|title=Governor Johnstone and trade in British West Florida, 1764–1767|location=Wichita, Kansas|publisher=Wichita State University|p=19}}</ref><ref name=APCInc>{{Cite web|title=FLORIDA CITIES BY INCORPORATION YEAR WITH INCORPORATION & DISSOLUTION INFO|url=https://www.flcities.com/docs/default-source/research-institute-reports/2020citiesbyincorporationwithinfo.pdf?sfvrsn=5009d6d5_0|website=www.flcities.com}}</ref>

[[Trinity Episcopal Church (Apalachicola, Florida)|Trinity Episcopal Church]] was incorporated by an act of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida on February 11, 1837. The building was one of the earliest [[Prefabrication|prefabricated]] buildings in the United States. The framework was shipped by schooner from New York City and assembled in Apalachicola with wooden pegs.

In 1837, a newspaper at Apalachicola boasted that the town's business street along the waterfront "had {{convert|2,000|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us|disp=sqbr}} of continuous brick stores, three stories high, {{convert|80|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us|disp=sqbr}} deep, and all equipped with granite pillars."<ref>{{citation
|title=Florida. A Guide to the Southernmost State
|date=1939
|place=New York
|author=Federal Writers' Project
|publisher=Oxford University Press
|page=166}}</ref>

Botanist [[Alvan Wentworth Chapman]] settled in Apalachicola in 1847.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mount-Douds |first1=Beverly |title=Apalachicola |date=2 November 2009 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing Incorporated |isbn=9781439622872 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9DyukKT9FesC |access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref> In 1860, he published his major work, ''Flora of the Southern United States''. An elementary school was later named in his honor.

On April 3, 1862, during the [[American Civil War]], the [[gunboat]] {{USS|Sagamore|1861|6}} and the steamer {{USS|Mercedita|1861|6}} (relieving the {{USS|Marion|1839|6}}) captured Apalachicola.<ref>[[USS Mercedita (1861)|USS Mercedita history]]</ref> [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] forces that occupied [[west Florida]] during much of the war moved here.

In 1849, Apalachicola physician [[John Gorrie]] discovered the cold-air process of [[refrigeration]] and patented an [[ice machine]] in 1850. He had experimented to find ways to lower the [[Human body temperature|body temperature]] of fever patients.<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Apalachicola|volume=2|pages=158–159|short=y}}</ref> His patent laid the groundwork for development of modern refrigeration and [[air conditioning]], making Florida and the [[Southern United States|South]] more livable year-round. The city has a monument to him, and a replica of his ice machine is on display in the [[John Gorrie Museum State Park|John Gorrie Museum]]. The [[John Gorrie Memorial Bridge]], carrying the main road out of Apalachicola, [[U.S. Route 98|U.S. 98]], is named for him.

Before railroads reached the region in the later 19th century, Apalachicola was the third-busiest port on the Gulf of Mexico (behind [[New Orleans]] and [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]]).<ref name="EB1911"/> Scheduled boats transported passengers and goods up and down the [[Apalachicola River|Apalachicola]], [[Chattahoochee River|Chattahoochee]], and [[Flint River (Georgia)|Flint rivers]] to [[Albany, Georgia|Albany]] and [[Columbus, Georgia]]. A [[paddle steamer]], the ''Crescent City'', made a daily round trip to Carrabelle, carrying the mail as well as passengers and freight.

The [[AN Railway]], formerly the [[Apalachicola Northern Railroad]], serves the city.

Originally built in 1935 and rebuilt in 1988, the [[John Gorrie Memorial Bridge]] carries [[U.S. Route 98|U.S. 98]] across Apalachicola Bay to [[Eastpoint, Florida|Eastpoint]].