Editing Melbourne, Florida (section)

==History==

===Early human occupation===

{{main|Melbourne Bone Bed}}
Evidence for the presence of [[Paleo-Indians]] in the Melbourne area during the late [[Pleistocene]] epoch was uncovered during the 1920s. C. P. Singleton, a [[Harvard University]] [[zoologist]], discovered the bones of a [[mammoth]] (''[[Mammuthus columbi]]'') on his property along [[Crane Creek (Melbourne, Florida)|Crane Creek]], {{convert|1.5|mi}} from Melbourne, and brought in [[Amherst College]] [[paleontology|paleontologist]] Frederick B. Loomis to excavate the skeleton. Loomis found a second elephant, with a "large rough flint instrument"<ref>Purdy:23</ref> among fragments of the elephant's ribs. Loomis found in the same [[stratum]] mammoth, [[mastodon]], horse, [[ground sloth]], [[tapir]], [[peccary]], [[Camelid|camel]], and [[Smilodon|saber-tooth cat]] bones, all extinct in Florida since the end of the Pleistocene 10,000–8,000 BCE. At a nearby site a human rib and charcoal were found in association with ''[[Mylodon]]'', ''[[Megalonyx]]'', and ''[[Chlamytherium]]'' (ground sloth) teeth. A finely worked spear point found with these items may have been displaced from a later stratum. In 1925 attention shifted to the Melbourne golf course.

A crushed human skull with finger, arm, and leg bones was found in association with a horse tooth. A piece of [[ivory]] that appeared to have been modified by humans was found at the bottom of the stratum containing bones. Other finds included a spear point near a mastodon bone and a turtle-back scraper and blade found with bear, camel, mastodon, horse, and tapir bones.<ref>Purdy:23-29</ref> Similar human remains, Pleistocene animals and Paleo-Indian artifacts were found in [[Vero man|Vero Beach]], {{convert|30|mi}} south of Melbourne, and similar Paleo-Indian artifacts were found at the [[Helen Blazes archaeological site]], {{convert|10|mi}} southwest of Melbourne.

===Settlement===

[[File:Hotel Carleton, Melbourne, FL.jpg|thumb|left|The Hotel Carleton {{Circa|1907}}]]
The first settlers arrived after 1877. They included Richard W. Goode, his father John Goode, [[Cornthwaite John Hector]], Captain Peter Wright, Balaam Allen, Wright Brothers, and Thomas Mason.<ref>Shofner, Jerrell H., ''History of Brevard County Volume 1''</ref> Three of these men, Wright, Allen, and Brothers were black freedmen.<ref name="Remember Black">{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Teri |title=Remember Melbourne's black history |url=https://www.floridatoday.com/story/opinion/columnists/guest-columns/2016/02/21/remember-melbournes-black-history/80401254/ |access-date=December 18, 2018 |date=February 21, 2016}}</ref>

<!---probably ought to be moved to "Etymology" subsection-->
The city, formerly called "Crane Creek",<ref>{{Cite news | first=Britt | last=Kennerly | title=Freed slaves helped map out local history | newspaper=[[Florida Today]] | location=Melbourne, Florida | pages= 1A | date=January 10, 2011 }}</ref> was named Melbourne in honor of its first postmaster, [[Cornthwaite John Hector]], an Englishman who had spent much of his life in [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]], Australia (which was in turn named after the British Prime Minister [[William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne]]).<ref name="The History of Melbourne, Florida">{{Cite web|url=https://www.melbourneflorida.org/departments/community-development/historic-preservation|title=Historic Preservation &#124; City of Melbourne, FL|website=www.melbourneflorida.org}}</ref> He is buried in the [[Melbourne Cemetery]], along with many early residents in the area. The first school in Melbourne was built in 1883 and is on permanent exhibit on the campus of [[Florida Institute of Technology]]. By 1885, the town had 70 people.<ref name=Rooted>Kellersberger, Julia Lake. ''Rooted in Florida Soil'', Florida Institute of Technology Press, 1971, p. 12.</ref> The Greater Allen Chapel [[African Methodist Episcopal Church]] was founded in 1885 and is still active.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Rick | last=Neale | title=Church has 125 reasons to smile | url=http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100301/NEWS01/3010304/1006/Melbourne+church+has+125+reasons+to+smile | publisher=Florida Today | location=Melbourne, Florida | pages=9A | date=March 1, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222143833/http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100301/NEWS01/3010304/1006/Melbourne+church+has+125+reasons+to+smile | archive-date=February 22, 2014 }}</ref>

In the late 1890s, the Brownlie-Maxwell Funeral Home opened and it is still in business. The oldest black-owned business in the county is Tucker's Cut-Rate plumbing. It opened in 1934.<ref>{{cite news | first=Wayne | last=Price | title=70 years & counting | publisher=Florida Today. | location=Melbourne, Florida | pages= 1E | date=March 22, 2009 }}</ref>

In the early 1900s, houses were often built in the [[Florida cracker architecture|frame vernacular]] style.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Maria | last=Sonnenberg | title=Historic preservation | newspaper=Florida Today | location=Melbourne, Florida| pages= 5D | date=November 9, 2013 }}</ref>

In 1919, a fire destroyed most of the original downtown along Front Street. At the time, it was rebuilt west of US Hwy 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.melbourneharbor.com/history.html|title=History of Melbourne Harbor Marina in Melbourne, Florida|website=www.melbourneharbor.com|access-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | first=Ben | last=Brotenarkle | title=Historian publishes collection of articles | url=http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20140325/NEWS01/303250023/Florida-Frontiers-Historian-publishes-collection-articles| newspaper=Florida Today | location=Melbourne, Florida| pages= 11A | date=March 25, 2014 | access-date=March 25, 2014}}</ref>

During the [[Jim Crow]] years, black people were required to enter movie theaters via a different entrance from whites and sit in the balcony. Gas stations had signs for rest rooms labeled "Men", "Women", and "Colored." This persisted until integration in the late 1960s.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Britt | last=Kennerly | title=Space, Race and War | url=http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2016/03/19/space-race-and-war-1966-brevard-county-florida-today-newspaper-anniversary/80053794/| newspaper=Florida Today | location=Melbourne, Florida| pages= 18A | date=March 20, 2016 | access-date=March 20, 2016}}</ref><!---soft copy is video and supposed to be same article but did not listen to it to verify-->

In late 1942 the [[Naval Air Station Melbourne]] was established as a site to train newly commissioned [[United States Navy|Navy]] and [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]] pilots for [[World War II]]. The program ran until 1946, and the land that was used for that program makes up most of what is currently the [[Melbourne Orlando International Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.melbourneflorida.org/info/history.htm|title=The History of Melbourne Florida<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=August 11, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070524044422/http://www.melbourneflorida.org/info/history.htm|archive-date=May 24, 2007}}</ref>

In 1969, the cities of [[Eau Gallie, Florida|Eau Gallie]] and Melbourne voted to merge, forming modern-day Melbourne.<ref name="eau-gallie-merger">{{cite web |title=City of Melbourne, FL : Historic Preservation |url=http://www.melbourneflorida.org/departments/community-development/historic-preservation |access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref>

===Postwar===

In the 1950s, Babcock Street was extended north to intersect with US 1. The Melbourne Shopping Center was constructed on Babcock, the area's first [[strip mall]]. Consumers were sufficiently attracted to this new mall, that the traditional downtown, off New Haven, suffered. Urban blight was successfully mitigated in the 1980s.<ref name=ft150202>{{cite news |first=Mickey |last=Arbogast |title=Veteran recalls days of 1950s Melbourne |url=http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2015/02/01/veteran-recalls-melbourne/22699349/|newspaper=Florida Today |location=Melbourne, Florida |pages=9A |date=February 2, 2015 |access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref>

A board was created by the legislature to spend a 10% tax on electric bills. This was used by the Melbourne Civic Improvement Board to build the Melbourne Auditorium, the first library and fire station, and various parks. The board was dissolved when Melbourne was merged with Eau Gallie in 1969.<ref name=ft150202 /> That merger doubled the size of Melbourne.<ref name = bj2017>{{Cite journal |first=Frank J. |last=Thomas |year=2017 |title= One or ten? The 1967 Battle over unification/consolidation in South Brevard |journal=The Journal of the Brevard County Historical Commission |volume=XVI |issue=2 |pages=25–31}}</ref>

Streetlights were gradually added until, by the early 1960s, streets east of Babcock Street had lights. Lights were added to streets west of Babcock after the early 1960s.<ref>{{cite news |first=Barbara |last=Bayley |title=New Englander is now 'so Brevard' |url=http://www.floridatoday.com/story/life/wellness/ageless/2014/10/28/ageless-brevard/18058743/|newspaper=Florida Today |location=Melbourne, Florida |pages=13A |date=November 8, 2014 |access-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref>

In 1969, the city elected [[Julius Montgomery]], its first black councilman. Montgomery was also the first African American student of Brevard Engineering College, later Florida Institute of Technology which named their Pioneer Award after him.<ref>Florida Today Newspaper April 29, 1970</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=J.D. |last=Gallop |title=Tension, progress in race relations |url=http://www.floridatoday.com/restricted/?return=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.floridatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F50th%2Fpremium%2F2016%2F03%2F20%2Ftension-progress-race-relations%2F82045912%2F|newspaper=Florida Today |location=Melbourne, Florida |pages=5D |date=March 21, 2016 |access-date=March 21, 2016}}</ref><!---softcopy, which I haven't checked, requires a subscription-->

On August 2, 1995, the city received a record {{convert|9.06|in}} of rainfall from [[Hurricane Erin (1995)|Hurricane Erin]].<ref name=ft170829>{{Cite news | first=Elliott | last=James | title=Region not built for Harvey-style rainfall | url=http://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/2017/08/28/highest-rainfall-locally-almost-foot-one-day-records-show/607257001/| newspaper=Florida Today | location=Melbourne, Florida| pages= 8A | date=August 29, 2017 | access-date=August 30, 2017}}</ref>

During the week of August 22, 2008, a record {{convert|17.54|inch}} of rain fell caused by [[Tropical Storm Fay (2008)|Tropical Storm Fay]].<ref name=ft170829/>

A 2009 [[Halloween]] [[street party]] sponsored by a downtown restaurant attracted an estimated 8,000–10,000 people. This overwhelmed the downtown area. Street parties were curtailed until public safety issues were addressed.<ref>{{cite news |first=Susanne |last=Cervenra |title=Melbourne council suspends gated street events |url=http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100113/NEWS01/1130356/Melbourne-suspends-gated-street-parties|work=Florida Today |location=Melbourne, Florida |pages=1B |date=January 13, 2010}}</ref>

On February 18, 2017, president [[Donald J. Trump]] held his first post-inauguration rally at the [[Melbourne Orlando International Airport|Orlando-Melbourne International Airport]] drawing a crowd of approximately 9,000 people according to the Melbourne police department.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cheering Supporters Greet Trump at Rally in Florida|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-florida/3730221.html|work=VOA News|date=February 18, 2017}}</ref>