Editing Astor, Florida

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|official_name            = Astor, Florida
|other_name               = 
|native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname                 = 
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
|motto                    = 
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|image_skyline            = Astor FL post office01.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Astor post office
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|image_map                = File:Lake County Florida Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Astor Highlighted 1202275.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in Lake County, Florida
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<!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{flag|United States}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Florida}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Florida|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = {{noflag|[[Lake County, Florida|Lake]]}}
|subdivision_type3        = 
|subdivision_name3        = 
|subdivision_type4        = 
|subdivision_name4        = 
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|leader_title4            = 
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|established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
|established_date         = 
|established_title2       = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
|established_date2        = 
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<!-- Area    --------------------->
|area_magnitude           = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_12.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 31, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 6.87
|area_land_km2            = 6.05
|area_water_km2           = 0.82
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.65
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.33
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.32
|area_water_percent       = 
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<!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_note          = 
|population_total         = 1759
|population_density_km2   = 290.89
|population_density_sq_mi = 753.32
|population_metro         =  
<!-- General information  --------------->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|coordinates              = {{coord|29|09|48|N|81|32|06|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 16
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 32102
|area_code                = [[Area code 352|352]] [[Area code 386|386]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 12-02275<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2402654<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2402654}}</ref>
|website                  = 
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}}

'''Astor''' is an [[Unincorporated area#United States|unincorporated community]] and [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Lake County, Florida|Lake County]], [[Florida]], United States,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20021123093118/http://www.astorchamber.com/ Astor Area Chamber of Commerce]</ref><ref>[[Florida Department of Transportation]] signs for Astor and Volusia</ref> located on the west side of the [[St. Johns River]] between [[Lake George (Florida)|Lake George]] and [[Lake Dexter (Polk County, Florida)|Lake Dexter]]. The community straddles [[State Road 40 (Florida)|State Road 40]], with the community of [[Volusia, Florida|Volusia]] in [[Volusia County, Florida|Volusia County]] across the St. Johns to the east and [[Astor Park, Florida|Astor Park]] to the west. The population was 1,556 at the 2010 census.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/SF1DP1/1600000US1202275| title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1), Astor CDP, Florida| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| website=American FactFinder| access-date=November 13, 2019| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213121407/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/SF1DP1/1600000US1202275| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> It is part of the [[Greater Orlando|Orlando&ndash;Kissimmee&ndash;Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==Geography==
[[Image:AstorBridge.jpg|thumb|240px|left|The [[Astor Bridge]] over the [[St. Johns River]] between Astor and [[Volusia, Florida|Volusia]]]]
Astor is located in northern Lake County at {{coord|29|10|N|81|32|W|type:city}} (29.1639, -81.5346).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> Via State Road 40, it is {{convert|31|mi}} west of [[Ormond Beach, Florida|Ormond Beach]] and {{convert|39|mi}} east of [[Ocala, Florida|Ocala]]. [[Tavares, Florida|Tavares]], the [[county seat]] of Lake County, is {{convert|32|mi}} to the southwest via SR 40 and [[Florida State Road 19|SR 19]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the Astor CDP has a total area of {{convert|6.9|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|6.0|sqkm|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|0.8|sqkm|order=flip|1}}, or 11.93%, are water.<ref name=Gazetteer>{{cite web| url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_12.txt| title=U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: Florida| website=U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division| access-date=November 13, 2019}}</ref> Astor's water area includes the west half of the St. John's River and a network of canals, extending over {{convert|4|mi|0}} in total length, providing river access for many of its residents. Astor lies entirely within the boundaries of the [[Ocala National Forest]].

==History==
The Astor area and much of the land along the [[St. Johns River]] was inhabited by [[Timucua]] natives prior to settlement by Europeans. Early attempts at settlement included an English trading post in 1763, and in 1822 a plantation growing sugar cane and oranges was established by Jewish immigrant [[Moses Elias Levy]]. By 1838 the [[Seminole Wars]] had begun and the [[United States]] government established [[Fort Butler (Astor, Florida)|Fort Butler]] to defend the river as the primary route of transportation inside Florida. These earliest efforts at settlement all met with failure due to war or disease, and until the 1870s the area was largely deserted.<ref name="Wass de Czege">Wass de Czege, A.: ''The History of Astor on the St. Johns, Astor Park, and the Surrounding Area'', Third, Extended Edition, pages 11, 14-18. Danubian Press, 1996</ref>{{rp|11, 14–18}}

In 1874, [[William Backhouse Astor Jr.]] from [[New York City]]'s wealthy [[Astor family]] purchased over {{convert|12000|acre|km2}} of land, upon which he began to establish a town he called "Manhattan". New settlers arrived by steamboat to the town which Astor had endowed with a church, schoolhouse, botanical garden, and free cemetery. William Astor also built a hotel, saw mill, and eventually a railroad, the [[St. Johns and Lake Eustis Railway]], which headed southwest towards the communities of [[Eustis, Florida|Eustis]] and [[Leesburg, Florida|Leesburg]]. A few miles to the west of town, a satellite community called [[Astor Park, Florida|Astor Park]] grew up along the shore of Lake Schimmerhorn (named for Astor's wife, [[Caroline Schermerhorn Astor]]). Over the next twenty years Astor saw his town grow, but the Manhattan name never caught on. When William Astor died in 1892, the town was officially renamed "Astor" in his honor.<ref name="Wass de Czege"/>{{rp|23–28}}

[[John Jacob Astor IV]] inherited his father William's estate and continued to promote the town and their business interests in Florida. Following his demise in the sinking of the [[RMS Titanic|RMS ''Titanic'']] in 1912, the estate passed to his son, Vincent. [[Vincent Astor|William Vincent Astor]] was not interested in his grandfather's Florida enterprises, and so the Astor family's interests in the area were sold.<ref name="Wass de Czege"/>{{rp|28}} This, combined with a severe decline in steamboat travel on the St. Johns due to increased availability of rail travel, signaled the end of the town's prosperity and prominence.<ref>[http://www.astorflorida.com/history.htm Astor Florida History]</ref> The first [[Astor Bridge]] was built in 1926;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WMxPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=flQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4531,5865054&dq=astor-bridge&hl=en|title=Two Volusia-Lake County Bridges Scheduled to Be Free of Charge|date=May 29, 1926|work=[[Evening Independent]]|page=12A|location=St. Petersburg, FL|access-date=2012-09-02}}</ref> by 1928, Astor's hotel had burned down and the railroad was abandoned, leaving Astor without telephone or telegraph service for the next few decades.<ref name="Wass de Czege"/>{{rp|33, 35}}

Today the community of Astor is largely reliant upon tourism, and is a popular spot for winter visitors from the north and for fishing, hunting, and boating enthusiasts.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|2020= 1759
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
[[File:St. Johns River at Astor, Florida 001.jpg|thumb|St. Johns River at Astor. Across the river is the Astor Marina.]]
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,487 people, 641 households, and 444 families residing in the CDP.  The population density was {{convert|603.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 1,027 housing units at an average density of {{convert|416.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.97% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.67% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.81% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.07% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.21% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.27% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 9.15% of the population.

There were 641 households, out of which 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.68.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $31,284, and the median income for a family was $31,786. Males had a median income of $22,074 versus $20,949 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $14,467.  About 9.2% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

== Notable People ==

* [[Moses Elias Levy]]
* [[Robert M. McTureous Jr.]]

==References==
<references />
{{Commons category|Astor, Florida}}

{{Lake County, Florida}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Astor family]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Lake County, Florida]]
[[Category:Greater Orlando]]
[[Category:Populated places on the St. Johns River]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Florida]]
[[Category:1874 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1874]]
[[Category:Unincorporated communities in Florida]]