Editing Blountstown, Florida

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!--See the Table at Infobox settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|name                     = Blountstown, Florida
|official_name            = City of Blountstown
|other_name               = 
|native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname                 = 
|settlement_type          = [[City (Florida)|City]]
|motto                    = "A River Town"<br>"The Kingdom Of Opportunity" 
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|image_skyline            = Blountstown City Hall.jpg
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|image_caption            = Blountstown City Hall
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|image_map                = Calhoun_County_Florida_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Blountstown_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Calhoun County, Florida|Calhoun County]] and the state of [[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|[[Calhoun County, Florida|Calhoun]]}}
|subdivision_type3        = 
|subdivision_name3        = 
|subdivision_type4        = 
|subdivision_name4        = 
<!-- Politics ----------------->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = [[Council–manager government|Council-Manager]]
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Tony Shoemake
|leader_title1            = [[City Council|Councilors]]
|leader_name1             = Clifford Jackson,<br>Martha "Mert" Stephens,<br>William "Bill" Gaskin, and<br>Sheila Blackburn
|leader_title2            = [[City Manager]]
|leader_name2             = Traci S. Hall
|leader_title3            = [[City Attorney]]
|leader_name3             = Jeff Carter
|leader_title4            = 
|leader_name4             = 
|established_title        = [[Settler colonialism|Settled]]
|established_date         = {{circa|1820|lk=yes}}<ref name=SetBlo/>
|established_title2       = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
|established_date2        = 
|established_title3       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date3        = 1903<ref name=BtownInc>{{Cite web|title=FLORIDA CITIES BY INCORPORATION YEAR|url=http://www.floridaleagueofcities.com/docs/default-source/CMRI/2016citiesbyincorporationb682b2c41a9e6c4e8be5ff0000e8da5f.pdf?sfvrsn=0|website=Florida League of Cities}}</ref>
|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           = 8.28
|area_land_km2            = 8.25
|area_water_km2           = 0.03
|area_total_sq_mi         = 3.20
|area_land_sq_mi          = 3.19
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01
|area_water_percent       = 
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<!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_note          = 
|population_total         = 2266
|population_density_km2   = 274.50
|population_density_sq_mi = 711.01
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<!-- General information  --------------->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|coordinates              = {{coord|30|26|35|N|85|2|43|W|region:US-FL|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m              = 19
|elevation_ft             = 62
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 32424
|area_code                = [[Area code 850|850]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 12-06925<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              = 0279006<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://blountstownfl.govoffice3.com/}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
}}

'''Blountstown''' is a city and the [[county seat]] of [[Calhoun County, Florida|Calhoun County]], [[Florida]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=2011-06-07 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=2011-05-31 }}</ref> As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 2,266.

==Name==
Blountstown is named for John Blount, a [[Creek Indian]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apalachicolabandofcreeks.com/johnblounthistory.htm |title=John Blount History - |website=www.apalachicolabandofcreeks.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207053918/http://www.apalachicolabandofcreeks.com/johnblounthistory.htm |archive-date=7 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> chief who served as a guide for General [[Andrew Jackson]] during his invasion of [[Spanish Florida]] in 1818. This invasion was not directed at Spain, per se, but at [[Seminoles]] who would attack settlements north of Florida, then retreat to relative safety below the border of Spanish Florida. Also, Spain did not return escaped slaves to the U.S. In any case, this invasion caused Spain to sell Florida to the United States, since it was apparent that Spain would have a hard time defending against invasion. Thus, this territory became a part of the U.S. in 1821.<ref>History of Blountstown, Florida: The Story of Chief Blount & the City of Blountstown. Calhoun County Chamber Of Commerce. 2010-05-24. URL:http://www.calhounco.org/history-blountstown.cfm. Accessed: 2010-05-24. (Archived by WebCite at)</ref> The city was officially incorporated in 1903.<ref name=BtownInc/>

==History==
Blountstown was originally named for a Native American man, Chief (John Blount), who had been awarded land in the vicinity by [[Andrew Jackson]] for aiding Jackson in his battles against the Native Americans. However, he was forced to move from Florida to Texas in the 1830s. He died soon after being relocated.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Covington |first1=James W. |title=Federal Relations with the Apalachicola Indians: 1823-1838 |journal=The Florida Historical Quarterly |date=October 1963 |volume=42 |issue=2 |page=136 |url=http://palmm.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/ucf%3A22395 |access-date=18 January 2023}}</ref> However the current city started to be permanently settled by non-indigenous people around the 1820s.<ref name=SetBlo>{{Cite web|title=About Panhandle Pioneer Settlement Foundation|url=https://panhandlepioneer.org/about-us|website=panhandlepioneer.org}}</ref>

In the late 1850s, there was an open and violent feud between two rival factions which included the local Durden family. At one point, the Durdens and their rivals had a "pitched battle" at the courthouse square in Blountstown.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bittle |first1=George C. |title=Florida Prepares for War, 1860-1861 |journal=The Florida Historical Quarterly |date=October 1972 |volume=51 |issue=2 |page=143 |url=http://palmm.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/ucf%3A25417 |access-date=18 January 2023}}</ref>

On October 10, 2018, Blountstown was nearly annihilated when [[Saffir–Simpson scale#Category 5|Category 5]] [[Hurricane Michael]] struck the town.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Etters |first1=Karl |title='Heartbreaking': Communications cut off in ravaged Liberty, Calhoun after Hurricane Michael |url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/10/12/hurricane-michael-aftermath-tornado-damage-liberty-calhoun-county-florida/1612915002/ |access-date=18 January 2023 |work=Tallahassee Democrat |date=13 October 2018}}</ref> The city was without power for almost three weeks and over 80% of homes and businesses were heavily damaged or destroyed. Blountstown High School suffered heavy damage, but Blountstown Elementary School was completely destroyed. In addition, the local timber and farming industries, which are Calhoun County's largest industries, were completely destroyed, costing millions of dollars in economic loss.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wagner |first1=Hannah |title=A Storm Like No Other Came and Went. A Community of Timber Farmers Persisted |url=https://www.stateforesters.org/2021/09/30/a-storm-like-no-other-came-and-went-a-community-of-timber-farmers-persisted/ |website=stateforesters.org/ |publisher=National Association of State Foresters |access-date=18 January 2023}}</ref>

==Geography==
The approximate coordinates for the City of Blountstown is located in east central Calhoun County at {{coord|30.442957|-85.045402|type:city_region:US|format=dms|display=inline}}.<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>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|3.2|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|3.2|sqmi|km2}} is land and 0.31% is water.

Directly to the east lies [[Bristol, Florida|Bristol]] in [[Liberty County, Florida|Liberty County]]. Blountstown and Calhoun County uses the [[Central Time Zone]], as opposed to Liberty County which is in the [[Eastern Time Zone]].

==Climate==
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], the City of Blountstown has a [[humid subtropical climate]] zone (''Cfa'').

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 546
|1920= 863
|1930= 1270
|1940= 1931
|1950= 2118
|1960= 2375
|1970= 2384
|1980= 2632
|1990= 2404
|2000= 2444
|2010= 2514
|2020= 2266
|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, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 and 2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Blountstown racial composition'''<br> (Hispanics excluded from racial categories)<br> (''NH = Non-Hispanic'')<br>
!Race
!Pop 2010<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Blountstown city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Blountstown+city;+Florida+&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Blountstown city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Blountstown+city;+Florida+&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|1,667
|1,439
|66.31%
|63.50%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|698
|539
|27.76%
|23.79%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|21
|16
|0.84%
|0.71%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|10
|9
|0.40%
|0.40%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] or [[Native Hawaiian]] (NH)
|2
|0
|0.08%
|0.00%
|-
|[[Other races (U.S. Census)|Some other race]] (NH)
|0
|0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races/Multiracial]] (NH)
|46
|153
|1.83%
|6.75%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|70
|110
|2.78%
|4.85%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''2,514'''
|'''2,266'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|-
|}

As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 2,266 people, 1,149 households, and 647 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: Blountstown city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Blountstown+city;+Florida+&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1101|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

In 2020, there was a 47.0% employment rate and a median household income of $37,083. 28.6% of the population lived below the [[Poverty thresholds (United States Census Bureau)|poverty threshold]]. The median age in the city was 38.0 years old.<ref>{{cite web |title=Blountstown city, Florida |url=https://data.census.gov/profile?g=1600000US1206925 |website=data.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=18 January 2023}}</ref>

As of the [[2010 United States census]], there were 2,514 people, 968 households, and 610 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: Blountstown city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Blountstown+city;+Florida+&tid=ACSST5Y2010.S1101|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2"/> of 2000, there were 2,444 people, 913 households, and 595 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|767.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,046 housing units at an average density of {{convert|328.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 65.18% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 31.79% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.27% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.33% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.08% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.29% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.06% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.70% of the population.

In 2000, there were 913 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 21.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.99.

In 2000, in the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.8 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $23,271, and the median income for a family was $30,880. Males had a median income of $23,313 versus $20,000 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $11,498. About 18.5% of families and 24.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 33.6% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==
[[File:Calhoun County (Blountstown).jpg|thumb|right|250px|Modern Calhoun County Courthouse]]
The old Calhoun County courthouse was located in Blountstown and is currently listed as a historic Florida landmark.<ref>''A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture'', 1989, Gainesville: University of Florida Press, p. 23, {{ISBN|0-8130-0941-3}}</ref>

The city is home of the [[Calhoun Correctional Institution]].

==Education==
[[Calhoun County School District (Florida)|Calhoun County School District]] operates public schools.

There are three schools located within the city:

*Blountstown Elementary School for kindergarten through fifth grades<ref>blountstownelementary.org</ref>
*Blountstown Middle School for sixth through eighth<ref>blountstownmiddle.org</ref>
*[[Blountstown High School]] for ninth through twelfth<ref>blountstownhigh.org</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Patricia Dane]], Hollywood actress of 1940s and early 1950s; starred in films ''[[Grand Central Murder]]'', ''[[Johnny Eager]]'' and ''[[Life Begins for Andy Hardy]]''; wife of bandleader [[Tommy Dorsey]]; died in Blountstown in 1995
* [[Corn Griffin]], Heavyweight boxer born in Blountstown, whose memorable 1934 TKO loss to [[James J. Braddock]] was recreated for the 2005 film ''[[Cinderella Man]]''
* [[Carey Loftin]], Hollywood [[stuntman]] and actor, born in Blountstown
* [[Elam Stoltzfus]], Suncoast Emmy award-winning American environmental documentary filmmaker
* [[Fuller Warren]], 30th [[list of governors of Florida|governor of Florida]]

==Images==
<gallery>
File:Blountstown FL Sign SR20.jpg|Sign for Blountstown
File:Blountstown FL old crths01.JPG|Old Calhoun County Courthouse
File:Lake Hilda from Sherry Avenue.jpg|Lake Hilda
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Blountstown}}
{{Commons category|Blountstown, Florida}}
* [https://blountstownfl.govoffice3.com/ City of Blountstown, Florida - official website]
* [http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00028414 ''The County Record''] newspaper that serves Blountstown, Florida is available in full-text with images in [http://ufdc.ufl.edu/fdnl1 Florida Digital Newspaper Library]

{{Calhoun County, Florida}}
{{Florida county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Blountstown, Florida| ]]
[[Category:County seats in Florida]]
[[Category:Cities in Calhoun County, Florida]]
[[Category:Cities in Florida]]
[[Category:1903 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1903]]