Dade City, Florida
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Dade City, officially the City of Dade City, is a city in, and the county seat of Pasco County, Florida, United States.<ref name="NACO">Template:Cite web</ref> It is located in the Tampa Bay Area, northeast of Tampa and southwest of Orlando. The population was 7,275 as of the 2020 census.<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> The current mayor of Dade City is Scott Black.
The city was named after U.S. Army Major Francis L. Dade, who was killed—alongside most of the men he led from Fort Brooke (present-day Tampa) to Fort King (present-day Ocala)—in the Dade Battle, a pivotal event that sparked the Second Seminole War.
The gently rolling hills of eastern Pasco County give way to this quintessential Southern small town, which is known and beloved by many for its slow-paced, "Old Florida" ambience.
History
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An earlier community known as Fort Dade existed nearby in the 1870s and 1880s. When the railroad was constructed a few miles east of Fort Dade, local business owners chose to relocate to be closer to it. The newer settlement became known as Dade City. The name became official when the Hatton post office was changed to the Dade City post office on December 18, 1884.
Initially incorporated as a town in either 1884 or 1885, Dade City was later reincorporated as a city following state legislative approval on June 5, 1889. When Pasco County was formed from the southern section of a much larger Hernando County (Citrus County was formed from the northern section) in 1887, Dade City became the county seat—first temporarily and later permanently—by popular vote.
The Pioneer Florida Museum (located just outside city limits), which opened on Labor Day of 1975, showcases the life of European-American pioneers in Central Florida.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some of its exhibits include a 1913 locomotive, a Methodist church, a house built prior to American Civil War, an old school, and an old train depot from Trilby, Florida.<ref name="Horgan" />
The Hugh Embry Library, currently located on 4th Street in downtown Dade City, was opened in 1904 when its namesake, then 25 years old, was recovering from an illness. Embry had a strong desire to read, but at that time there was no public library located in Dade City. He solicited donations of books from local households, and developed a small library in the Embry home on Church Street (now the site of the U.S. Post Office).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
His efforts helped generate great enthusiasm in the community for a much more extensive library, culminating in the establishment of the Pasco County Library Association in 1905.. After Embry's death at the age of 28 due to tuberculosis, the library initially faltered. Efforts of active community members and civic organizations such as the Dade City Woman's Club kept the library open. The library was relocated several times over the next five decades, finally reaching its current location in 1963. The library underwent a complete renovation in the late 1980s, with the current Template:Convert building opening in 1991. More recently, the library underwent renovations in 2021. The library reopened on May 30, 2023.
The Crescent Theatre was Dade City's main movie theater from its opening in 1926 until it closed in 1950.<ref name="Horgan" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was located on the northeast corner of south 5th Street and Florida Avenue. The facade of the original building was preserved while other renovations were made for adaptive reuse. A metal structure was added in the 1990s. Today the building is used as a non-profit Seniors' Services center.
The Pasco Theatre, built as a movie theater on south 7th Street, opened in 1948 and operated until its demolition in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The original "PASCO" sign, once fastened to the building's marquee, has since found a new home inside Florida Cracker Lunch on Limoges.
Lawrence Puckett (1906–1985) settled in Dade City in 1925. He later became involved in politics and served as mayor from 1981–1983 and as a member of the city commission from 1976 until his death in 1985. His recollections of the city were published by the Pasco County Centennial Committee. They date from his arrival as a young man of 19 years old. Puckett describes Dade City before and after the Florida land boom as "a typical southern agriculture area, where the few well-to-do controlled the economy and the poor white folks and Negroes did the work for minimal pay. In other words, folks here were either quite well-to-do or very damn poor". Puckett described Dade City as it existed during the Florida boom, with its various shops, streets, and buildings. Most of these had changed significantly by the time he was writing.<ref name=Puckett>Template:Cite book</ref>
With the Florida land boom, people were streaming into the state, usually sticking to the East Coast. The overall economic effect was to drive up property prices all across the state. For Dade City, Puckett estimated that the top money-making ventures were either real estate, business related to real estate, or the production of moonshine.
He said that the increase of people and capital into Dade City had a profound effect on its culture:
"Country clubs and golf courses were being constructed with country folks playing golf and dancing the Charleston. Woodlands and grazing lands were developed into subdivisions, with sidewalks and streets built nine miles into the woods, which in most cases was about all that happened."<ref name=Puckett />
During World War II, the government established a prisoner-of-war camp in Dade City. The prisoners were German soldiers from Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps, who were captured in battles in North Africa in 1942-1943. They were put to work, producing limestone bricks, building warehouses, and making boxes. The POW camp operated from approximately 1942 to the spring of 1946. The site has been redeveloped as the Pyracantha Park Civic Center.<ref name="Horgan">Horgan, James J., Alice F. Hall, and Edward J. Herrmann. The Historic Places of Pasco County, Pasco County Historical Preservation Committee, Pasco County, Florida, 1992</ref>
Geography
[edit]Dade City is located at Template:Coord (28.3647248, -82.1959178).<ref name=gnis/>
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which, Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (6.23%) is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024"/>
Dade City contains gently rolling topography with elevations from 60 ft to 100 ft.
Demographics
[edit]As of the 2022 American Community Survey, there are 2,505 estimated households in Dade City with an average of 2.74 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $63,493. Approximately 12.8% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Dade City has an estimated 46.3% employment rate, with 23.3% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 83.6% holding a high school diploma.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (82.7%), Spanish (17.2%), Indo-European (0.0%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.1%), and Other (0.0%).
The median age in the city was 40.4 years.
2020 census
[edit]| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 2000 | % 2010 | Template:Partial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 3,616 | 3,682 | 3,824 | 58.44% | 57.20% | 52.56% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,482 | 1,294 | 1,263 | 23.95% | 20.10% | 17.36% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 19 | 6 | 21 | 0.31% | 0.09% | 0.29% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 37 | 28 | 41 | 0.60% | 0.43% | 0.56% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 9 | 5 | 0.05% | 0.14% | 0.07% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 5 | 7 | 19 | 0.08% | 0.11% | 0.26% |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | 51 | 82 | 238 | 0.82% | 1.27% | 3.27% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 975 | 1,329 | 1,864 | 15.76% | 20.65% | 25.62% |
| Total | 6,188 | 6,437 | 7,275 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 7,275 people, 2,718 households, and 1,707 families residing in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,227 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 58.86% White, 17.79% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 9.68% from some other races and 12.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 25.62% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18, 3.4% were under 5 years of age, and 24.7% were 65 and older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.9% male and 54.1% female.
2010 census
[edit]As of the 2010 census, there were 6,437 people, 2,500 households, and 1,528 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,049 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 67.35% White, 20.44% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 8.65% from some other races and 2.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 20.65% of the population.
Culture and the Arts
[edit]Dade City is popular with both tourists and residents for its quaint shops, historic buildings, and a variety of renowned events. The Kumquat Festival is hosted annually downtown on the last Saturday in January, attracting thousands of attendees. The festival celebrates the locally grown kumquat—a small citrus fruit, similar in size to an olive, that is eaten whole.
The Dade City Cruise-In car show takes place on the first Saturday of each month from September through May, set around the historic courthouse square.
During the holiday season, the annual Dade City Christmas Parade is held on the first Friday in December, with the parade route running south along 7th Street for around half a mile. Later in the month, one can also catch the festive Country Christmas Stroll and Church Street Christmas, both cherished local traditions.
Downtown Dade City
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Downtown Dade City is known for its charming storefronts and array of restaurants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Businesses like Kiefer Jewelers, The Book Shack, and Treehouse Mercantile, contribute to the close-knit, community-driven atmosphere that defines the downtown area. Popular downtown dining options include, but are certainly not limited to, Florida Cracker Lunch on Limoges, Del Carmen Mexican restaurant, and Olio, which offers authentic Italian cuisine.
Located on Meridian Avenue adjacent to the police department, Dade City City Hall serves as the beating heart of the city's municipal government operations. Directly across the street sits the Hugh Embry Branch Library, a member of the Pasco County Library Cooperative.
Standing front and center as the crown jewel of historic downtown Dade City is the stately Pasco County Courthouse. The courthouse, designed by Georgia-based architect Edward Columbus Hosford, was completed in 1909.
Wells Fargo currently occupies the two-story brick building across from the courthouse, on the northeast corner of Meridian Avenue and 7th Street. The building was originally opened by the Bank of Pasco County in 1891; this was the first brick structure ever constructed in Dade City.
Infrastructure
[edit]Major roads
[edit]- Template:Jct is the main road through Dade City running north and south through the city.
- Template:Jct is the main east-west road that runs through central Pasco County, from US 19 in Bayonet Point to US 98/301 in Dade City.
- Template:Jct
- Template:Jct is an extension of SR 41, which is a hidden state road along US 301 from the Hillsborough County Line and becomes an independent route in Zephyrhills.
- Template:Jct was the main east-west road that runs through central Pasco County, from US 19 in Bayonet Point to US 98/301 in Dade City until February 2023.
- Template:Jct is a county alternate route of SR 52.
- Template:Jct runs west to east from Bellamy Brothers Boulevard (CR 581) in Darby to northern Dade City.
Railroads
[edit]Passenger rail service was previously available at the city's Atlantic Coast Line depot. Since 2004, the depot is only served by Amtrak Thruway service to Jacksonville and Lakeland.
CSX Transportation's Wildwood Subdivision provides freight rail service to Dade City.
Local bus service
[edit]Pasco County Public Transportation provides local bus service on routes 30 & 31 in Dade City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Public Safety and healthcare
[edit]The Dade City Police Department (DCPD) is the law enforcement arm of the City of Dade City, while Pasco County Fire Rescue covers all fire protection and emergency medical services for the city.
The only hospital in Dade City is AdventHealth Dade City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable People
[edit]- Martha Barnett, attorney and former president of the American Bar Association
- Kurt S. Browning, Republican politician and former Superintendent of Schools for Pasco County, Florida
- Jim Courier, professional tennis player
- Dallas Eakins, NHL coach
- Dave Eiland, MLB pitcher
- Joey Ivie, NFL player
- Don Lewis, businessman and former husband of Carole Baskin, who disappeared in 1997
- Roy Roberts, actor
- Michael Penix Jr., NFL player
In popular culture
[edit]- In Showtime's TV series Dexter, in the episode "Father Knows Best", Dexter Morgan and his girlfriend Rita go to Dade City to clear out the house of Dexter's recently deceased biological father.
- Parts of the film Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp, were filmed in Dade City during the spring of 1990.
References
[edit]External links
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