Ormond Beach, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ormond Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 36,301 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 37,929.[1]Ormond Beach is home to Tomoka State Park.
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[edit] History
Ormond Beach was once within the domain of the Timucuan Indians. Their local fortified village was called Nocoroco, believed to have been located at the site of Tomoka State Park. But war and disease would decimate the tribe. The city is named for James Ormond I, an Anglo-Irish-Scotch sea captain commissioned by King Ferdinand VII of Spain to bring Franciscan settlers to this part of Florida. Ormond had served Britain and Spain in the Napoleonic Wars as a ship captain, and was rewarded for his services to Spain by King Ferdinand VII. Ormond later worked for the Scottish Indian trade company of Panton, Leslie & Company, and his armed brig was called the Somerset. In 1821, Florida was acquired from Spain by the United States, but hostilities during the Second Seminole War delayed settlement until after 1842. In 1875, the city was founded as New Britain by inhabitants from New Britain, Connecticut, but would be incorporated in 1880 as Ormond for its early plantation owner.
Florida experienced a boom in tourism after the Civil War. With its hard, white beach, Ormond became popular for the wealthy seeking relief from northern winters. The St. Johns & Halifax Railroad arrived in 1886, and the first bridge across the Halifax River was created in 1887. John Anderson and James Downing Price opened the Ormond Hotel on January 1, 1888. Henry Flagler bought the hotel in 1890 and expanded it to accommodate 600 guests. It would be one in a series of Gilded Age hotels catering to passengers aboard his Florida East Coast Railway, which had purchased the St. Johns & Halifax Railroad. Once a well-known landmark which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, the hotel was razed in 1992.
One of Flagler's guests at the Ormond Hotel was his former business partner at the Standard Oil Company. John D. Rockefeller arrived in 1914, and after four seasons at the hotel bought an estate called The Casements. It would be Rockefeller's winter home during the latter part of his life. Sold by his heirs in 1939, it was purchased by the city in 1973, and now serves as its cultural center. It is the community's best-known historical structure. Beginning in 1902, some of the first automobile races were held on the compacted sand from Ormond south to Daytona Beach. Pioneers in the industry, including Ransom Olds and Alexander Winton, tested their inventions. The American Automobile Association brought timing equipment in 1903, and the area acquired the nickname "The Birthplace of Speed." Driving on the beach is still permitted on some stretches. The city would be renamed Ormond Beach in 1949.
 Royal Arch Oak in c. 1905 |
 Ormond Hotel in c. 1905 |
 Orange Grove in c. 1905 |
 Bostrom Oaks in c. 1908 |
[edit] Notable residents
- John D. Rockefeller, industrialist
- Harry Wendelstedt, baseball umpire
- Vince Carter, professional basketball player
- George McLeod, professional basketball player
- Ron Rice, owner/founder of Hawaiian Tropic
- Bobby Welch, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, author of "You The Warrior Leader: Applying Military Strategy For Victorious Spiritual Warfare"
[edit] Sites of interest
- The Casements
- Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens
[edit] Geography
Ormond Beach is located at (29.286405, -81.074882).GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 75.3 km² (29.1 mi²). 66.7 km² (25.8 mi²) of it is land and 8.6 km² (3.3 mi²) of it (11.42%) is water. Drained by the Tomoka River, Ormond Beach is located on the Halifax River lagoon and Atlantic Ocean.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 36,301 people, 15,629 households, and 10,533 families residing in the city. The population density was 544.3/km² (1,409.8/mi²). There were 17,258 housing units at an average density of 258.8/km² (670.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.28% White, 2.75% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.44% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.20% of the population.
There were 15,629 households out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 27.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,364, and the median income for a family was $52,496. Males had a median income of $38,598 versus $26,452 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,364. About 4.2% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] City officials
- Mayor Fred Costello
- Zone 1 City Commissioner Lori Gillooly
- Zone 2 City Commissioner Troy Kent
- Zone 3 City Commissioner Ed Kelley
- Zone 4 City Commissioner Bill Partington
[edit] External links
- City of Ormond Beach
- Tomoka State Park
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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