About Palm Bay, Florida:
Hours and hours we spent diving into archives, and my wife and I believe we have found the oldest documented observation of this specific area, Native American art notwithstanding. While there are excerpts dating back to an 1844's surveyor’s (Mackay) description, our team dug deeper and found within the University of Florida's George A. Smathers Library archive: “Observations upon The Floridas, by Charles Vignoles, published by E. Bliss & E. White, 1823.”
Here is what we found:
“Two miles south St. Andre‘s river or Turkey creek empties into the lagoon; its right bank is altogether pine; on the left for a very short way some hammock scrub and spruce is to be found; it is but a small distance up that it separates into two springs, soon terminating in little swamps, having passed through high pine land. Immediately beyond the mouth of this creek are the Turkey bluffs, of rich yellow sand and forty feet in height, extending a mile in length; this terminates the general low rocky shore which was predominant from within about twenty miles of the Haulover; a trifling distance further on the bluff is of shells with a scrub hammock, the northern sand bluff being covered with pines, and having a luxuriant under brush of oak and hickory scrub. The Turkey bluffs present one of the most healthy and beautiful spots to be met with on the eastern coast of Florida for houses; they are supposed to be the same as the hills marked in most of the charts, 'Las Tortolas.'”
Las Tortolas translates; “The Turtle Doves,” possibly mistaken for the native mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) found throughout Florida.
The Timucan Indians originally inhabited the area. Also the tribes of the Jaegas, Seminoles, and AIS settled. Then Congress enacted the Armed Occupation Act of 1842. This law granted 160 acres of land in the unoccupied regions of Florida to any settler willing to bear arms to defend the property for five years (against Indians)—a homestead act of sorts.
Cattle driving, lumber/paper, fishing, citrus, pineapples, and a winter vegetable packing house became big business in the late nineteenth century in what was to become Tillman (named after a businessman/merchant John Tillman). With a population of 40, the non-chartered Town of Tillman was awarded its first post office on March 4, 1887.
Around 1910, Florida Indian River Catholic Colony, and its founder William Tubbs, promoted Tillman across the country to prospective farmers and investors. In 1914, Father Gabriel and Mrs. Bridget E. Minor led the efforts to build St. Josephs Catholic Church (located at 1422 Northeast Miller Street and registered as a U.S. National Register of Historic Places) on land donated by H.A. Tubbs.
In 1922, the Melbourne-Tillman Drainage (Water Control) District was formed, and a 180 mile grid of 80 canals was created that opened land for agriculture and development to the west.
The Town of Tillman changed its name to Palm Bay during the 1920s, in recognition of the natural resource at the mouth of Turkey Creek into the Indian River Lagoon.
The arrival of the Space Age and Radiation, Inc (now Harris Corporation), coupled with the Mackle Brothers and General Development Corporation (GDC), launched an unprecedented boom in south Brevard County.
On January 16, 1960, The City of Palm Bay adopted its charter, and today the population enjoys 103,190 residents (2010 Census) over 98 square miles. The City of Palm Bay is the largest municipality in both land and population in Brevard County, and the 7th largest in the State of Florida in land area.
Here is what we found:
“Two miles south St. Andre‘s river or Turkey creek empties into the lagoon; its right bank is altogether pine; on the left for a very short way some hammock scrub and spruce is to be found; it is but a small distance up that it separates into two springs, soon terminating in little swamps, having passed through high pine land. Immediately beyond the mouth of this creek are the Turkey bluffs, of rich yellow sand and forty feet in height, extending a mile in length; this terminates the general low rocky shore which was predominant from within about twenty miles of the Haulover; a trifling distance further on the bluff is of shells with a scrub hammock, the northern sand bluff being covered with pines, and having a luxuriant under brush of oak and hickory scrub. The Turkey bluffs present one of the most healthy and beautiful spots to be met with on the eastern coast of Florida for houses; they are supposed to be the same as the hills marked in most of the charts, 'Las Tortolas.'”
Las Tortolas translates; “The Turtle Doves,” possibly mistaken for the native mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) found throughout Florida.
The Timucan Indians originally inhabited the area. Also the tribes of the Jaegas, Seminoles, and AIS settled. Then Congress enacted the Armed Occupation Act of 1842. This law granted 160 acres of land in the unoccupied regions of Florida to any settler willing to bear arms to defend the property for five years (against Indians)—a homestead act of sorts.
Cattle driving, lumber/paper, fishing, citrus, pineapples, and a winter vegetable packing house became big business in the late nineteenth century in what was to become Tillman (named after a businessman/merchant John Tillman). With a population of 40, the non-chartered Town of Tillman was awarded its first post office on March 4, 1887.
Around 1910, Florida Indian River Catholic Colony, and its founder William Tubbs, promoted Tillman across the country to prospective farmers and investors. In 1914, Father Gabriel and Mrs. Bridget E. Minor led the efforts to build St. Josephs Catholic Church (located at 1422 Northeast Miller Street and registered as a U.S. National Register of Historic Places) on land donated by H.A. Tubbs.
In 1922, the Melbourne-Tillman Drainage (Water Control) District was formed, and a 180 mile grid of 80 canals was created that opened land for agriculture and development to the west.
The Town of Tillman changed its name to Palm Bay during the 1920s, in recognition of the natural resource at the mouth of Turkey Creek into the Indian River Lagoon.
The arrival of the Space Age and Radiation, Inc (now Harris Corporation), coupled with the Mackle Brothers and General Development Corporation (GDC), launched an unprecedented boom in south Brevard County.
On January 16, 1960, The City of Palm Bay adopted its charter, and today the population enjoys 103,190 residents (2010 Census) over 98 square miles. The City of Palm Bay is the largest municipality in both land and population in Brevard County, and the 7th largest in the State of Florida in land area.
For the "official ABOUT" page on the City's website, click here: http://www.palmbayflorida.org/discover-us/demographics
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