Botanist Alvan Wentworth Chapman (1809–1899) settled in Apalachicola in 1847.[citation needed] In 1860, he published his major work, Flora of the Southern United States. The former (now closed) elementary school is named in his honor.
In 1849, Apalachicola physician Dr. John Gorrie (1802–1855) discovered the cold-air process of refrigeration and patented an ice machine in 1850, as the result of experiments to lower the temperatures of fever patients, laying the groundwork for modern refrigeration and air-conditioning. The city has a monument to him, and a replica of his ice machine is on display in the John Gorrie Museum.
Southern Living published a feature article 'Florida's Quiet Side' in February 2007. Wanda McKinney writes: "Morning comes gently to Apalachicola. Oyster boats and shrimpboats begin their daily pilgrimages into the seafood-rich bay as the sun rises on the Northwest Florida coast. The lights twinkle on in this fishing village, its residents ready for another day in unspoiled paradise. If you ever wondered if such a place still exists, yes, old Florida lives here. A lone blinking yellow light directs the downtown traffic. Come and stay awhile in this wonderful, walkable, watery hamlet. Try the pace on for size."
Apalachicola in Popular Culture
Apalachicola is mentioned in the 2009 Tim McGraw song "Southern Voice".
In the 1947 Bob Hope, Bing Crosby film Road to Rio, Hope sings ("We're on Our Way to...) Apalachicola, F-L-A" which was written by Crosby.
Apalachicola is mentioned in the 2006 Tom T. Hall song "Redneck Riviera".
Arcadia
Arcadia was featured in an episode of the "Travel Channel" show "Cash & Treasures Treasure Hunter: Kirsten Gum", the episode aired in 2006. The episode included locals helping Kirsten dig for fossil shark teeth in the Peace River.
Bo Diddley
Archer
Notable People
Bo Diddley - Rock & Roll legend See Bo Diddley Video
Atlantic Beach
Notable People
Brian Sexton, Play by play voice of the Jacksonville Jaguars
Whitney Thompson, winner of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10's
Avon Park
In 1956 and 1957, several U.S. Army biological warfare experiments were conducted in Avon Park. In the experiments, Army bio-warfare researchers released millions of mosquitoes on the town, in order to see if the insects would spread yellow fever and dengue fever. Hundreds of residents contracted a wide array of illnesses, including fevers, respiratory problems, stillbirths, encephalitis, and typhoid. Army researchers pretended to be public health workers, so that they could photograph and perform medical tests on the victims. Several people died as a result of the experiments
Notable People
Thomas "Flash" Gordon, Major League Baseball pitcher
Hal McRae, Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hans von Walter, winner of the 2004 Florida Geographic Bee and 2005 and 2007 Florida AAA Travel High School Challenge and 2010 College Challenge on Jeopardy
Shelby Dressel, 2010 "American Idol" contestant
Bascom
Bascom is the hometown of actress Faye Dunaway.
Bell
Bell was once the site of "Swamp Shooters", an alumni game where former University of Florida football players, such as Shane Matthews and Jacquez Green, would, along with volunteers from the audience and school faculty, participate in many different games often relating to the sport of basketball, but also some football competitions.
Akin's BBQ, which is noted in many southern restaurant magazines, is a very popular place to dine
One thing Bell has come to be noticed for is the excellent Bell High-Q teams. During the 07-08 season, the Varsity team held an undefeated record
Belleair
Notable People
Hulk Hogan - professional wrestler and reality television star
Nigel Mansell - Formula One and CART driver
Will Smith – Actor
Bonifay
Notable People
Raymon Hudson, an NFL football player signed in June 2006 with the New Orleans Saints but got cut. He played high school football at Holmes County High School in Bonifay in the late 90s and early 00s. He played college football for the University of Alabama. [3]
Chad Edelstein, from Bonifay, was the first person from Holmes County to play football and baseball in a Division 1 College Florida A&M University and now resides in California where he is going to play Arena Football for Stockton, CA.
James McFatter, also known as "Coach Mac", went to Florida State in 1950 and lettered in Volleyball in 1951 and 1952. After four years in the Navy, he returned to Tallahassee to play for Coach Bill Odeneal's NCAA championship teams in 1957 and 1958. McFatter was the versatile leader of those two great squads and was named to the NCAA All-American first team in both 1957 and 1958. James McFatter was an important force in Florida State's rise to national visibility in its first decade in intercollegiate athletics.
The Garden of Eden in Bristol, FL?
Bristol
Garden of Eden? A widely reported claim was once made by Elvy E. Callaway that the site of the Biblical Garden of Eden lay in northern Liberty County. He cited as evidence the Apalachicola River, with its four heads, and local sources of gopher wood, the material said to have been used by Noah in constructing his ark
Bunnell
Notable People
Bill T. Jones (choreographer) - Tony Award Winner for choreography in two musicals, "Spring Awakening" and "Fela".
Charlie Turner - Trumpeter who played for and with many great musicians, including Jimmy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra.
Eddie Johnson - American soccer star.
Mardy Gilyard - NFL Wide Receiver, St. Louis Rams
Callahan
Notable People
Howie Kendrick, Major League Baseball player for the Anaheim Angels
Jean Lamar, 2009 Florida Teacher of the Year [4]
Doug Hexamer, WMC TV Special Projects NBC (attended West Nassau High School)
Frank Murphy Jr, Former NFL Football Player (Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans).
World's Smallest Police Station
Carabelle
Carrabelle is the home of the "World's Smallest Police Station".[7] The "World's Smallest Police Station" came into being on March 10, 1963. The city had been having problems with tourists making unauthorized long distance phone calls on its police phone. The phone was located in a call box that was bolted to a building at the corner of U.S. 98 and Tallahassee Street. Johnnie Mirabella, St. Joe Telephone's lone Carrabelle employee at the time, first tried moving the call box to another building, but the illegal calls continued. Mirabella noticed that the policeman would get drenched while answering phone calls when it was raining. So when the telephone company decided to replace its worn out phone booth in front of Burda's Pharmacy with a new one, he decided to solve both problems at once by putting the police phone in the old booth. With the help of Curly Messer, who was a deputy sheriff at the time, Mirabella moved the phone booth to its current site on U.S. 98 under the chinaberry tree. The booth did protect the officers from the elements, but some people still snuck into it to make long distance calls. Eventually the dial was removed from the phone, making it impossible for tourists to make calls. It has been featured on television shows "Real People", "Ripley's Believe It or Not", "The Today Show", "Johnny Carson".
It was featured in the movie "Tate's Hell" which was produced at Florida State University. Along with police station T-shirts - the design is copyrighted - there are police station hats, visors, postcards, and calendars. But life has not always been easy for the retired St. Joseph Telephone and Telegraph Company phone booth. Vandals have ripped phones out of the booth and shot holes through the glass. It has been knocked over by a pickup truck, a tourist once asked a gas station attendant to help him load it into his vehicle
Center Hill
The city "was once the 'Green Bean Capitol of the World'"[5] and is known locally to this day for the high quality of its soil.
Chattahoochee
Florida State Hospital, the hospital involved in the famous United States Supreme Court decision, O'Connor v. Donaldson, is next to Chattahoochee. The former arsenal and current Administration Building of Florida State Hospital is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Building - #73000578) .[4] The hospital was featured in a 1989 movie, Chattahoochee, starring Gary Oldman and Dennis Hopper, in which a war hero, Chris Calhoun, is involuntarily committed to Florida State Hospital where he sees doctors at the hospital humiliating patients and experiences filth and abuse.
Chipley
Notable People
Artis Gilmore - a Jacksonville University, ABA, and National Basketball Association All-Star center, was born in Chipley
Amp Lee - a Florida State University and National Football League halfback
Liz Swaine - a broadcast journalist in Louisiana
Bert Yancey - a Professional Golfers Association player, who was born in Chipley
Clermont
The Florida Citrus Tower, one of the first constructed Florida landmarks, is located in Clermont
Notable People
Kalup Linzy, video and performance artist
Tyson Gay, track athlete
Nina Kraft, pro triathlete
Dennis Mitchell, track coach
Kate DiCamillo, children's book author
Norm Duke, American professional bowler
Jason Couch, American professional bowler
Cassidy Rae, actress
Brandy Johnson Olympic Gymnast
Randy Pedersen, American Professional bowler / TV commentator
Jeff Chase, actor
Veronica Campbell-Brown, track athlete
William Andres, Canadian parliamentarian
Clewiston
Large sugar plantations were established around Lake Okeechobee. By the 1950s and 1960s, the cultivation of citrus, vegetables and cattle were also important to the economy. US Sugar Corporation, however, remained the dominant manufacturer in Clewiston, which became known as "America's Sweetest Town."
Notable People
Eric Green, football player
Alfonso Marshall, football player
Roland Martin, Professional Fisherman
A. Philip Randolph, the founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, was born in Crescent City in 1889. Randolph would become a prominent civil rights leader, especially during the African-American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Randolph Street in Crescent City is named after this influential figure.
Cocoa
Notable People
Kim Adler - professional bowler; 15 national titles including 1999 US Open
Emory L. Bennett - Medal of Honor recipient; lived and attended school in Cocoa
Michael Blake, first African-American president of the Space Coast League of Cities;[27] linebacker, Miami Dolphins[28]
Ben Going AKA Boh3m3 - Youtube video maker; Born in Cocoa
Scott Thompson aka Carrot Top - comedian.
Cocoa Beach
On May 1, 1942 the German submarine U-109 sunk the La Paz off the shore of Cocoa Beach. Local boys were recruited for salvaging efforts and to rid the beach of the subsequent debris
Cocoa Beach was the setting for the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie; although star Barbara Eden made only two visits during the show's production (both in 1969 for publicity), and no episodes were actually filmed there.
Also, Cocoa Beach High School was used as the school in the 2000 movie Race to Space.[13]
The 2010 Nebula Awards were held in the city
The Ron Jon Easter Surfing Festival drew 50,000 visitors in 2009.
A Space Coast Art Festival is held annually.[clarification needed]
The largest[citation needed] charity surfing festival, National Kidney Foundation Pro-Am Surfing Festival, has been held every Labor Day Weekend in Cocoa Beach
Notable People
George "The Animal" Steele
Allison Anders, raised in the city. Filmed Things Behind the Sun in the county in 2001
Rick Martel - professional wrestler
Allen Neuharth - CEO of Gannett and columnist. Founder of USA Today[36]
Kelly Slater, professional surfer, 10-time World Champion
Melissa Witek, Miss Florida USA 2005 and contestant on NBC's Treasure Hunters
George Steele, professional wrestler a.k.a. George "The Animal" Steele
Joe Williams, former men's basketball coach at Jacksonville University, Furman University and Florida State University (1979–1986). Coached against John Wooden's UCLA team in the 1970 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship game
Crestview
The town was once known as "the Icebox of Florida", due to it having the coldest winters in the state
Cross City
Notable People
Nick Collins - Defensive back for the Green Bay Packers
A Manatee
Crystal River
The self professed "Home of the Manatee
Notable People
Art Fleming, original host of Jeopardy!.
Ted Williams, famed baseball player was a resident at the time of his death.
Mike Hampton, Baseball player, attended Crystal River High School.[4]
Wendi Richter, female professional wrestler.
Dade City
During World War II, a prisoner-of-war camp was situated in Dade City. The prisoners were German soldiers who were in Rommel's Afrika Korps and were captured in North Africa. They made limestone bricks, built warehouses, and made boxes. The POW camp operated from approximately 1942 to the spring of 1946. The site is now the Pyracantha Park Civic Center
In Popular Culture
In the television series Dexter, Dade City is the fictional home of Dexter Morgan's deceased biological father.
As well, the city is incorrectly quoted as "5 hours up I-95"; Dade City is off of I-75.
O'Henry's story "The Hand that Riles the World" ends with Bill Humble being appointed the Postmaster of Dade City.[7]
Dade City also bears home to scenes presented in the film Edward Scissorhands.
Dade City was the first stop for Australian radio duo Hamish and Andy's American Caravan Of Courage 3: Yes We Van.
DeFuniak Springs
Near the Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood building is the Walton County Library on Circle Drive, the oldest extant library in the state of Florida.
Notable People
Sidney Johnston Catts, 22nd governor of Florida from 1917 to 1921, first candidate to campaign the state by automobile, Prohibition Party affiliation. Catts was a lawyer and preacher, having served as the pastor of First Baptist Church prior to his run for governor.
Former professional baseball player and manager Buck Showalter was born in DeFuniak Springs on May 23, 1956.
American fashion model Amanda Moore graduated from Walton High School in DeFuniak Springs in 1997
PGA golfer Sammy Rachels, native of DeFuniak Springs, was born in 1950.
Ina Thompson was appointed Commissioner of the Florida Motor Vehicle Commission by Leroy Collins, the 33rd Governor of Florida. At the time of her appointment she was the first woman ever named to an office of that rank in Florida Government.
Former Pittsburgh Pirate and newly inducted FHSAA hall of famer Willie "Boogie" Hall. Hall once scored 13 touchdowns in a single game at Tivoli High School. Hall later returned to DeFuniak Springs where he taught physical education (Maude Saunders Elementary) and coached high school football.
NFL player Dexter McNabb, native of DeFuniak Springs, born in 1969.
Destin
The city styles itself "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village",[3] and claims to have the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida.[4]
Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald-colored waters. Originating as a small fishing village, it is now a popular tourist destination – according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, over 80 percent of the Emerald Coast's 4.5 million visitors each year visit Destin
Notable People
Mike Fischetti - Born in Destin, now presents UK children's TV show SMart
Kevin Greene - former NFL linebacker
Dave Hope - Bassist of the band Kansas
Emeril Lagasse - Chef
Tyson Ritter - Bassist/Vocalist of the band The All-American Rejects
Ernest Shahid - Commercial real estate developer
Britney Spears - Singer, Actress
Nick Wheeler - Guitarist of the band The All-American Rejects
Danny Wuerffel - former Florida Gators and NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner
Woody Widenhofer - former college football head coach and longtime NFL assistant
Dunnellon
Areas in and around Dunnellon served as filming locations for the 2001 horror film "Jeepers Creepers", with a great deal of location work on "Tiger Trail", the road to Dunnellon High School, officially known as SW 180th Avenue Rd., just outside of Rainbow Springs State Park.
Eatonville
Eatonville was also the hometown of former professional football player David "Deacon" Jones
Notable People
Zora Neale Hurston, folklorist and author
Deacon Jones, football defensive end
Norm Lewis, actor and baritone singer
Edgewater
Notable People
Daniel Veltri - Winner of Hell's Kitchen, a TV reality show.
Eustis
Notable People
Jon Schneck, a former resident of Eustis and graduate of Eustis High School, plays guitar for the popular Christian rock band Relient K.
Also, Christian rock band Fireflight comes from Eustis.
Thomas McClary - Lead guitarist of the Commodores
Joe Burnett graduate of Eustis High School and plays pro football for Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hughie Lee-Smith, artist
Solomon Jones, Professional basketball player
Dr. Isaac B. Deas II, contributing author of "Don't Let Go!", an inspirational story of loss and recovery.
Jonathan Lucroy, Professional baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers
Fernandina Beach
The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe. Known as the "Isle of 8 Flags", it had the following flags flown over it since 1562: France, Spain, Great Britain, Spain (again), the Patriots of Amelia Island, the Green Cross of Florida, Mexico, the Confederate States of America, and the United States. It is the only municipality in the United States that has flown eight different national flags
Amelia Island was chosen as the mystical land for the film “Pippi Longstocking" the 1988 Movie Site is today the red-haired Pippi’s home, Villa Villekulla, is a pink bed and breakfast inn named Posada San Carlos. The movie's plot summary is as follows; After her father's ship is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking is stranded with her horse, Alfonso,and her pet monkey, Mr. Neilson, and takes up residence in the old family home, which is thought by neighborhood children to be haunted. Soon, two children, Tommy and his sister Anika, venture into the house only to meet up with Pippi. The three soon become friends and get into various adventures together, including cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, dodging the "splunks", going down a waterfall in barrels, and helping Pippi with the problem of having to go to an orphanage. Written by Amelia Chanowith There is further information about the movie at the IMDb.com website
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach is a year-round fishing and beach resort community. Its busiest time of the year is during the summer, with spring break being another busy time when thousands of people flock to the Emerald Coast.
Notable People
Glen Coffee - former running back for the Alabama Crimson Tide football program and NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers
Richard Covey - Astronaut
Jason Elam - National Football League kicker
Scott Fletcher - former MLB baseball player
E.G. Green - National Football League wide receiver, Indianapolis Colts (1998–2000)
D.J. Hall - former Alabama Crimson Tide, and National Football League wide receiver
Brian Marshall - Bass Player for the Rock Band Creed & Alterbridge
Danny Wuerffel - 1996 Heisman Trophy Winning quarterback from University of Florida - Ex-QB for the New Orleans Saints
Tubing the Ichetucknee - Fort White
Fort White
The Ichetucknee River - The locals have always known of and enjoyed the crystal clear Ichetucknee River and Springs. However, before 1970, the existence and location of this natural wonder were something of a secret. The road to the spring was not paved, nor was it marked because the spring was on private property. In 1970, the state of Florida purchased the Ichetucknee spring and river property from the Loncala Phosphate Corporation. Columbia County built a paved road, number 238, providing easier access to the springs. In 1972, the head spring of the river was declared a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior, and word got out: drive to Fort White and float down the Ichetucknee on an inner tube. The main tributary from Ichetucknee Springs became one of the most popular tubing destinations in the world, attracting up to 5,000 visitors each day during the summer
Frostproof
Notable People
Frostproof is the birthplace of NFL Free Agent Travis Henry. Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver,
Alvin Harper was born in Frostproof.
Ben Hill Griffin, Jr., founder of the citrus empire, politician, and on the Forbes 400 in 1989.
Grant-Valkaria
Notables Billy Horschel, professional golfer, was born in Grant. Jefferson W. Speck, Arkansas politician, lived for many years in Grant.
Green Cove Springs
Green Cove Springs is the birthplace of Charles E. Merrill (1885–1956), one of the founders of Merrill, Lynch & Company. The town's spring is described by his son James Merrill in the poem "Two From Florida," published in The Inner Room (1988). Green Cove Springs is also the birthplace of Augusta Savage née Augusta Christine Fells (February 29, 1892 - March 26, 1962) Savage was an African American sculptor associated with the Harlem Renaissance.
Groveland
Groveland Case - In 1949, Harry T. Moore, the executive director of the Florida NAACP, organized a campaign against the wrongful conviction of four African Americans for the rape of a white woman in Groveland. Two years later, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a new trial. Soon afterwards, Sheriff Willis V. McCall of Lake County, Florida, shot two of the men while in his custody. One was killed and other man was seriously wounded. Moore demanded that the sheriff be indicted for murder and requested that the Governor suspend him from office. On December 25, 1951, a bomb exploded in Moore's house, killing him and his wife, Harriette. Some alleged that Sheriff McCall was associated with ordering this bombing. However, an extensive FBI investigation at the time and additional separate investigations have failed to produce any evidence supporting the claim of McCall's involvement. Although members of the Ku Klux Klan were suspected of the crime, the people responsible were never brought to trial
Gulf Breeze
Gulf Breeze became famous in 1987 as the site of several UFO sightings.[4] (see Gulf Breeze UFO incident). Gulf Breeze also received media attention for instituting a program to allow volunteers to drive police cars within the city and report traffic violations to police. Volunteers receive training in radio use and first aid but are not empowered to make arrests or traffic stops
Gulf Stream
At the 2000 census.and ranked as the 11th highest-income place in the United States
Hastings
The town was briefly in the spotlight when the American Broadcasting Company television network show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition featured the Harvey family in a show aired on April 24, 2005Hawthorne Famous residents Bo Diddley - rock & roll legend D.R."Billy" Matthews - Congressman from North Florida 1953-1965 Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings - author Cornelius Ingram - American football player
Highland Beach
Nascar driver Jeff Gordon owned a home in Highland Beach, although it was sold in late 2003
Howey-in-the-Hills
The first citrus juice plant in Florida was built in Howey-in-the-Hills by William John Howey in 1921.
Indiatlanatic
Notable People
Stefanie Scott – actress
Indian Harbour Beach
Notable People
Larry Guarino, spent 8 years as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War
Tim Wakefield - professional baseball player
Inglis
Elvis Presley in Inglis - During July and August 1961, Elvis Presley spent his summer in Inglis and the surrounding areas filming his movie Follow That Dream. A historical marker on Follow That Dream Parkway in Inglis commemorates this event.
Satan banned by mayor In November 2001, Mayor Carolyn Risher issued a proclamation banning Satan from Inglis. The proclamation began: "Satan, ruler of darkness, giver of evil, destroyer of what is good and just, is not now, nor ever again will be, a part of this town of Inglis." It ended: "As the mayor of Inglis, duly elected by the citizens of this town, and appointed by God to this position of leadership, I proclaim victory over Satan, freedom for our citizens, and liberty to worship our Creator and Heavenly Father, the God of Israel. I take this action in accordance with the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as recorded in Matthew 28:18–20 and Mark 16:15-18." This controversial proclamation garnered national and world attention. The American Civil Liberties Union accused the town of what they alleged was a clear violation of the separation of church and state. In addition, the proclamation was placed on wooden posts that were installed at the entrances to the town on public right of way. After much controversy and the threat of lawsuits, the town later rescinded its proclamation, and the mayor reimbursed the town for the use of government stationery. The wooden posts were relocated to private property.
Jasper
Lillian Smith, author of the 1944 best-seller Strange Fruit, was born in Jasper before relocating with her family to Clayton, Georgia at age 14. Smith was the founder and editor of "South Today," a journal of fiction and opinion, both literary and political, that was the first magazine in the South to publish stories and articles by black writers. Smith flaunted the racial norms of her day by hosting interracial dinners of white and black women between 1936 until the 1960s. She also wrote a nonfiction book, "Killers of the Dream," which examined the effect of race, sex, and religion on the Southern psyche, both white and black. Shortly after "Killers of the Dream" was published she received an honorary degree from Howard University, a historically black college, with the declaration, "You are a dangerous revolutionist. There is enough dynamite in what you say to blow up the very foundation of segregated civilization." Art Smith - Oprah's Chef, common guest on The Today Show Alex J. Brown - Starting Defensive End for the New Orleans Saints Marquis Daniels - № 6, Guard-Forward Boston Celtics, Born: Jan 7, 1981
Jay
Notable People
Jay is the home of PGA Tour Golfer Thomas Brent "Boo" Weekley
professional wrestler B.G. James.
LaBelle
LaBelle hosts the annual Swamp Cabbage Festival, which is held in honor of the Florida state tree during the last full weekend of February.
Notable People
Martín Gramática - NFL place kicker
Bill Gramática - NFL place kicker
Lake Buena Vista
It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake.
Lake City
The American Civil War Battle of Olustee took place near Lake City in February 1864. It was the only major battle in Florida during the war. Union casualties were 1,861 men killed, wounded or missing; Confederate losses were 946 killed, wounded or missing.
Southern Business & Development magazine has ranked Lake City | Columbia County number eight Best Small Market over the last ten years.
Notable People
Michael Kirkman - MLB Pitcher, World Series, Texas Rangers
Stuffy Stewart (John Franklin Stewart) - MLB, 2nd
Base Reinard Wilson - NFL linebacker
Pat Summerall - NFL placekicker, television sportscaster
Gerard Warren - NFL defensive tackle
Jasin Todd - former Shinedown guitarist
Jerome Carter - NFL safety
Martha Mier - pianist and Composer
Lake Helen
An episode of WCW Monday Nitro from February 17, 1997 featured a home movie filmed during the preceding week by NWO members Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Syxx. In the video the three are driving through Lake Helen, Florida as the cities name appears on the side of a building that is captured on the video. The NWO members cross paths with the Steiner Brothers in their car and run them off the road.
Lake Mary
Rated by Money magazine as the #4 best place to live in America in the August 2007 issue.
Notable People
Lee Corso, sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN.
Chris DiMarco, Professional Golfer in PGA.
Gigi Fernández, professional Puerto Rican tennis player who has played at Wimbledon, Olympics and the U.S. Open[5]
Keith Rivers, All-American linebacker for USC Trojans, 2004 – 2007, linebacker for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals.
Rickie Weeks, Professional Baseball Player for The Milwaukee Brewers
Dwight Howard, Professional Basketball Player with the Orlando Magic
Stan Van Gundy, Head coach of the Orlando Magic
It's Alive, Hard rock band
Lake Placid
The town has two nicknames—"Town of Murals" and "The Caladium Capital of the World." Lake Placid has more than 40 murals painted on buildings throughout the town,[7] and 98 percent of the world's caladium bulbs come from Lake Placid
Bok Tower Gardens
Lake Wales
Local Attractions
The Shrine of Ste Anne des Lacs Bok Tower Gardens
Chalet Suzanne
Spook Hill, an optical illusion which makes a car in neutral appear as if it is traveling uphill (gravity hill)
Notable residents
NFL legend Red "Galloping Ghost" Grange was living there when he died in 1991.
NBA player Amare Stoudemire was born there.
University of South Florida basketball player Dominique Jones was born and attended high school in Lake Wales.
MLB player Wade Davis is also from Lake Wales.
1992 World Series MVP Pat Borders is also a part time resident and Lake Wales High School Alumni.
Randy Rhoads
Leesburg
On March 19, 1982, Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Randy Rhoads was killed in a plane crash at a private airport.
The last scene in the 2009 film "Away We Go" was filmed here.
Notable People
Dan Hinote, St. Louis Blues center was born in Leesburg.
Austin "Red" Robbins (1944–2009) NBA player was born in Leesburg
Abe Anellis (1914–2001), a food microbiologist who worked for the U.S. Army and was born in Mahilyow, Belarus, retired to Leesburg in 1977, where he lived until his death.
Jim and George Morrison
Rear Admiral George Stephen Morrison (January 7, 1919 - November 17, 2008) grew up in Leesburg and was the father of Jim Morrison (James Douglas Morrison) (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) of The Doors (60's Rock band)
Live Oak
Notable People
Andra Davis - While at the University of Florida, he was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference choice and a Butkus Award (nation’s best linebacker) semifinalist during his senior season. He received All-America honors at Suwanee High School in Live Oak, Fla., and was born on Dec. 23, 1978.
Kelly Jennings - Drafted with the 31st selection in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Larod Fleming: moved to Gainesville FL in 2001. Shortly afterward, he began playing semi-pro football for the Gainesville Thunder and Alachua Saints.
Bruce Johnson - Cornerback for the New York Giants.
Longboat Key
Notable People
Lou Bender (1910-2009), pioneer player with the Columbia Lions and in early pro basketball, who was later a successful trial attorney.[8]
Maria Sharapova - Russian professional tennis player and multiple Grand Slam singles champion.
Marcella Hazan Italian cooking instructor and cookbook author.
Al Arbour - Four-time Stanley Cup winning former coach of the New York Islanders.
Stephen King[citation needed]
Jerry Springer[citation needed]
Lee Scott Former CEO of Wal-Mart
Frank Mockler, 47th Governor of American Samoa
Maitland
Notable People
Andrea Jackson anchor of The Daily Buzz
Buddy Morrow leader of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
Scott Stapp lead singer of Creed
Dante Bichette former MLB player
Mike Stanley former MLB Player
Chip Caray TBS' lead play-by-play announcer for Atlanta Braves and the #2 play-by-play man for College Football on TBS.
Michael James Nelson - Television Writer/Producer/Performer, best known for producing The Bachelor: Rome, writing for MTV, American Broadcasting Company, DreamWorks, and appearing on The Oxygen Network's television series Pretty Wicked[5]
John M. Pierce writer on and promoter of amateur telescope making
Manalapan
One of the most puzzling mysteries in Florida history was the disappearance of Circuit Judge Curtis Chillingworth who left a friend's home on the night of 14 June 1955, and went to their ocean-front cottage in Manalapan.[4]
The U.S. presidential yacht Sequoia was auctioned at the La Coquille Club in Manalapan on 25 March 1977, for US$270,000, as a symbolic cutback in Federal Government spending (annual cost to the U.S. Navy was $800,000) and to reduce signs of an "imperial presidency
Trivia
A portion of the 1981 movie, Body Heat, starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner, was filmed in Manalapan.[citation needed]
Notable People
F. Lee Bailey, famed criminal defense lawyer
Don King (boxing promoter)
Loel Guinness and Gloria Guinness
Charles Peter McColough, former Xerox Chairman and CEO, and family had an oceanfront estate in Manalapan for nearly 50 years.
Generoso Pope Jr., founded National Enquirer, and wife; lived in oceanfront estate now owned by Peter and Tamara Lowe.
Lois Pope, philanthropist/widow of National Enquirer founder
Yanni, musician, lives in oceanfront home
Hal Prewitt, Race Car Driver
Geoff Brabham, Race Car Driver - IMSA GTP Champion
Marathon
Notable People
Gary Burghoff (Radar from the TV series M*A*S*H)
Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys member)
Kenny G (musician)
Bruce Willis & Demi Moore (actors)
Tony Bryant (Former NFL player)
Max Yasgur (Woodstock's farmer legend)
Marco Island
Notable People
Alan Jackson – Singer
Mike Vanderjagt - NFL kicker
Gene Sarazen - Golfer
Robin Quivers - Talk show host
Shania Twain – Singer
Michael Collins - Astronaut
James "Buster" Douglas – Boxer
Ara Parseghian - Retired Notre Dame College Football Coach
Bob Turley - Retired baseball pitcher
Pat Bradley – Golfer
Ken Venturi - Golfer, broadcaster
John Spiker - Musician, bassist from Tenacious D
Leighton Meester - Actress
Lauren Embree - Tennis player
Samuel H. Young - former congressman
Melbourne Beach
Notable People
Bobby Dall, musician, bass player with the rock band Poison
Jorja Fox, television actress, was raised in Melbourne Beach
Doug Flutie, football player, lived in Melbourne Beach for part of his childhood, and returned to raise his family.
James Henry Gillis, Rear Admiral, retired here
Homer Rodeheaver, Billy Sunday's music arranger; later formed a subdivision in town, "Christian Colony," for retired evangelists.
Micanop
Micanopy was the first distinct United States town in Florida, with settlement beginning after Spain ceded the Florida territory in 1821
Micanopy is mentioned in the Tom Petty song "A Mind with a Heart of Its Own" from the album Full Moon Fever.
Micanopy is mentioned in the John Anderson[9] song "Seminole Wind" from the album Seminole Wind. The song is covered by James Taylor on the album James Taylor Covers. The lyrics can be seen at James Taylor's website
Milton
Notable People
Greg Allen – former pro running back (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns) who was born in Milton and graduated from Milton High in 1980
Mark Everett – former sprinter who graduated from Milton High in 1986
Daniel Ewing Cortland Finnegan – starting cornerback for the Tennessee Titans who graduated from Milton High in 2002
Dayton Hobbs – founder and pastor of an independent Bible church in Milton, putative creator of Tee Ball.
Jim Jack – former Monster Jam monster driver, drove the Reptoid truck for over 20 years before retiring in 2006
Nick Monteleone – film and television composer, arranger and musician who graduated from Milton High in 1996
Reggie Slack – former quarterback in the NFL and CFL who graduated from Milton High in 1986
Heath Slocum – pro golfer who graduated from Milton High in 1992
Lawrence Tynes – placekicker for the New York Giants who graduated from Milton High in 1996
Casper Van Dien – actor who, according to the Internet Movie Database, was born in Milton
Bubba Watson – pro golfer who was born in nearby Bagdad, Florida and graduated from Milton High in 1997
Boo Weekley – pro golfer who was born in Milton and graduated from Milton High in 1992
Elijah Williams – former cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons who was born in Milton and graduated from Milton High in 1993
Mount Dora
In fiction In the fantasy book series of the Salem Concord by J. A. Areces, currently containing three books: Interview for a Wizard, The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers, and The Sorcerer's Secret, Mount Dora and its Lake Dora was one of the main settings, and was the town in which the main character Jesse had whom become owner of the small shop Avilan's Wizard and Witches Corner Store, believed by FOLKs (which is what the magical world calls normal people) to be a normal costume store, that they usally use for Halloween and the town's own Annual Halloween Festival. The store has a dark past, and was involved in murders, done by a mad wizard named Raven Claw, and the mysterious thing was that the name of the owner of the shop that Jesse worked in was "Mr. Claw". And even more mysterious was that Raven Claw had told Jesse that he was the owner, and that Jesse was the employee, but on the customers' orders it was inversed. Jesse meets the special agent wizard Ch-U-Ch from the "department", and together they solve the mysteries and stops Raven Claw before he scares more people to death, which he is famous for. Together with Ch-U-Ch, Jesse solves the mysteries and gets close to Raven Claw and his plans. Ch-U-Ch has his own problems and trouble at home, as he cannot reveal to his family that he, indeed, is a wizard. The Salem Concord is a fantasy series with a wizard, witch, and magic theme, featuring magical people flying on brooms and casting spells with wands and staffs. The books also centered around the Halloween period. It even featured a school in the series that even had its own secret magic class.
New Smyrna Beach
The colony occupies a notable place in history by being the single largest attempt by a member of the British Crown at colonization in the New World. Turnbull transplanted around 1500 settlers, from Minorca, Majorca, Ibiza, Smyrna, Crete, Mani Peninsula, and Sicily, to grow hemp, sugarcane, indigo, and to produce rum
Shark attacks - According to the International Shark Attack File maintained by the University of Florida, Volusia County Florida had more confirmed shark bites than any other region in the world in 2007.[7] Experts from the University of Florida have referred to the county as having the "dubious distinction as the world’s shark bite capital".[8] This trend has continued into 2008 with 19 confirmed shark attacks as of September.[9] In early 2008, Forbes Magazine rated New Smyrna Beach North America's top shark attack beach over North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii. In 2008, it again broke its own record with 24 shark bites. In December 2008, Maxim magazine ran an article called Shark Beach, that pointed out New Smyrna's dubious distinction
Notable People
Aaron Cormican, Professional Surfer
Joseph Barbara, actor
Dallas Baker, football player
Tony Stevens, bass guitarist for British band Foghat
Emory L. Bennett, decorated soldier
The Beu Sisters, musical group
Laura Alicia Brown, golfer
Al Capone, gangster and crime boss
Truett Cathy, restaurant franchise founder and author
Wes Chandler, football player
Joyce Cusack, politician
Rich Crunkilton, MMA fighter
Johnny Damon, baseball player
David Faustino, child actor
Darrell Fullington, football player
Kathie Lee Gifford, talk show host
Paul "Big P" Hogan, suburban legend
Suzanne Kosmas, congresswoman
Walter M. Miller, Jr., science fiction writer
Jack Mitchell, photographer
Eddie Money, musician/songwriter
Harold Nichols, football player
Bob Ross painter and philanthropist, died in New Smyrna Beach
Sarah Stewart, cancer researcher
John Travolta, actor
Daniel Veltri, chef and winner of Hell's Kitchen
Neil Young, musician/songwriter
Niceville
The Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival is still held annually
Oldsmar
Oldsmar's history dates to 1913 when automobile pioneer Ransom E. Olds purchased 37,541 acres (152 km²) of land by the northern part of Tampa Bay to establish “R. E. Olds-on-the-Bay
Moorish Architecture - Opa-Locka City Hall
Opa-Locka
Opa-locka has the largest collection of Moorish Revival architecture the Western hemisphere.
The city was developed by Glenn Curtiss and was based on the Arabian Nights theme, with streets that have names like Sabur Lane, Sultan Avenue, Ali Baba Avenue, and Sesame Street.
Crime - In 2004 Opa-locka had the highest rate of violent crime for any city in the United States .[18] Calvin Godfrey of the Miami New Times said in a 2009 article that Opa-locka was "mired in crime and sinking fast."[17]
In popular culture Opa-locka is featured in the landmark documentary film Salesman.
An instrumental song on Hawkwind's 1976 album Warrior on the Edge of Time is named "Opa-Loka", but any connection to the town is unclear. The song eventually had lyrics added to it on a later album (PXR5) and morphed into "Uncle Sam's on Mars".
In 1970, Mary Ann Vecchio a teenage runaway from Opa-locka, was in Kent, Ohio on the day of the Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970. The image of Vecchio, kneeling by the body of a slain Kent State student by John Filo, which later won a Pulitzer Prize, was transmitted worldwide after the event occurred.
IMAGE for this (above)
Orange City
Famous Residents Herbert L. Becker, the magician who performed under the name Kardeen lived on his family's ranch on Hwy 17-92.
Orange Park
Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Ronnie Van Zant was buried at Jacksonville Memorial Gardens in Orange Park in 1977, but his remains were relocated to an undisclosed location after vandals broke into his tomb and the tomb of bandmate Steve Gaines on June 29, 2000. Van Zant's casket was pulled out and spilled on the ground. The bag containing Gaines' ashes was torn open and some spilled into the grass. Their mausoleums remain as memorials for fans to visit.
Pahokee
It was once known as the "Winter Vegetable Capital of the World" in its hey day when the city had thriving commerce
Pahokee in the media
A local boy made world headlines for his interview of President Barack Obama. 10 year old Damon Weaver came to the world media's attention when he appealed to President Obama to help overcome problems in his community. [1]. Damon has since interviewed music stars and politicians ever since he came to the attention of the world's media.
American Soul and Gospel singer Freddie Lee Peterkin was born and raised in Pahokee and now resides in London, UK. He became an artist of particular note in the UK with the release of his album "Beyond Comprehension". He and cited in a recent BBC interview that despite living in London and Europe for many years, he considers his home town to be Pahokee, Florida USA.
On December 18, 2009, Damien Cave, Miami Bureau Chief of the New York Times wrote an article describing Pahokee's economic plight and the town's hopes that a new marina project might help rejuvenate business
Notable People
Zabian Dowdell - basketball player for AS Junior Casale Monferrato
Fred Taylor - NFL running back, New England Patriots
Mel Tillis - Country musician. Born in Tampa, Florida but raised in Pahokee.
Reidel Anthony - NFL wide receiver, Univ. of Florida Gators 1996 National Championship Team, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rickey Jackson - NFL linebacker, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers, NFL Hall Of Fame
Janoris Jenkins - Defensive back at the University of Florida
Andre Waters - Defensive Back Philadelphia Eagles
Antone Smith - NFL running back, Florida State University, Atlanta Falcons
Alphonso Smith - NFL cornerback, Detroit Lions
Martavious Odoms - wide receiver, University of Michigan Vincent Smith - running back, University of Michigan
Freddie Lee Peterkin aka Freddie Lee - Soul & Gospel Singer
Riquna Williams - NCAA Women's Basketball Shooting Guard, University of Miami
Palatka
Notable People
Isaac H. Bronson, judge and congressman
William L. Calhoun, admiral
John Crawford, author
William A. Forward, politician and judge
Hubbard Hart, steamboat operator and hotelier
John Henry Lloyd, National Baseball Hall of Fame, 1977
Steven Douglas Merryday, judge
Michelle McCool,a popular professional wrestler
William Dunn Moseley, first governor of Florida
Medwin Peek, Florida architect
Stephen Jon Postal, film director and producer
Kelly R. Smith, congressman
Joseph Warren Stilwell, general
Mary McLeod Bethune, educator, founder Bethune Cookman University
Mary Emily Boyd, citizen who in 1862 saved Palatka from being burned
Jarvis Williams (American football), professional football player
John Williams (fullback), professional football player
Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach's slogan is "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches" due to the unique[citation needed] sugar-white sandy beaches of Northwest Florida. For quite some time Panama City Beach has been a popular vacation destination, especially among people in the Southern United States. The city is also a very popular spring break destination, sometimes being referred to as "The Spring Break Capital of the World," due to about 100,000+ college and high school students who arrive during the months of March and April.
Penney Farms
In 1926, department store pioneer J. C. Penney founded the community of Penney Farms. He planned to develop an experimental farming village.
Notable People
Meinhardt Raabe, actor E.
Urner Goodman, Boy Scouts of America
Perry
In Popular Culture
Location of the former "Hampton Springs Resort"
A gas attendant in the movie Kalifornia said he was from Perry, Florida.
A feature film was shot in Perry Florida by local filmmakers in 2007 named "County Road 14".
Polk City
The fictional Orlampa, Florida is in Polk City, the eccentric mayor of Orlampa is Kermit Weeks.[
Ponce Inlet
The lighthouse Completed in 1887, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station was built when the area was known as Mosquito Inlet. After decades of restoration by the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association, it stands today as one of the best preserved, most complete Light Stations in the nation.
Port Richey
Singer Johnny Cash owned a home along the Pithlachascotee River from 1979 until 2002 [2]. Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, inherited the house from Maybelle Carter after her death, and sold it in 2002 shortly before their deaths in 2003.
Punta Gorda
Notable People
Alumni Jeff Corsaletti — professional baseball player for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.[17]
Matthew LaPorta — major league first baseman for the Cleveland Indians.[18]
Burton Lawless — former football guard who played for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League from 1975 through 1979.[19] Listed as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" for Florida High School Football.[20]
Tommy Murphy — an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Satellite Beach
Notable People
Lt Gen Alexander R. Bolling, commander of the 84th Infantry Division in World War II and later commander of the Third Army Larry Guarino, spent 8 years as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War
CJ Hobgood, 2001 ASP World Champion Surfer[citation needed]
Damien Hobgood, among top 45 professional surfers in the world in 2008[citation needed]
Ryan Ludwick, right fielder for St. Louis Cardinals baseball team; born here on July 13, 1978
Leonard Weaver, fullback for Philadelphia Eagles; played football at Satellite High School
Jefferson W. Speck, Arkansas politician and World War II prisoner of war
Sebastian
Jim Gary (1939-2006), sculptor, was born in Sebastian. He constructed dinosaurs made from discarded automobile parts that traveled as an exhibition, Jim Gary's Twentieth Century Dinosaurs, for display at museums and other venues
Sebring
Notable People
Tom Gordon, Major League Baseball player[24]
Frankie Neal, National Football League player[25]
Gabe White, Major League Baseball player[26]
Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr., World War 2 fighter ace, Medal of Honor recipie
Seminole
Notable People
Nicole Johnson Baker, Miss America 1999 [1]
Richard Langton - Professional Bowlers Association bowler who currently holds two PBA career titles and placed sixth in 2008-2009 regional points list. Former candidate for the Floirda House of Representitives, district 51 in 2002.
Brian Dean Curran, former ambassador to Haiti
John Winter (meteorologist)
Brittany Lincicome - Professional Golfer, Winner of the 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Casey Kotchman - Major League Baseball Player
Bobby Wilson (baseball) - Major League Baseball Player
Tori Amos
Sewall's Point
Notable People
Tori Amos, singer
Vaughn Monroe, baritone singer, trumpeter and big band leader and actor, lived in Sewall's Point
Willie Gary, attorney, lives in Sewall's Point and has on office in Stuart.
Starke
Film and Television location
Starke has been the location of several Hollywood films, including: G.I. Jane, which starred Demi Moore and was filmed east of Starke on the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center; Joel Schumacher's film Tigerland, starring Colin Farrell; Basic starring Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta; and What's Love Got to Do with It In addition, the Fox Broadcasting Company reality TV show "Boot Camp" was filmed near Starke, as were portions of the BBC mini-series The State Within.
Stuart
In 1832, pirate Pedro Gilbert who often used a sandbar off the coast as a lure to unsuspecting prey, chased and caught the Mexican, a US merchant ship. Although he attempted to burn the ship and kill the crew, they survived to report the incident, ultimately resulting in the capture and subsequent execution of Gilbert and his crew. The bar from which is lured his intended booty is named "Gilbert's Bar" on nautical charts
The city of Stuart is known as the Sailfish Capital of the World, because of the many sailfish found in the ocean off Martin County.
Notable People
Dan Bakkedahl, Correspondent on the Daily Show
Nelson Burton Jr., professional bowler and longtime TV analyst
Kelly Carrington, Playboy Playmate October 2008
Evans Crary, Sr., Former president of the Florida Senate, for whom the Evans Crary Bridge is named
James Davis, professional football player
Ralph Evinrude CEO of Outboard Motor Company with a test facility in Stuart, married Frances Langford and retired to Jensen Beach.
Derek Fathauer, professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.
Cleveland Gary, professional football player
Willie Gary, attorney, lives in Sewall's Point and has on office in Stuart.
Whitney Gaskell, novelist
Ed Hearn, Major League Baseball player and motivational speaker.
Chris Marquette, actor
John McHale, player and executive in Major League Baseball.
Corey McIntyre, professional football player
Zack Mosley, cartoonist and creator of The Adventures of Smilin' Jack
Scott Proctor, relief pitcher on the Florida Marlins
Judge Reinhold, actor
Kathy Rinaldi, professional tennis player
Lee Rinker, PGA Tour Golf player
Sweetwater
Sweetwater is home to the largest concentration of Nicaraguans and Nicaraguan Americans in the U.S., as a result it is locally known as "Little Managua"
Florida International University - Notable Alumni
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, 1975 & 1986
Andy García
Dennis Lehane, 2001
Carlos Arroyo, 2001
Manny Diaz, 1977
Elsa Murano, 1981
Carlos Alvarado-Larroucau Kirill Reznik, 1995
Mike Lowell (Boston Red Sox) and
Raja Bell (Charlotte Bobcats)
In 2009, FIU hired NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas as head coach of the men's basketball team
Tangerine
Tangerine, Fla. is the setting for the popular book Tangerine by Edward Bloor. However, the Tangerine of this book is set in the fictional county of Tangerine.
Tangerine, Florida was the adopted home of novelist, journalist and government consultant Harry Hart Frank ( born Chicago 1908, died Jacksonville 1964). Under the pen name Pat Frank, his classic 1959 postapocalyptic novel 'Alas, Babylon' is set in the fictional Central Florida small town (stated pop. 3,500) of 'Fort Repose'. Fort Repose, although fictional, is a clearly-drawn composite, representative of many small isolated native-settler Florida communities of the period. The actual town of Mount Dora, Florida has been stated as a specific inspiration for 'Fort Repose', with Frank's fictional shantytown 'Pistolville' said to have been named for Mt. Dora's area of the same name. There is also a book on it.
Tarpon Springs
Tarpon Springs is notable for having the highest percentage of Greek-Americans of any city in the US In 1905,
John Cocoris introduced the technique of sponge diving to Tarpon Springs. Cocoris recruited Greek sponge divers from the Dodecanese Islands of Greece, in particular Kalymnos, Symi and Halki leading, by the 1930s, to a very productive sponge industry in Tarpon Springs, generating millions of dollars a year. The 1953 film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, depicting sponge diving, takes place and was filmed in Tarpon Springs The celebration attracts Greek Americans from across the country, and the city's population is known to triple in size for that day. The Metropolitan of Atlanta usually presides over the blessings, sometimes joined by the Archbishop of America. The blessings conclude with the ceremonial throwing of a wooden cross into the city's Spring Bayou, and boys ages 16–18 dive in to retrieve it: whoever recovers the cross is said to be blessed for a full year. Following the blessings, the celebration moves to the Sponge Docks where food and music are made part of the festivities. On January 6, 2006, the 100th anniversary celebration of the Epiphany services in Tarpon Springs was the occasion for a visit by his all-holiness, Bartholomew I, the Patriarch of Constantinople, who is considered "first among equals" of all hierarchs of the Orthodox Church. He presided over the Epiphany services in one of the few visits to America by an Ecumenical Patriarch
Notable People
Dieselboy, Electronic music artist
Norm Augustinus, cult writer/podcaster.
Chris Coghlan, Outfielder for Florida Marlins and 2009 Rookie of the Year
Elaine Esposito, record holder of the longest coma.
Wayne Fontes, former NFL coach for the Detroit Lions.
Bertie Higgins, singer of Key Largo.
Steve Hoskins, former professional bowler, and past-president of the Professional Bowlers Association.
William W. Kingsbury, United States House of Representatives, Territorial Delegate from Minnesota Territory.
