Gainesville History 101
Gainesville's original inhabitants were the Timucua Indians. Spanish colonists began cattle ranching in the Payne's Prairie area using Timucua labor. The largest ranch became known as La Chua which gave its name to the Alachua band of the Seminole tribe who settled in the region in the 1700s.
Gainesville was founded in order to move the Alachua County seat onto the proposed route of the Florida Railroad Company's line stretching from Cedar Key to Fernandina Beach. The new settlement was named for General Edmund P. Gaines, commander of U.S. Army troops in Florida early in the Second Seminole War.
Over the past century, the University of Florida has brought the town a youthful population, cultural opportunities, and world-class medical facilities.
Geography and Climate
Unparalleled Natural Spaces: Gainesville is surrounded by natural beauty on all sides, with the 21,000-acre wilderness of Payne's Prairie Preserve State Park on its southern edge and the 7,000 acres of San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park on the northwestern edge of town. This preserved nature along with the hundreds of shimmering lakes, rivers and springs make Alachua County and the surrounding area home to a completely unique variety of flora and fauna.
The city's flora and fauna are also distinct from the coastal regions of the state, and include many deciduous species, such as dogwood, maple, hickory and sweet gum, alongside palms, live oaks, and other evergreens. Thus, the city enjoys brief periods of fall color in late November and December. A lovely, prolonged spring lasting from February through April brings a colorful burst of azaleas and redbuds and of course the stunning Hibiscus plants that will flower through spring, summer and fall.
Central Location: In addition to our lakes, rivers and crystal clear springs, Gainesville is approximately midway between the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern coast of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico on the west. Fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and other vacationing opportunities abound. Gainesville is about 90 minutes from Jacksonville, two hours from Orlando and Tampa Bay, and six hours from both Atlanta and Miami. Gainesville is served by Interstate 75, US 441 and US 301.
Gainesville is served by the Gainesville Regional Airport, with daily service to any destination in the world through Atlanta and Charlotte. Full Amtrak service is also available at Palatka, 32 miles to the east.
Climate: Gainesville's climate is defined as Zone 8B subtropical. Due to its inland location, Gainesville experiences wider temperature fluctuation than much of Florida. There is a true change of seasons here. Summer (roughly from May to September) brings afternoon showers and average temperatures from the low 70s at night to around 90 °F (32 °C) during the day. From mid-October through late April, the Gainesville area has a climate distinct from south Florida with occasional freezing temperatures at night. In winter, highs average around 68 °F (20 °C), and lows around 44 °F (7 °C). The cool Winter and warm Spring days are usually accompanied by clear blue skies with little precipitation.
Community and Economy
Numerous guides such as the "2004 Cities Ranked and Rated" mention Gainesville's affordability, yet cultural nightlife and excellent restaurants abound. And Gainesville residents, like all Floridians, do not pay state income taxes.
Gainesville's revitalized downtown has a number of buildings which have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Education
In addition to Alachua County Public Schools, Gainesville is also home to the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. Which provide a major financial boost to the community, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional revenues are created by the athletic events that occur at UF and SFC.
For more information on Alachua County schools visit the School Board of Alachua County web site.
Culture
Gainesville is well known as a supporter of the arts. Each year, two large art festivals attract artists and visitors from all over the southeastern United States. The Spring Arts Festival is hosted each year, usually in early April, by Santa Fe College (formerly Santa Fe Community College). The Downtown Festival and Art Show is hosted each fall by the City of Gainesville.
Cultural facilities include the Florida Museum of Natural History, Harn Museum of Art, the Hippodrome State Theatre, Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and The Civic Media Center. Smaller theaters include the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre (ART) and the Gainesville Community Playhouse (GCP). GCP is the oldest community theater group in Florida; in 2006, it opened a new theater building.
Gainesville is also traditionally well-known for its popular music scene and has spawned a number of bands and musicians including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Steven Stills of Crosby,Stills and Nash, and Don Felder and Bernie Leadon of The Eagles. The music community is well served by the website gainesvillebands.com, which is a free open forum for all things music in Gainesville.
More Points of interest
- The Devil's Millhopper
- Gainesville Raceway NHRA Drag Racing
- Florida Museum of Natural History Butterfly Rainforest
- Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
- Lake Alice
- Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
- Stephen C. O'Connell Center
- Newnan's Lake
- Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
- Haile Homestead
- Ichetucknee Springs
- Florida State Parks
- University of Florida Performing Arts
- Harn Museum of Art
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