Quincy, Florida
Encyclopedia
Quincy is a city in Gadsden County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 6,982 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,975. It is the county seat
of Gadsden County
.
Quincy is part of the Tallahassee, Florida
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²). 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²) of it is land and 0.13% is water.
of 2000, there were 6,982 people, 2,657 households, and 1,830 families residing in the city. The population density
was 916.4 inhabitants per square mile (353.8/km²). There were 2,917 housing units at an average density of 382.9 per square mile (147.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 31.55% White, 64.15% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 3.22% from other races
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.89% of the population.
There were 2,657 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.2% were married couples
living together, 28.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,393, and the median income for a family was $31,890. Males had a median income of $27,871 versus $22,025 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,133. About 16.8% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.0% of those under age 18 and 23.1% of those age 65 or over.
is a public-use airport
located 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of the central business district
.
, most of which are within the boundary of the Quincy Historic District
.
They are:
, and the greater Gadsden County, FL area borders reaches the shores of Lake Seminole
and Lake Talquin State Park. Quincy was once heavily dependent upon agriculture, farming tomatoes, tobacco, mushrooms, soybeans and other crops for its employment base.
. Tobacco is a native plant of the western hemisphere. Early European explorers discovered Native Americans growing the plant when they set foot on their soil.
In 1829, John Smith migrated to Gadsden County in covered wagons with his family and four related families. Since there was already a resident named John Smith in the community, he became known as John "Virginia" Smith. John "Virginia" Smith brought Virginia and Cuban tobacco seeds to Quincy,which eventually blended and named the “Florida Wrapper.” Gadsden county became very prosperous, and a few folks still carry the names of their once wealthy relatives.
When John ventured southward he brought with him a type of tobacco seed which was used for chewing and pipe smoking. He planted that seed and found that the plants grew vigorously. Because there was no market for tobacco in small quantities, it was twisted together, cured and shared with his friends. He purchased some Cuban tobacco seed and planted them with his Virginia tobacco. Several years passed and the two tobaccos blended.
When the Virginia tobacco was grown in Florida soil, it was much thinner and lighter in color. John began saving the seed from the hybridized stalks. From these seeds, a new plant known as "Florida Wrapper" was developed. So began a tobacco industry at a time when the south was suffering from its low priced cotton.
Gadsden County became very prosperous. Growing tobacco continued to be profitable until the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, even when the European markets were no longer available. Of course, during the War and the Reconstruction Era, very little tobacco was grown except for personal use. Those days were tremendously difficult and recovery was a slow, slow process. The post-war search for a money crop led to the resurgence of the tobacco culture. Through these experiments it was discovered that tobacco which was light in color and silky in texture demanded the highest prices. So, with more experimentation, shading the plants began. At first, wood slats were used, but these proved too heavy. Then they tried slats draped with cheese cloth to keep the plants from the light. Next came ribbed cheese cloth. Ultimately in 1950, the white cheese cloth was replaced with a treated, longer lasting, yellow cloth that provided perfect shade.
Colonel Henry DuVal, president of the Florida Central and Peninsula Railroad, shipped samples of Gadsden County tobacco to New York for leaf dealers and cigar manufacturers to inspect. Soon representatives of several companies came down from New York to purchase land for growing tobacco. There was such an influx of land purchases that a number of packing houses arose. This continued until 1970 when tobacco companies came under fire and demand diminished .The industry waxed and waned, it was prosperous sometimes and disheartening at others. Around 1970, growing tobacco declined substantially in Gadsden. The development of a homogenized cigar wrapper, the ever increasing cost of production, the subsidizing of the tobacco culture in Central America by the U.S. government, and the increasing, negative legal climate against the tobacco industry have added to the demise of Gadsden's future in tobacco. The last crop of shade-grown cigar wrapper tobacco was grown in 1977.
Quincy then turned to its other crops, tomato, mushroom and egg farms. This continued until the close of Quincy's mushroom factory and massive layoff of workers at Quincy's tomato farm in 2008. Quincy now turns to its businesses and is attempting to build itself into a business based district.
Coca-Cola
Quincy investors were largely responsible for the development of its local Coca-Cola company into a world wide conglomerate. Quincy was once rumored to be home to many millionaires due to the Coca-Cola boom. Mr. Pat Munroe, a banker, father of 18 children from two wives, and W.C. Bradley were among the stockholders of three of the banks that released 500,000 shares of new Coca-Cola common stock. They urged widows and farmers to invest for $40 each and several did. Eventually that stock split, and made as many as 67 accounted for investors and Gadsden county residents rich. To give you an idea of the stock’s value, a single share of Coca-Cola stock bought in 1919 for $40 would be worth $6.4 million today, if all dividends had been reinvested.
Housing
Florida’s Antebellum style homes and Florida cracker houses were a huge influence on home design back in the pre and post civil war days. Front porches overlooking one’s property were the gathering places for friends, family for doing business and for quiet enjoyment. There were few back porches, life seemed to be open, comfortable and welcoming. Quincy now mixes history with modern times as it showcases its shotgun style homes along side its more modern style homes.
News
Quincy has a local paper that covers all of Gadsden County, The Gadsden County Times.
Entertainment
Aside from the Coca-cola plant and tobacco, Quincy is known for the Leaf theater and their courthouse which are the center of many ghost stories. The Leaf is rumored to be haunted and has been confirmed to be a haunted theater. Performances are still done at the Leaf and yearly, the Leaf theater sponsors a walk through in which they feature the ghost stories. Quincy's courthouse received fame formerly because it was a known place of many hangings of criminals. Quincy's courthouse is now famous for Quincy's yearly QuincyFest, an event that includes blues, jazz and vendors. Quincy has a monthly celebration in the courthouse square.
The Leaf theater is named after the tobacco leaf which has become the city's plant. Quincy has been noticed as one of the best rural cities and due to its natural and man-made beauty still holds the nickname of "Florida's best kept secret".
Politics
Most recently Alex Sink
came to visit Quincy to meet for electoral votes.
Gadsden County, Florida
Gadsden County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2000 census, the population was 45,087. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 46,428 . Its county seat is Quincy, Florida. Gadsden County is the only predominantly African-American...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 6,982 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,975. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Gadsden County
Gadsden County, Florida
Gadsden County is a county located in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2000 census, the population was 45,087. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 46,428 . Its county seat is Quincy, Florida. Gadsden County is the only predominantly African-American...
.
Quincy is part of the Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Tallahassee metropolitan area is the metropolitan area centered on Tallahassee, Florida.The Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan statistical area designated by the Office of Management and Budget and used by the Census Bureau and other agencies for statistical purposes...
.
Geography
Quincy is located at 30°35′7"N 84°35′5"W (30.585281, -84.584702).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²). 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²) of it is land and 0.13% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,982 people, 2,657 households, and 1,830 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 916.4 inhabitants per square mile (353.8/km²). There were 2,917 housing units at an average density of 382.9 per square mile (147.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 31.55% White, 64.15% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 3.22% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.89% of the population.
There were 2,657 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 28.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,393, and the median income for a family was $31,890. Males had a median income of $27,871 versus $22,025 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,133. About 16.8% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.0% of those under age 18 and 23.1% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Quincy Municipal AirportQuincy Municipal Airport (Florida)
The Quincy Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located northeast of the central business district of the city of Quincy in Gadsden County, Florida, United States...
is a public-use airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
National historic status
There are several locations in Quincy which have been included in the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, most of which are within the boundary of the Quincy Historic District
Quincy Historic District
The Quincy Historic District is a U.S. Historic District located in Quincy, Florida. The district is bounded by Sharon, Clark, Stewart, and Corry Streets. It contains 145 historic buildings....
.
They are:
- E. B. Shelfer HouseE. B. Shelfer HouseThe E. B. Shelfer House is a historic home in Quincy, Florida, United States. It is located at 205 North Madison Street. On April 4, 1975, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at * ** **...
- E. C. Love HouseE. C. Love HouseThe E. C. Love House is a historic home in Quincy, Florida, United States. It is located at 219 North Jackson Street. On December 30, 1974, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at * at...
- John Lee McFarlin HouseJohn Lee McFarlin HouseThe John Lee McFarlin House is a historic home in Quincy, Florida, United States. It is located at 305 East King Street. On December 27, 1974, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
- Judge P. W. White HouseJudge P. W. White HouseThe Judge P. W. White House is a historic home in Quincy, Florida, United States. It is located at 212 North Madison Street. On December 5, 1972, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
- Old Philadelphia Presbyterian ChurchOld Philadelphia Presbyterian ChurchThe Old Philadelphia Presbyterian Church is a historic church in Quincy, Florida. It is located five miles north of Quincy, off SR 65 on Gadsden County Road 272. On February 24, 1975, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
- Quincy LibraryQuincy LibraryThe Quincy Library is a historic library in Quincy, Florida, United States. It is located 303 North Adams Street. On September 9, 1974, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.- External links :...
- Quincy Woman's ClubQuincy Woman's ClubThe Quincy Woman's Club is a historic woman's club in Quincy, Florida, United States. It is located at 300 North Calhoun Street. On March 10, 1975, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at * ** **...
- Stockton-Curry HouseStockton-Curry HouseThe Stockton-Curry House is a historic home in Quincy, Florida, United States. It is located at 121 North Duval Street. On December 31, 1974, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-References and external links:* at * at...
- Willoughby Gregory HouseWilloughby Gregory HouseThe Willoughby Gregory House is a historic home in Quincy, Florida. It is located near the junction of Highway 274 and Krausland Road. On December 16, 1983, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
- Soldier Cemetery at East Cemetery Quincy http://finleysbrigadescv.shutterfly.com/765
History
Established in 1828, Quincy, is the county seat of Gadsden County. Quincy is located 20 miles (32.2 km) west of Tallahassee, FL, via Highway 90 West, Quincy lies in the rolling hills of North Florida. Part of the woodlands run along the banks of the Ocholocknee River, Little RiverLittle River (Ochlockonee River)
The Little River is a minor river in the Florida Big Bend. A tributary of the Ochlockonee River, it is approximately in length and is located entirely within Gadsden County....
, and the greater Gadsden County, FL area borders reaches the shores of Lake Seminole
Lake Seminole
Lake Seminole is a reservoir located in the southwest corner of Georgia along its border with Florida, maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Chattahoochee and Flint rivers join in the lake, before flowing from the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam, which impounds the lake, as the Apalachicola...
and Lake Talquin State Park. Quincy was once heavily dependent upon agriculture, farming tomatoes, tobacco, mushrooms, soybeans and other crops for its employment base.
Tobacco
In 1828, Governor P. DuVal introduced Cuban tobacco to the territory of Florida. As a result, the culture of shade-grown cigar wrapper tobacco was a dominant factor in the social and economic development of Gadsden County, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Tobacco is a native plant of the western hemisphere. Early European explorers discovered Native Americans growing the plant when they set foot on their soil.
In 1829, John Smith migrated to Gadsden County in covered wagons with his family and four related families. Since there was already a resident named John Smith in the community, he became known as John "Virginia" Smith. John "Virginia" Smith brought Virginia and Cuban tobacco seeds to Quincy,which eventually blended and named the “Florida Wrapper.” Gadsden county became very prosperous, and a few folks still carry the names of their once wealthy relatives.
When John ventured southward he brought with him a type of tobacco seed which was used for chewing and pipe smoking. He planted that seed and found that the plants grew vigorously. Because there was no market for tobacco in small quantities, it was twisted together, cured and shared with his friends. He purchased some Cuban tobacco seed and planted them with his Virginia tobacco. Several years passed and the two tobaccos blended.
When the Virginia tobacco was grown in Florida soil, it was much thinner and lighter in color. John began saving the seed from the hybridized stalks. From these seeds, a new plant known as "Florida Wrapper" was developed. So began a tobacco industry at a time when the south was suffering from its low priced cotton.
Gadsden County became very prosperous. Growing tobacco continued to be profitable until the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, even when the European markets were no longer available. Of course, during the War and the Reconstruction Era, very little tobacco was grown except for personal use. Those days were tremendously difficult and recovery was a slow, slow process. The post-war search for a money crop led to the resurgence of the tobacco culture. Through these experiments it was discovered that tobacco which was light in color and silky in texture demanded the highest prices. So, with more experimentation, shading the plants began. At first, wood slats were used, but these proved too heavy. Then they tried slats draped with cheese cloth to keep the plants from the light. Next came ribbed cheese cloth. Ultimately in 1950, the white cheese cloth was replaced with a treated, longer lasting, yellow cloth that provided perfect shade.
Colonel Henry DuVal, president of the Florida Central and Peninsula Railroad, shipped samples of Gadsden County tobacco to New York for leaf dealers and cigar manufacturers to inspect. Soon representatives of several companies came down from New York to purchase land for growing tobacco. There was such an influx of land purchases that a number of packing houses arose. This continued until 1970 when tobacco companies came under fire and demand diminished .The industry waxed and waned, it was prosperous sometimes and disheartening at others. Around 1970, growing tobacco declined substantially in Gadsden. The development of a homogenized cigar wrapper, the ever increasing cost of production, the subsidizing of the tobacco culture in Central America by the U.S. government, and the increasing, negative legal climate against the tobacco industry have added to the demise of Gadsden's future in tobacco. The last crop of shade-grown cigar wrapper tobacco was grown in 1977.
Quincy then turned to its other crops, tomato, mushroom and egg farms. This continued until the close of Quincy's mushroom factory and massive layoff of workers at Quincy's tomato farm in 2008. Quincy now turns to its businesses and is attempting to build itself into a business based district.
Coca-Cola
Quincy investors were largely responsible for the development of its local Coca-Cola company into a world wide conglomerate. Quincy was once rumored to be home to many millionaires due to the Coca-Cola boom. Mr. Pat Munroe, a banker, father of 18 children from two wives, and W.C. Bradley were among the stockholders of three of the banks that released 500,000 shares of new Coca-Cola common stock. They urged widows and farmers to invest for $40 each and several did. Eventually that stock split, and made as many as 67 accounted for investors and Gadsden county residents rich. To give you an idea of the stock’s value, a single share of Coca-Cola stock bought in 1919 for $40 would be worth $6.4 million today, if all dividends had been reinvested.
Housing
Florida’s Antebellum style homes and Florida cracker houses were a huge influence on home design back in the pre and post civil war days. Front porches overlooking one’s property were the gathering places for friends, family for doing business and for quiet enjoyment. There were few back porches, life seemed to be open, comfortable and welcoming. Quincy now mixes history with modern times as it showcases its shotgun style homes along side its more modern style homes.
News
Quincy has a local paper that covers all of Gadsden County, The Gadsden County Times.
Entertainment
Aside from the Coca-cola plant and tobacco, Quincy is known for the Leaf theater and their courthouse which are the center of many ghost stories. The Leaf is rumored to be haunted and has been confirmed to be a haunted theater. Performances are still done at the Leaf and yearly, the Leaf theater sponsors a walk through in which they feature the ghost stories. Quincy's courthouse received fame formerly because it was a known place of many hangings of criminals. Quincy's courthouse is now famous for Quincy's yearly QuincyFest, an event that includes blues, jazz and vendors. Quincy has a monthly celebration in the courthouse square.
The Leaf theater is named after the tobacco leaf which has become the city's plant. Quincy has been noticed as one of the best rural cities and due to its natural and man-made beauty still holds the nickname of "Florida's best kept secret".
Politics
Most recently Alex Sink
Alex Sink
Adelaide "Alex" Sink is an American politician of the Democratic Party. Sink was the Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida and treasurer on the board of trustees of the Florida State Board of Administration...
came to visit Quincy to meet for electoral votes.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Quincy include:- Dexter Jackson, Super Bowl XXXVIISuper Bowl XXXVIISuper Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
Most Valuable Player. - The Lady ChablisThe Lady ChablisThe Lady Chablis is an American drag queen entertainer.- Career :Chablis became notable in the early 1990s when she was featured as one of Savannah's colorful characters in John Berendt's book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, based on a true crime story...
, transgendered entertainer best known for her appearance in the book and subsequent movie adaptation of Midnight in the Garden of Good and EvilMidnight in the Garden of Good and EvilMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a non-fiction work by John Berendt. Published in 1994, the book was Berendt's first, and became a The New York Times bestseller for 216 weeks following its debut....
. - Nat Adderley, Jr.Nat Adderley, Jr.Nat Adderley, Jr. is an American pop and rhythm and blues music arranger and pianist who spent much of his music career arranging for Luther Vandross. The scion of a famed jazz family, his father Nat Adderley was a composer and jazz cornet and trumpet player, while his uncle Cannonball Adderley ...
(born 1955), music arranger who spent much of his career with Luther VandrossLuther VandrossLuther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
. - Billy DeanBilly DeanWilliam Harold "Billy" Dean, Jr. is an American country music singer and songwriter. Billy Dean first gained national attention after appearing on the television talent competition Star Search...
Country Music Singer "Country Superstar" - Jerrie MockJerrie MockGeraldine "Jerrie" Fredritz Mock was the first woman to fly solo around the world. The trip ended April 17, 1964 and took 29 days, 21 stopovers and almost 22,860 miles...
, The first woman to fly solo around the world.