Shalimar, Florida
Encyclopedia
Shalimar is a town in Okaloosa County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 718 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 738 http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2004-04-12.xls. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach
–Crestview
–Destin
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 718 people, 288 households, and 209 families residing in the town. The population density
was 2,441.6 inhabitants per square mile (955.9/km²). There were 311 housing units at an average density of 1,057.6 per square mile (414.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.42% White, 5.85% African American, 0.42% Native American, 2.51% Asian, 0.84% from other races
, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.81% of the population.
There were 288 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were married couples
living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $63,068, and the median income for a family was $70,250. Males had a median income of $51,250 versus $27,143 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $29,261. About 2.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
During the Civil War [sic- First World War], 130 Germans operated a "dye" plant at Port Dixie, "actually an explosives factory and probably a submarine base as well." Costly machinery was smashed when they fled and the records were thrown into Garnier's Bayou.
"In February 1927 the Choctawhatchee and Northern Railroad
was chartered 'To construct, acquire, maintain, lease, or operate a line of railroad or railroads from a point between Galliver and Crestview on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
in Okaloosa County, to a point in said county on Choctawhatchee Bay
, a distance of approximately twenty-eight miles.' On Garnier's Bayou near the present Eglin (Air Force Base) housing development of Shalimar, a $29,000,000 Port Dixie Harbor and Terminal Company was chartered to build wharves for liners, a rail line north, and a city of one square mile, with streets 100 feet wide." These ambitious plans would not see fruition.
Badly needed new homes were constructed beginning in 1942 by Clifford Meigs and his associates to provide adequate facilities for commissioned officers assigned at the rapidly-expanding Eglin Field, immediately north of what was initially referred to as "Shalimar Park". The first 50 homes were almost complete by May, with another 25 underway, with the entire project costing approximately $350,000. The Plew Heights housing project near Valparaiso, Florida
had been erected in 1941 to take care of civil service employees and enlisted personnel, but the government made no provision for commissioned officers.
Incorporated in June 1947, Clifford Meigs served as its first mayor. The incorporation was directly related to state law that prohibited clubs in unincorporated areas from staying open from midnight Saturday until Monday morning, which would negatively impact the gambling operations at the casino of the Shalimar Club, the opening of which "was the social event of 1947." "The Fort Walton Beach [sic - Fort Walton did not become Fort Walton Beach until June 1953] places were doing a booming business on the weekends while there were rumors that the sheriff might enforce the law in Shalimar and close the place there," Meigs told the Playground News
in 1959. "The owner came to me and suggested incorporation, and while I didn't think I had much to gain then, I agreed. With only about three other freeholders in the area, it was a simple matter to get incorporated." The reprieve on gambling would be temporary, however. "The collapse of Okaloosa gambling was brought about by the glare of outside publicity, reform zeal from within and the direct intervention of Gov. Fuller Warren
. The first wind of adversity was blown by the Tampa Tribune's exposé of gambling in Fort Walton."
In 1948, the town boasted the Shalimar Store, the Shalimar Service Station, and lumberman and Shalimar resident Roger Clary's Shalimar Club. The 160 residences were rented through Shalimar Homes and Meigs Homes corporations.
In 1950, the 280-car capacity Florida Drive-In Theatre, erected at a cost of ~$40,000, at the junction of Ferry Road and State Road 85, later Eglin Parkway, the main road between the air force base and Fort Walton, Florida, opened on Thursday, June 15, with an Esther Williams
picture, "On an Island with You
". Operated by the James Tringas family, that also ran the Tringas Theatre in Fort Walton, the drive-in would close in the fall of 1973. This property is now occupied by the Shalimar Methodist Church family life center and a furniture store.
Clifford Meigs served as mayor until his death in 1960, and was succeeded by his brother Clyde Meigs in November, who had served as a councilman. The first elected mayor was James P. Tras, in 1965, followed by Sarah Tras for a two to three year term. She had been married to Clifford Meigs at the time of his death, and is the wife of Jim Tras, as of 2009. Residential Meigs Drive, parallelling the Choctawhatchee Bay, is named for the town's founding family. Carl Brandt Drive and Gardner Drive are named for former Eglin AFB commanders.
The Lake Lorraine area at Black's Point to the east of the incorporated Shalimar community was developed in the 1970s, but carries a Shalimar postal address.
The Poquito Bayou area north of the incorporated Shalimar also carries a Shalimar postal address.
. The previous school was renamed to Clifford Meigs Junior High School, later Clifford Meigs Middle School (Meigs Middle School for short). The football field is known as Meigs Stadium. Meigs Middle School, Shalimar Elementary School and Longwood Elementary School are currently (2009) A Schools according to the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. In fact, most schools in the Okaloosa County School District are A schools in 2009.
Okaloosa County, Florida
Okaloosa County is a county located in the state of Florida. Located in northwest Florida, it extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2000 census, the population was 170,498. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 182,172. The 2009 estimate for the...
, 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 718 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 738 http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2004-04-12.xls. It is part of the Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
–Crestview
Crestview, Florida
Crestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. Crestview’s name was chosen because of its location on the peak of a long woodland range between the Yellow and Shoal rivers which flow almost parallel on the east and west side of the City....
–Destin
Destin, Florida
Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Shalimar is located at 30°26′40"N 86°34′55"W (30.444398, -86.581904).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 town has a total area of 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²), all land.
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 718 people, 288 households, and 209 families residing in the town. 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 2,441.6 inhabitants per square mile (955.9/km²). There were 311 housing units at an average density of 1,057.6 per square mile (414.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.42% White, 5.85% African American, 0.42% Native American, 2.51% Asian, 0.84% 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 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.81% of the population.
There were 288 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% 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, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $63,068, and the median income for a family was $70,250. Males had a median income of $51,250 versus $27,143 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 town was $29,261. About 2.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
History
Originally an area called Port Dixie, the town "sprang up out of the woods" in 1943-1944 as a community of 160 houses to be used as housing for military officers by developer Clifford Meigs.During the Civil War [sic- First World War], 130 Germans operated a "dye" plant at Port Dixie, "actually an explosives factory and probably a submarine base as well." Costly machinery was smashed when they fled and the records were thrown into Garnier's Bayou.
"In February 1927 the Choctawhatchee and Northern Railroad
Choctawhatchee and Northern Railroad
The Choctawhatchee and Northern Railroad was one of many proposed railroad projects that never made it beyond the planning stage, this one in the northwest Florida Panhandle...
was chartered 'To construct, acquire, maintain, lease, or operate a line of railroad or railroads from a point between Galliver and Crestview on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
in Okaloosa County, to a point in said county on Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
, a distance of approximately twenty-eight miles.' On Garnier's Bayou near the present Eglin (Air Force Base) housing development of Shalimar, a $29,000,000 Port Dixie Harbor and Terminal Company was chartered to build wharves for liners, a rail line north, and a city of one square mile, with streets 100 feet wide." These ambitious plans would not see fruition.
Badly needed new homes were constructed beginning in 1942 by Clifford Meigs and his associates to provide adequate facilities for commissioned officers assigned at the rapidly-expanding Eglin Field, immediately north of what was initially referred to as "Shalimar Park". The first 50 homes were almost complete by May, with another 25 underway, with the entire project costing approximately $350,000. The Plew Heights housing project near Valparaiso, Florida
Valparaiso, Florida
Valparaiso is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, in the United States, and it is named after the Chilean city of Valparaiso. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,408. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 6,336...
had been erected in 1941 to take care of civil service employees and enlisted personnel, but the government made no provision for commissioned officers.
Incorporated in June 1947, Clifford Meigs served as its first mayor. The incorporation was directly related to state law that prohibited clubs in unincorporated areas from staying open from midnight Saturday until Monday morning, which would negatively impact the gambling operations at the casino of the Shalimar Club, the opening of which "was the social event of 1947." "The Fort Walton Beach [sic - Fort Walton did not become Fort Walton Beach until June 1953] places were doing a booming business on the weekends while there were rumors that the sheriff might enforce the law in Shalimar and close the place there," Meigs told the Playground News
Northwest Florida Daily News
The Northwest Florida Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It was founded in 1946 and is one of 65 newspapers owned by Freedom Communications...
in 1959. "The owner came to me and suggested incorporation, and while I didn't think I had much to gain then, I agreed. With only about three other freeholders in the area, it was a simple matter to get incorporated." The reprieve on gambling would be temporary, however. "The collapse of Okaloosa gambling was brought about by the glare of outside publicity, reform zeal from within and the direct intervention of Gov. Fuller Warren
Fuller Warren
Fuller Warren was the 30th Governor of Florida.Born in Blountstown, Florida, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville. While at the University of Florida, he was one of the early members of Florida Blue Key and was a member of the Tau Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity...
. The first wind of adversity was blown by the Tampa Tribune's exposé of gambling in Fort Walton."
In 1948, the town boasted the Shalimar Store, the Shalimar Service Station, and lumberman and Shalimar resident Roger Clary's Shalimar Club. The 160 residences were rented through Shalimar Homes and Meigs Homes corporations.
In 1950, the 280-car capacity Florida Drive-In Theatre, erected at a cost of ~$40,000, at the junction of Ferry Road and State Road 85, later Eglin Parkway, the main road between the air force base and Fort Walton, Florida, opened on Thursday, June 15, with an Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
picture, "On an Island with You
On an Island with You
On an Island with You is a 1948 musical romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe. It stars Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalbán, Cyd Charisse and Kathryn Beaumont....
". Operated by the James Tringas family, that also ran the Tringas Theatre in Fort Walton, the drive-in would close in the fall of 1973. This property is now occupied by the Shalimar Methodist Church family life center and a furniture store.
Clifford Meigs served as mayor until his death in 1960, and was succeeded by his brother Clyde Meigs in November, who had served as a councilman. The first elected mayor was James P. Tras, in 1965, followed by Sarah Tras for a two to three year term. She had been married to Clifford Meigs at the time of his death, and is the wife of Jim Tras, as of 2009. Residential Meigs Drive, parallelling the Choctawhatchee Bay, is named for the town's founding family. Carl Brandt Drive and Gardner Drive are named for former Eglin AFB commanders.
The Lake Lorraine area at Black's Point to the east of the incorporated Shalimar community was developed in the 1970s, but carries a Shalimar postal address.
The Poquito Bayou area north of the incorporated Shalimar also carries a Shalimar postal address.
Commerce
Shalimar has one commercial artery, Eglin Parkway, and most business enterprises are located within a block of State Road 85. A mix of office parks, restaurants, convenience stores with fuel islands, a furniture store, a hotel, and other assorted small firms comprise the short business corridor. Okaloosa County offices are located in Shalimar.Education
Some of the land that Clifford Meigs owned was donated to Okaloosa County for the establishment of a school. When it was finished it was named Choctawhatchee (Choctaw for short) High School, opening September 22, 1952. In 1969 the area needed a middle school, so Okaloosa School District built a new school in Fort Walton Beach, FloridaFort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
. The previous school was renamed to Clifford Meigs Junior High School, later Clifford Meigs Middle School (Meigs Middle School for short). The football field is known as Meigs Stadium. Meigs Middle School, Shalimar Elementary School and Longwood Elementary School are currently (2009) A Schools according to the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. In fact, most schools in the Okaloosa County School District are A schools in 2009.
Notable residents
- George E."Bud" DayBud DayGeorge Everette "Bud" Day is a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and Command Pilot who served during the Vietnam War, to include five years and seven months as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam. He is often cited as being the most decorated U.S. service member since General Douglas MacArthur, having...
- Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
Recipient, Prisoner of War, Vietnam. Colonel, USAF, Retired
External links
- Town of Shalimar official site
- Northwest Florida Daily News