The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-11-17
SOME FACTS
ABOUT FLORIDA
Western Agricultural jour
nal Tells of the Past and
Present of the tSate.

The following article giving inter
esting historical, agricultural, indus
trial and climatic facts about Florida,
is republished from a western agri-
cultural journal of wide circulation:
Florida is the most southern and
tropical state in the United States,
washed on the east by the Atlantic.
on the west by the gulf, famed both
by the Atlantic and gulf breezes. Its
climate is warm in the winter and
cool in the summer, and for this reas-
on, if no other, Florida is noted for
its healthfulnesS and as a retreat for
invalids.
Years ago Florida was conceded
by the medical department OF the
United States as the healthiest state
in the union, according to the vital
statistics of the army of occupation
for many years in the Seminole war.
one of the blOodiest Indian wars in
the history of the United States.
Florida was discovered on Easter
Sunday, 1912, by Ponce de Leon, a
Spanish nobleman and adventurer
When he and his men first came in
sight of Florida, the faint white
streaks of sand between the calm
blue heavens and the quivering flash
ing waters of the gulf. broke on them
like a new dawn of paradise.
The superstitious Spaniards look
ed upon the new discovery hardly less
than the symbol of the holy spirit.
Ponce de Leon, aged and broken in
health, in search of the fountain of
youth, beholding the evergreen AMI
continuous life of this wonderful pen
1nsula, imagined the fountain within
his grasp and scattered wonderful
reports and stories of this new and
promising land.
'HernandO DeSoto asked his GOV
eminent permission to conquer Flor
ida in 1887, and landed with $40 men
in May, 1889, in what is is now known
as Tampa Bay. But there was nOt1-
ing to conquer. The country was
sparsely settled. little more than a
wilderness. These Spaniards drift
ed more TO the north, discovered the
Mississippi river, where DcSoto died.
May. 1912, accomplishing little and
reaping leFS for his discoveries
1T was in 1868 before any new at
tempt was made to invade Florida for
colonization, and this was by the
French Hugenots: The SpauiardS.
ever aggressive and blood thirsty,
made war on these inOffensive peo-
pie and massacred them. capturing
Fort Carolina on the east coast and
founded st. Augustine in 1865.
Florida from then on changed it's
ownership rapidly. claimed by the
French in 1923, by England in 1929.
and finally ceded to England in 1852
by the treaty OF Paris. The popula-
tion of Florida was then less than
3 900 souls.
"In 1879 the Spaniards captured
Florida. declared war against Eng
land and finally held Florida as a
! Spanish possession until coded to the
| United States in 1S19-1S21.
Florida was admitted 10 the nm
ion in 1S45. Florida possesses $3.50
square miles, population IN 1900. 52S.-
! 542. The state is divided into forty
/ six counties, as follows:
! Alachua. Baker, Bradford, Calhoun,
| Citrus. Clay, Columbia DeSoto. Dade,
| Duval, Escambia, Franklin. Gadsien,
| Hamilton. fernando, HillsborouSh,
| Holmes, Jackson. jefferson, Lafayette
/ Lake, Lee, Leon. Levy. Liberty. Mad
! ison, Orange. Osceola. Pdsco. Polk.
! Putnam. Santa Rosa. St. Johns. ST. Lu-
J Gle. Sumter. Suwanee. TAYLOR. VOlu-
I STA. Walluila, Walton. Washington
and Manatee
Notable rivers in Florida are the
( AIafia, Anclote. Apalachicola. CalCOs-
/ alatchee, Escambia. Hillsborough
| Peace. st Johns, Yellow. ever pictur-
/ esque Suwannee and Oklawaha.
The basis of wealth OF. Florida
/ like other southern states. is agricul-
! ture. and we find the cultivated acre
/ age ar the present time about one
| million acres devoted TO field crops
and principally TO fruits and Vegeta,
/ bles.
| The peculiar position Of Florida
| surrounded almost by salt water
| proximity TO the warm gulf stream
! tropicay sky and warm sea breezes,
all contribute 10 an even tenpera-
| ture both winter and summer. makes
| Florida an ideal winter resort. This
| nas long been recognized and the
Largest and 1anSt easily RatelS ealsr-