Bartow, Florida
Encyclopedia
Bartow is the county seat
of Polk County
, Florida
, United States
. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow
the first brigade commander to die in combat during the American Civil War
. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census, the city had a population of 15,340 and an estimated population of 16,959 in 2009. It is part of the Lakeland
–Winter Haven
Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 584,383 in 2009. As of 2010, the mayor of Bartow is W. Patrick "Pat" Huff.
Located near the source of the Peace River
, Bartow is approximately 39 miles east of the Tampa Bay Area
and 50 miles southwest of the Greater Orlando area. The city is near the center of "Lightning Alley" and has frequent afternoon thunderstorms in the summer, but typically has sunny and mild winters. Government, mining, and agriculture are the major sectors of the area's economy. The primary roads in the Bartow area are U.S. Route 17
, U.S. Route 98
and State Road 60 which provide access to locations throughout Central Florida.
The official city nickname is the "City of Oaks and Azaleas", but informally it is often called "the 'Tow". Three districts within the city are on the National Register of Historical Places. Other historic landmarks include the Old Polk County Courthouse built in 1909 and Bartow High School
, formerly Summerlin Institute, the oldest high school in the county. Although Bartow has been eclipsed in population, importance and name recognition by other cities in the county, particularly Lakeland
and Winter Haven
, the city has retained its small city heritage and its distinctive Southern culture. With the annexation of 18000 acres (72.8 km²) of former phosphate mining land owned by the Clear Springs Land Company, Bartow's population is projected to increase to over 25,000 by 2015 and over 45,000 by 2030.
The first non-Indian settlement in the area was a colony of Black Seminoles
who established Minatti south of Lake Hancock in the late 1810s. These "maroons", as they were commonly called, were escaped slaves from Georgia
and the Carolinas
. The Black Seminoles of Minatti were allies of the Red Stick Creek in Talakchopko, near present day Fort Meade
. The Seminole leader Osceola
had strong ties to Talakchopko, and many of the events leading up to the Second Seminole War
were associated with Osceola and the Minatti war chief Harry. By the end of the Second Seminole War in 1842, both Minatti and Talakchopko had been destroyed.
The Armed Occupation Act of 1842
facilitated settlement of the Florida peninsula in the 1840s, although the act did prohibit settlement near the Peace River as that was considered Seminole land. Enforcement of that part of the act was not strictly enforced; however, and settlers eventually moved out of the Tampa Bay area and into the area. As the settlement grew, the residents began to plant citrus trees and build one room school houses and churches. In 1851, Fort Blount was established by Redding Blount just west of current downtown Bartow. At some point in the 1850s, Fort Blount became Peace Creek or Peas Creek, a name dating back to the Rio de la Paz of early Spanish maps.
About a month after the secession of Florida in 1861, the state established Polk County from the eastern portion of Hillsborough County
. A few months later, the American Civil War
began with the Battle of Fort Sumter. Because of the turmoil of secession and the war, the county had no official county seat for its first six years of existence. The state legislature had directed the voters of Polk County to choose a site for the county seat and mandated that the site be named "Reidsville." During the war, the area's major contribution to the Confederacy
was supplies of food. The Union
army and navy had effective control of the west coast of Florida, and many cattlemen retreated inland and formed the "Cow Cavalry" as a defense against Union troops. One of the wealthiest members of the Cow Cavalry was Jacob Summerlin. Summerlin purchased the Blount property in 1862 and donated a large parcel of land to build a county courthouse, two churches and a school. Later that year, the town which had been known as Fort Blount, Peace Creek, Peas Creek, and briefly Reidsville was permanently renamed Bartow in honor of Francis S. Bartow, the first confederate officer to die during the war.
Like much of the south, Bartow recovered slowly from the war as inefficient and often corrupt Reconstruction governments did little to rebuild the fractured infrastructure. The first Polk County Courthouse was built in 1867 and this did solidify the city's position as county seat. Although Florida formally rejoined the union in 1868, Reconstruction did not end in Florida until 1877.
The 1880s and 90s were a period of growth for the city of Bartow; from 1880 to 1900, the city would grow from 386 residents to 1,983. On July 1, 1882 the town was incorporated as a city. In 1885, the Florida Southern Railroad
, a north-south route from North Florida
to Southwest Florida
opened in Bartow. A year later, the Bartow Branch of the South Florida Railroad
which connected Tampa and Orlando was completed. The railroads would become a catalyst to the growth of the area; during the Spanish American War, the Bartow rail yards became a crucial part of the supply line headed for troops in Cuba. In 1887, Summerlin Institute, the first brick schoolhouse south of Jacksonville
was built. By the turn of the century, Bartow had become the most populous city south of Tampa on the Florida peninsula - larger than either Miami or West Palm Beach
.
As the city grew, a number of industries moved into the Bartow area. In the first few decades of the 1900s, thousands of acres of land around the city were purchased by the phosphate
industry and Bartow would become the hub of the largest phosphate industry in the United States. Polk County was the leading citrus county in the United States for much of the 20th century and the city has several large groves. In 1941, the city built an airport northeast of town. The airport was taken over by the federal government during World War II
and was the training location for many Army Air Corps
pilots during the war. The airport was returned to the city in 1967 and renamed Bartow Municipal Airport.
For most of the 20th century, Bartow's growth was modest, especially in comparison to the rest of the county and state. While other cities in Polk County aggressively annexed adjacent land and allowed rapid growth, the government of Bartow generally took a more cautious approach. Another reason why Bartow's growth had been slow was that most of the land surrounding the city was owned by phosphate mining companies making residential growth impractical. Although Bartow had been the largest city in Polk county in 1900, by the 1910 U.S. Census Lakeland had surpassed Bartow in population. Bartow remained the second largest city in the county until sometime in the 1950s when Winter Haven become more populous than Bartow.
In the late 1990s as phosphate operations in the area moved southward, and much of the former phosphate land became available for sale. In 1999, Connecticut financier Stanford Phelps purchased the former Clear Springs phosphate lands east and south of city limits and announced plans for the largest development project in Polk County history. After nearly a decade of delays, the plan received final approval in 2009. The Clear Springs Development includes plans for more than 11,000 new homes, 1000000 ft2 of commercial space, three schools, and a golf course. According to the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Bartow's population is projected to grow to over 25,000 people by 2015. When buildout of the Clear Springs Development is completed by 2030, the population of the city is projected to be over 45,000 residents.
Bartow is located slightly southwest of the geographical centers of both Polk County and peninsular Florida. The city is approximately 39 miles (62.8 km) east of Tampa
and 51 miles (82.1 km) southwest of Orlando
. The cities of Bartow, Lakeland, and Winter Haven form a roughly equilateral triangle pointed downward with Bartow being the south point, Lakeland the west point, and Winter Haven the east point. The city is located near the headwaters of the Peace River
at Lake Hancock
. Bartow is located within the Central Florida Highlands area of the Atlantic coastal plain
with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, in 2000 the city had a total area of 11.4 square miles (29.5 km²). 11.2 square miles (29 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.23%) is water. As a result of the annexation of over 26000 acres (105.2 km²) of undeveloped land, primarily the Clear Springs land, the area of the city has quadrupled to over 52 square miles (134.7 km²) with more annexation still pending.
. Most soils in the Bartow area are sandy; other soils have sandy surface layers and clay
subsoils, and the eastern outskirts of town have a clay-rich floodplain through which the Peace River flows. Drainage outside of the floodplain ranges from good to excessive for the most part except for a poorly drained band which cuts across the northern part of town. Much of Bartow is built on the Fort Meade soil series, which is well drained, high in organic matter, and rich in phosphorus
, an uncommon combination in Florida, much appreciated by area gardeners.
: Cfa). The climate of Bartow and other inland cities is slightly different than those cities on the coasts of Florida. Typically the ocean or gulf tends to moderate the climate of cities on the coast. As Bartow is further from the coast than almost any other city in Florida, it tends to have higher daytime temperatures during the summer and cooler temperatures at night during the winter. Regardless, the climate pattern prevalent throughout central Florida is evident in Bartow: hot, humid summers with frequent afternoon thunderstorms and relatively drier and mild winters. On average, a tropical system brings hurricane-force winds to the Polk County area less than once every ten years, although the 2004 hurricane season
in which three hurricanes hit within 44 days was a case study in the law of averages
. Until 2004, the most recent storm to bring hurricane force winds to the Bartow area had been Hurricane Donna
in 1960.
While Florida's vulnerability to hurricanes is well known, hurricanes are not the most common severe weather threat seen in the Polk County area. The area is in the center of "lightning alley", the most concentrated lightning strike area in the United States. Lightning is not the only threat from central Florida thunderstorms. The more severe storms bring the threat of tornadoes, although Florida tornadoes very rarely reach the size of those elsewhere in the United States. Even hail is not out of the question; one storm in March 1996 caused a one foot accumulation of hail in areas of Bartow.
Freezes are an occasional occurrence in the Bartow area and can be a problem if temperatures remain below freezing for a sustained period of time. On average, the area can expect freezing temperatures every other winter. Snow is a rare phenomenon in the area, perhaps a few times every century.
of 2000, there were 15,340 people, 5,531 households, and 3,777 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,366.5 inhabitants per square mile (527.4/km2). There were 6,099 housing units at an average density of 543.3 per square mile (209.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 65.91% White, 28.39% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 2.22% from other races
, and 2.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.11% of the population.
There were 5,531 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples
living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.4% of all households consisted of individuals and 13.2% 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 3.02.
In the city, the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,568, and the median income for a family was $44,093. Males had a median income of $31,716 versus $21,309 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,487. About 9.7% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
On the 2000 Census, residents self-identified with a variety of ethnic ancestries. People were only allowed to designate up to two ancestries by the census. People who self-identified as American ancestry numbered 11.2% of the town, with English
at 9.1%, Irish
at 7.7%, German
at 7.3%, Italian
at 1.9%, Dutch at 1.8%, French
at 1.7%, and Scotch-Irish at 1.7%. 90.9% of all Bartow residents speak English as a first language. Those who speak Spanish at home number 6.8%.
As of 2010 had a population of 17,298. There were 6,254 households in Bartow. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 59.1% non-Hispanic white, 23.7% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% Asian Indian, 0.5% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race and 14.7% Hispanic. The majority of the Hispanics were Mexicans, who made up 9.5% of the population.
preach, which was twice as much as the population of Bartow and more than the population of the county's largest city Lakeland at the time. As of 2010, there are more than 70 churches within the Bartow area.
Like most of the Bible Belt
, Bartow has a high number of people affiliated with evangelical Protestant denominations with over 62% of churchgoers belonging to evangelical denominations. According to data published by the Glenmary Research Center in 2000, the denomination which has the largest number of adherents in Bartow is the Southern Baptist Convention
with 27%, followed by the Roman Catholic church with 19%. Pentecostal/Charismatic churches are also prominent making up 17% of Bartow's church attendance. The Pentecostal experience known as the Lakeland revival
, which attracted controversy for its claims of supernatural healing, was started down the road at the Carpenter's Home Church
in Lakeland. Other churches which have a presence in Bartow include the United Methodist Church
at 9%, and the Episcopal
and Lutheran churches with 2% apiece. While there are no synagogues in town for Jewish Bartownians, Temple Emanuel is a conservative synagogue only 12 miles (19.3 km) away in Lakeland. There are two Muslim
mosque
s and a Hindu temple in the county.
The dominant force in the economy of Bartow is city, county and state government. As a small city which is the seat of a county with over half a million people, Bartow has an unusually large number of government jobs. In addition to city and county offices, there are also a number of regional, state, and federal offices located within Bartow city limits. Nine of the seventeen largest employers in Bartow are government entities. The largest by far is the Polk County School Board with over 12,000 employees. Other county entities which employ many people in the Bartow area include the county commission, the sheriff's department, the clerk of court, the tax collector, and the property appraiser. The Florida Department of Transportation
District One office is located in Bartow and is responsible for southwest Florida's transportation needs.
There are several large businesses with headquarters elsewhere which were founded in Bartow. The large international law firm of Holland & Knight
was founded in Bartow in 1929. What eventually become the large Burdines and Sons
department store chain was founded in Bartow in 1896 as Payne and Burdines. A couple years after opening his store, William M. Burdines opened a store in Miami and relocated his operations there.
Phospate mining has been a major player in Bartow's economy since the discovery of phosphate rock in 1881.
Polk County is part of the Bone Valley
which is the richest source of phosphate rock in the world; 75% of the United States's supply and 25% of the world's supply come from the Bone Valley. The largest employer in the phosphate industry is Mosaic which employs over 3,000 people in the area.
In terms of area, Polk County has 600000 acres (2,428.1 km²) dedicated to agriculture. According to the US Census of Agriculture, Polk County is the top citrus production county in Florida. Polk County is also ranked second in the state in production of honey and fourth in number of heads of cattle. Since 1997 the new bumper crop in the area is blueberry. From 2000–07 the area has more than doubled its production of blueberries and accounts for more than 35% of the state's production of the fruit. While spring is usually a "dead" time for every other blueberry growing area in North and South America, Polk County blueberries peak from March to May.
Although there are no major tourist attractions in the immediate Bartow area, the city is located less than 50 miles (80.5 km) from both the Walt Disney World Resort
and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The city is also less than 20 miles (32.2 km) from Legoland Florida
in Winter Haven and Bok Tower Gardens
in Lake Wales. As a city with many historical sites dating back over 100 years, Bartow is also a point of interest for those interested in historical sites and monuments.
The Polk County Arts Alliance based in Bartow is designated the official Art Agency by the county commission and is in charge of furthering the performing arts in the county. The Bartow Performing Arts Series sponsors five performances every year. The Imperial Symphony Orchestra is an ensemble of ninety volunteer musicians throughout the county who perform a dozen or so events every year including a concert "under the stars." The city also has a volunteer band, the Bartow Community Band, which performs several shows a year. On the third Friday of every month, Main Street is blocked off for Friday Fest at 6 p.m. for a night of live music and entertainment, informally known as "Tow Jam" by natives.
, the Northeast Bartow Residential District
, and the South Bartow Residential District
have been designated as historic districts. New construction within these districts is regulated by the board and they have the power to veto construction which might alter the character of the neighborhood.
While the towering oaks and ever-present azalea bushes which spawned the city's nickname give many of the historic landmarks of the city a distinctive Southern "look and feel", many styles of architecture are represented in Bartow's historic buildings. The South Bartow and Northeast Bartow historic districts are characterized by masonry vernacular
and various revival styles, while downtown is dominated by frame vernacular and classical revival styles. Other buildings on the National Register of Historic Places
with distinctive architectural styles include the Thompson and Company Cigar Factory built in a Mission Revival Style
and the L.B. Brown House built with distinctive Victorian
ornamentation. The L.B. Brown House is notable as perhaps the only house still standing in Florida built by a freedman. The Old Polk County Courthouse, Bartow's most recognizable symbol seen on its city seal, was built in 1909 in a neoclassical
style.
There are several other notable buildings in Bartow which are not on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wonder House at 1075 Mann Road features natural air-conditioning (using rainwater), secluded outdoor bathtubs, and numerous mirrors that let occupants see who is at the door from other parts of the home. The Thomas Lee Wilson House, also known as the Stanford Inn, at 555 East Stanford Street was the "Sultenfuss Funeral Parlor" in the movie My Girl
. The house at 935 South Oak Avenue known as "Windsweep" was the residence used in the movie China Moon
.
train at Joker Marchant Stadium
in nearby Lakeland and during the regular season, the stadium hosts the Tigers' Single A affiliate, the Lakeland Flying Tigers.
Many of the recreational opportunities in the area are outdoor activities designed to take advantage of the warm subtropical climate. There are eighteen parks in the City of Bartow Department of Parks and Recreation. Mary Holland Park, named after the wife of former Florida governor Spessard Holland
, is a 119 acre (0.48157634 km²) park with three lakes, an overnight camping area, and a skateboard park. The Bartow Civic Center is a 31 acres (125,452.7 m²) complex with meeting rooms, concert facilities and a public pool. Bartow Park is a 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) complex with softball, baseball and soccer fields and a track for remote control cars. The Bartow Golf Course is a par 72, 6,300 yard course with a restaurant and an area for barbecuing.
The Tour de Tow is an annual cycling tour held in September. The Fort Fraser Trail is a 7.7 miles (12.4 km) path leading from Bartow to south Lakeland. The path follows an abandoned CSX railroad line and is popular with area cyclists, joggers, and in-line skaters. Plans have been made to build a replica of the historic Fort Fraser
along the path, as well as adding historical markers. Five picnic areas and six rest shelters are available along the path.
Polk County has over 550 lakes. Most of these lakes were formerly strip mines; they are closed to the public, only 88 of the lakes are open to the public via boat ramp access. The area has a national reputation for largemouth bass
fishing and there are tournaments held weekly almost year round. Some of the lakes on the east side of Bartow offer anglers the opportunity to catch 50 largemouth bass a day.
and in times of drought, the city strictly enforces the restrictions set forth by the district. Although it is a private entity outside of the city limits of Bartow, the Bartow Municipal Airport
is governed and administrated by the city commission. As of September 2010, the Bartow Police Department employs 52 sworn officers and 27 civilian employees, while the Bartow Fire Department has 21 full time firemen and 3 volunteers. The city of Bartow also operates the Bartow Public library, which was founded in 1897 and has reciprocal borrowing agreements with other public libraries in Polk County.
Bartow, as well as the rest of Polk County, is part of the so-called I-4
corridor. The I-4 corridor is seen by political analysts as the most politically competitive part of the state. Polk is considered the most conservative county in the corridor. Even though the majority of the residents of Bartow are members of the Democratic Party
, outnumbering the Republican Party
in party affiliation (53.3% to 31.7%), voters tend to support Republicans in most state and federal elections. In 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain
's lead over Democrat Barack Obama
(53.6% to 46.5) in the city was larger than that of both the county and state.
All of Bartow's local representation in the state and federal legislatures are members of the Republican Party. Bartow is represented in the state Florida House of Representatives
by Seth McKeel
and Baxter Troutman
. In the Florida Senate
, Bartow is represented by J.D. Alexander. In the United States House of Representatives
, Bartow is located in Florida's 12th congressional district
, and represented by Bartow native Congressman Adam Putnam
.
, formerly Summerlin Institute, is the oldest high school in the county and one of the oldest high schools in the state of Florida. In 1923 Union Academy, the first African-American high school in Polk County was opened. Court-ordered integration began in Bartow during the fall of 1969, and the former black high school Union Academy became a middle school. In 1971, Summerlin Institute officially became Bartow High School, a name it had been known as informally at least since the early 1900s. There are currently seven elementary schools and two middle schools which are feeder schools of Bartow High School. Located at the campus of Bartow High School is the International Baccalaureate School of Polk County which offers an academically challenging environment and the Summerlin Academy which offers a military-oriented education.
It is expected that the rapid growth of the Clear Springs development will necessitate the building of at least two elementary schools and a middle school within the next twenty years. As part of this development, a new Polk State College campus called The PSC Advanced Technology Center at Clear Springs is projected to open by 2012. This 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) campus will be located near the intersection of State Road 60 and 80 Foot Road.
While there are currently no colleges or universities in Bartow, there are several within a 20 mile (32 km) radius of Bartow. The nearest university, University of South Florida Polytechnic is located 6 miles (10 km) northwest of city limits in Lakeland on a joint campus with Polk State College.Florida Southern College
and Southeastern University are also located in Lakeland. Warner University is located to the east in Lake Wales.
/St. Pete television market, the 13th largest in the country. There are two AM radio stations within the city: WQXM
(1460 AM) and WWBF
(1130 AM). These stations are part of the local Lakeland/Winter Haven radio market, which is the 94th largest in the country. In addition to the stations in the local market, people in the area have the choice of both Tampa Bay and Orlando area radio stations and as of the 2010 market sweeps
several of the most listened to stations in the market are in the Tampa Bay area.
The Polk County Democrat is the only newspaper published within Bartow. It is a semi-weekly paper which began publication in 1931. The dominant daily newspaper is The Ledger
out of Lakeland, although the Tampa Tribune, the News Chief
out of Winter Haven and the Orlando Sentinel
have some circulation in town.
in the northern commercial district and leads southward into the center of town before heading into one of the older residential sections of town. Main Street is the old Florida State Road 60 leading into the historic heart of downtown Bartow.
The primary numbered routes going through Bartow are Florida State Road 60 and U.S. Route 17
and U.S. Route 98. State Road 60 is a major state highway leading to both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts and is the major east-west route through town. Originally traveling along Main Street, State Road 60 now follows Van Fleet Drive bypassing the downtown area, and is commonly known as "the 60 Bypass" by locals. Heading east on State Road 60 leads to Lake Wales and on to Vero Beach, while westbound leads to Mulberry and eventually Tampa. U.S. 17 is the main north-south route on the east side of town. It is a four lane divided highway leading north to Winter Haven and south to Fort Meade. U.S. 98 is cosigned with U.S. 17 until its intersection with SR 60. Briefly cosigned with State Road 60 until its intersection with Broadway Avenue. US 98 then turns northward onto Broadway Avenue heading towards Lakeland. State Road 570, known as the Polk Parkway, is a toll road located (10 km) north of city limits on U.S. 98. The Polk Parkway provides direct freeway access to Tampa and Orlando via Interstate 4
.
The explosive growth expected in the area in the next few decades has created a need for a reexamination of the area's transportation infrastructure. The Central Polk Parkway is a proposed limited access highway that would connect the Polk Parkway with U.S. 17 and State Road 60. The Northern Bartow Connector, which is expected to be completed by 2015, is a partial loop around the north part of town connecting U.S. 98 with State Road 60 east of town.
For small aviation needs, Bartow Municipal Airport
is available. The airport has three runways and includes an industrial park
and warehouse storage. Both Tampa International Airport
(TPA) and Orlando International Airport
(MCO) are within 60 miles (96.6 km) driving distance from the center of Bartow.
Bartow has its own bus system, the Bartow Shuttle, which runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Citrus Connection
has buses that serve the Bartow downtown area from Lakeland, and Winter Haven Area Transit
serves Bartow from Winter Haven and Fort Meade.
have produced as many prominent citizens per capita as Bartow. Many government officials and politicians have been associated with the city of Bartow since its founding. Perhaps the most notable is Spessard Holland
, former Florida governor and U.S. Senator, who governed the state during World War Two and authored the 24th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. His predecessor in the U.S. Senate, Charles O. Andrews
also attended school in Bartow. Others who were raised and schooled in Bartow include former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Stephen Grimes, former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris
who had a key role during the 2000 U.S. Presidential election, and former U.S. congressman Adam Putnam
. The most notable military officer from Bartow is three-star general James Van Fleet
who was the commanding officer of the United Nations
forces during the Korean War
. Other generals associated with the City of Bartow include Albert H. Blanding
who served during World War One and Confederate General Evander M. Law
who lived the last forty years of his life in Bartow.
A large number of professional athletes were born, lived in or associated with the city of Bartow. Many of these athletes were born in Polk General Hospital, a public hospital in Bartow which closed in 1995, but were generally associated with other cities in Polk County.Those who were born in Bartow, but raised elsewhere include NFL linebacker Ray Lewis
, NBA guard Tracy McGrady
, and motocross
star James "Bubba" Stewart. Other athletes who were both raised and educated in Bartow include former NFL defensive back Ken Riley
, former wide receiver Lance Leggett and former NASCAR driver Rick Wilson
.
Other notable people from Bartow include January 2010 Playboy Playmate Jaime Faith Edmondson, notable centenarian Charlie Smith
and Sweet Trials defendant Ossian Sweet
.
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 Polk County
Polk County, Florida
Polk County is located in central Florida between the Tampa Bay and Greater Orlando metropolitan areas. The county was established by the state government in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War and named after former United States president James K. Polk. The county seat is Bartow and its...
, 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...
. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow
Francis S. Bartow
Colonel Francis Stebbins Bartow was an attorney, Confederate States of America political leader, and military officer during the early months of the American Civil War...
the first brigade commander to die in combat during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census, the city had a population of 15,340 and an estimated population of 16,959 in 2009. It is part of the Lakeland
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
–Winter Haven
Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 584,383 in 2009. As of 2010, the mayor of Bartow is W. Patrick "Pat" Huff.
Located near the source of the Peace River
Peace River (Florida)
The Peace River is a river in the southwestern part of the Florida peninsula, in the U.S.A.. It originates at the juncture of Saddle Creek and Peace Creek northeast of Bartow in Polk County and flows south through Hardee County to Arcadia in DeSoto County and then southwest into the Charlotte...
, Bartow is approximately 39 miles east of the Tampa Bay Area
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
and 50 miles southwest of the Greater Orlando area. The city is near the center of "Lightning Alley" and has frequent afternoon thunderstorms in the summer, but typically has sunny and mild winters. Government, mining, and agriculture are the major sectors of the area's economy. The primary roads in the Bartow area are U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 in Florida
U.S. Route 17 in Florida is a north–south United States Highway. It runs from the Punta Gorda, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area northeast to the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area....
, U.S. Route 98
U.S. Route 98 in Florida
U.S. Route 98 is an east-west United States highway that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida and Apalachicola, Florida, and has since been extended eastward across the Florida Peninsula and westward into Mississippi...
and State Road 60 which provide access to locations throughout Central Florida.
The official city nickname is the "City of Oaks and Azaleas", but informally it is often called "the 'Tow". Three districts within the city are on the National Register of Historical Places. Other historic landmarks include the Old Polk County Courthouse built in 1909 and Bartow High School
Bartow High School
Bartow High School, formerly Summerlin Institute and Union Academy is the only high school located in Bartow, Florida. The school is also the location of the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High, a school which annually finishes in the top five in composite SAT scores in the United...
, formerly Summerlin Institute, the oldest high school in the county. Although Bartow has been eclipsed in population, importance and name recognition by other cities in the county, particularly Lakeland
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
and Winter Haven
Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County...
, the city has retained its small city heritage and its distinctive Southern culture. With the annexation of 18000 acres (72.8 km²) of former phosphate mining land owned by the Clear Springs Land Company, Bartow's population is projected to increase to over 25,000 by 2015 and over 45,000 by 2030.
History
A Spanish map of the Florida peninsula drawn in 1527 shows a native settlement called Rio de la Paz near present day Bartow. Little is known about these Native Americans who made their home near present day Bartow, but it is likely that they suffered the same fate as pre-Columbian natives elsewhere - death by European diseases such as small pox and yellow fever. The remnants of these pre-Columbian peoples probably joined Creek Indians who arrived from the north and become the Seminole Indian tribe.The first non-Indian settlement in the area was a colony of Black Seminoles
Black Seminoles
The Black Seminoles is a term used by modern historians for the descendants of free blacks and some runaway slaves , mostly Gullahs who escaped from coastal South Carolina and Georgia rice plantations into the Spanish Florida wilderness beginning as early as the late 17th century...
who established Minatti south of Lake Hancock in the late 1810s. These "maroons", as they were commonly called, were escaped slaves from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and the Carolinas
The Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...
. The Black Seminoles of Minatti were allies of the Red Stick Creek in Talakchopko, near present day Fort Meade
Fort Meade, Florida
Fort Meade is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,691 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 5,761...
. The Seminole leader Osceola
Osceola
Osceola, also known as Billy Powell , became an influential leader with the Seminole in Florida. He was of Creek, Scots-Irish and English parentage, and had migrated to Florida with his mother after the defeat of the Creek in 1814.Osceola led a small band of warriors in the Seminole resistance...
had strong ties to Talakchopko, and many of the events leading up to the Second Seminole War
Second Seminole War
The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars...
were associated with Osceola and the Minatti war chief Harry. By the end of the Second Seminole War in 1842, both Minatti and Talakchopko had been destroyed.
The Armed Occupation Act of 1842
Armed Occupation Act
The Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 was passed as an incentive to populate Florida. The Act granted 160 acres of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South....
facilitated settlement of the Florida peninsula in the 1840s, although the act did prohibit settlement near the Peace River as that was considered Seminole land. Enforcement of that part of the act was not strictly enforced; however, and settlers eventually moved out of the Tampa Bay area and into the area. As the settlement grew, the residents began to plant citrus trees and build one room school houses and churches. In 1851, Fort Blount was established by Redding Blount just west of current downtown Bartow. At some point in the 1850s, Fort Blount became Peace Creek or Peas Creek, a name dating back to the Rio de la Paz of early Spanish maps.
About a month after the secession of Florida in 1861, the state established Polk County from the eastern portion of Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
. A few months later, the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
began with the Battle of Fort Sumter. Because of the turmoil of secession and the war, the county had no official county seat for its first six years of existence. The state legislature had directed the voters of Polk County to choose a site for the county seat and mandated that the site be named "Reidsville." During the war, the area's major contribution to the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
was supplies of food. The Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
army and navy had effective control of the west coast of Florida, and many cattlemen retreated inland and formed the "Cow Cavalry" as a defense against Union troops. One of the wealthiest members of the Cow Cavalry was Jacob Summerlin. Summerlin purchased the Blount property in 1862 and donated a large parcel of land to build a county courthouse, two churches and a school. Later that year, the town which had been known as Fort Blount, Peace Creek, Peas Creek, and briefly Reidsville was permanently renamed Bartow in honor of Francis S. Bartow, the first confederate officer to die during the war.
Like much of the south, Bartow recovered slowly from the war as inefficient and often corrupt Reconstruction governments did little to rebuild the fractured infrastructure. The first Polk County Courthouse was built in 1867 and this did solidify the city's position as county seat. Although Florida formally rejoined the union in 1868, Reconstruction did not end in Florida until 1877.
The 1880s and 90s were a period of growth for the city of Bartow; from 1880 to 1900, the city would grow from 386 residents to 1,983. On July 1, 1882 the town was incorporated as a city. In 1885, the Florida Southern Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
, a north-south route from North Florida
North Florida
North Florida refers to the northernmost part of the U.S. state of Florida, including some counties that border the state of Georgia. It also borders the Big Bend with Madison County and Taylor County to the east and the Central Florida region to its south....
to Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida is a region of Florida , United States located along its gulf coast, south of the Tampa Bay area, west of Lake Okeechobee and mostly north of the Everglades...
opened in Bartow. A year later, the Bartow Branch of the South Florida Railroad
South Florida Railroad
The South Florida Railroad was a railroad from Orlando to Tampa, Florida, becoming part of the Plant System in 1893 and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902.-History:...
which connected Tampa and Orlando was completed. The railroads would become a catalyst to the growth of the area; during the Spanish American War, the Bartow rail yards became a crucial part of the supply line headed for troops in Cuba. In 1887, Summerlin Institute, the first brick schoolhouse south of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
was built. By the turn of the century, Bartow had become the most populous city south of Tampa on the Florida peninsula - larger than either Miami or West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
.
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
industry and Bartow would become the hub of the largest phosphate industry in the United States. Polk County was the leading citrus county in the United States for much of the 20th century and the city has several large groves. In 1941, the city built an airport northeast of town. The airport was taken over by the federal government during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was the training location for many Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
pilots during the war. The airport was returned to the city in 1967 and renamed Bartow Municipal Airport.
For most of the 20th century, Bartow's growth was modest, especially in comparison to the rest of the county and state. While other cities in Polk County aggressively annexed adjacent land and allowed rapid growth, the government of Bartow generally took a more cautious approach. Another reason why Bartow's growth had been slow was that most of the land surrounding the city was owned by phosphate mining companies making residential growth impractical. Although Bartow had been the largest city in Polk county in 1900, by the 1910 U.S. Census Lakeland had surpassed Bartow in population. Bartow remained the second largest city in the county until sometime in the 1950s when Winter Haven become more populous than Bartow.
In the late 1990s as phosphate operations in the area moved southward, and much of the former phosphate land became available for sale. In 1999, Connecticut financier Stanford Phelps purchased the former Clear Springs phosphate lands east and south of city limits and announced plans for the largest development project in Polk County history. After nearly a decade of delays, the plan received final approval in 2009. The Clear Springs Development includes plans for more than 11,000 new homes, 1000000 ft2 of commercial space, three schools, and a golf course. According to the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Bartow's population is projected to grow to over 25,000 people by 2015. When buildout of the Clear Springs Development is completed by 2030, the population of the city is projected to be over 45,000 residents.
Geography
Bartow is located slightly southwest of the geographical centers of both Polk County and peninsular Florida. The city is approximately 39 miles (62.8 km) east of Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
and 51 miles (82.1 km) southwest of Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. The cities of Bartow, Lakeland, and Winter Haven form a roughly equilateral triangle pointed downward with Bartow being the south point, Lakeland the west point, and Winter Haven the east point. The city is located near the headwaters of the Peace River
Peace River (Florida)
The Peace River is a river in the southwestern part of the Florida peninsula, in the U.S.A.. It originates at the juncture of Saddle Creek and Peace Creek northeast of Bartow in Polk County and flows south through Hardee County to Arcadia in DeSoto County and then southwest into the Charlotte...
at Lake Hancock
Lake Hancock
Lake Hancock is a lake located north of Bartow, Florida in Polk County, Florida. Lake Hancock is located in the Polk Upland area between the Winter Haven Ridge and Lakeland Ridge. As part of the upper Peace River watershed, the lake has ecological importance throughout southwest Florida according...
. Bartow is located within the Central Florida Highlands area of the Atlantic coastal plain
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills.
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...
, in 2000 the city had a total area of 11.4 square miles (29.5 km²). 11.2 square miles (29 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.23%) is water. As a result of the annexation of over 26000 acres (105.2 km²) of undeveloped land, primarily the Clear Springs land, the area of the city has quadrupled to over 52 square miles (134.7 km²) with more annexation still pending.
Physiography and soils
Bartow is located on the South Central Florida Ridge, as classified by the USDAUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
. Most soils in the Bartow area are sandy; other soils have sandy surface layers and clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
subsoils, and the eastern outskirts of town have a clay-rich floodplain through which the Peace River flows. Drainage outside of the floodplain ranges from good to excessive for the most part except for a poorly drained band which cuts across the northern part of town. Much of Bartow is built on the Fort Meade soil series, which is well drained, high in organic matter, and rich in phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
, an uncommon combination in Florida, much appreciated by area gardeners.
Climate
Bartow, like most of Florida, is located in the humid subtropical zone (Köppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
: Cfa). The climate of Bartow and other inland cities is slightly different than those cities on the coasts of Florida. Typically the ocean or gulf tends to moderate the climate of cities on the coast. As Bartow is further from the coast than almost any other city in Florida, it tends to have higher daytime temperatures during the summer and cooler temperatures at night during the winter. Regardless, the climate pattern prevalent throughout central Florida is evident in Bartow: hot, humid summers with frequent afternoon thunderstorms and relatively drier and mild winters. On average, a tropical system brings hurricane-force winds to the Polk County area less than once every ten years, although the 2004 hurricane season
2004 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2004, and lasted until November 30, 2004. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
in which three hurricanes hit within 44 days was a case study in the law of averages
Law of averages
The law of averages is a lay term used to express a belief that outcomes of a random event will "even out" within a small sample.As invoked in everyday life, the "law" usually reflects bad statistics or wishful thinking rather than any mathematical principle...
. Until 2004, the most recent storm to bring hurricane force winds to the Bartow area had been Hurricane Donna
Hurricane Donna
Hurricane Donna in the 1960 Atlantic hurricane season was a Cape Verde-type hurricane which moved across the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispanola, Cuba, The Bahamas, and every state on the East Coast of the United States...
in 1960.
While Florida's vulnerability to hurricanes is well known, hurricanes are not the most common severe weather threat seen in the Polk County area. The area is in the center of "lightning alley", the most concentrated lightning strike area in the United States. Lightning is not the only threat from central Florida thunderstorms. The more severe storms bring the threat of tornadoes, although Florida tornadoes very rarely reach the size of those elsewhere in the United States. Even hail is not out of the question; one storm in March 1996 caused a one foot accumulation of hail in areas of Bartow.
Freezes are an occasional occurrence in the Bartow area and can be a problem if temperatures remain below freezing for a sustained period of time. On average, the area can expect freezing temperatures every other winter. Snow is a rare phenomenon in the area, perhaps a few times every century.
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 15,340 people, 5,531 households, and 3,777 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 1,366.5 inhabitants per square mile (527.4/km2). There were 6,099 housing units at an average density of 543.3 per square mile (209.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 65.91% White, 28.39% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 2.22% 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 2.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.11% of the population.
There were 5,531 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% 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, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.4% of all households consisted of individuals and 13.2% 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 3.02.
In the city, the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,568, and the median income for a family was $44,093. Males had a median income of $31,716 versus $21,309 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 $19,487. About 9.7% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.7% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
On the 2000 Census, residents self-identified with a variety of ethnic ancestries. People were only allowed to designate up to two ancestries by the census. People who self-identified as American ancestry numbered 11.2% of the town, with English
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
at 9.1%, Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
at 7.7%, German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
at 7.3%, Italian
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
at 1.9%, Dutch at 1.8%, French
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
at 1.7%, and Scotch-Irish at 1.7%. 90.9% of all Bartow residents speak English as a first language. Those who speak Spanish at home number 6.8%.
As of 2010 had a population of 17,298. There were 6,254 households in Bartow. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 59.1% non-Hispanic white, 23.7% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% Asian Indian, 0.5% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race and 14.7% Hispanic. The majority of the Hispanics were Mexicans, who made up 9.5% of the population.
Religion
The first two churches built in town, the First Baptist and the First Methodist churches, were constructed on land given by the city founder Jacob Summerlin in 1867. These churches, although not housed in the original buildings, are still extant today. In 1919, more than 8,000 people came to Bartow to hear former baseball star and traveling evangelist Billy SundayBilly Sunday
William Ashley "Billy" Sunday was an American athlete who, after being a popular outfielder in baseball's National League during the 1880s, became the most celebrated and influential American evangelist during the first two decades of the 20th century.Born into poverty in Iowa, Sunday spent some...
preach, which was twice as much as the population of Bartow and more than the population of the county's largest city Lakeland at the time. As of 2010, there are more than 70 churches within the Bartow area.
Like most of the Bible Belt
Bible Belt
Bible Belt is an informal term for a region in the southeastern and south-central United States in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's average.The...
, Bartow has a high number of people affiliated with evangelical Protestant denominations with over 62% of churchgoers belonging to evangelical denominations. According to data published by the Glenmary Research Center in 2000, the denomination which has the largest number of adherents in Bartow is the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
with 27%, followed by the Roman Catholic church with 19%. Pentecostal/Charismatic churches are also prominent making up 17% of Bartow's church attendance. The Pentecostal experience known as the Lakeland revival
Lakeland revival
The Lakeland Revival or Florida Healing Outpouring was a Christian revival which began on April 2, 2008, when Evangelist Todd Bentley of Fresh Fire Ministries was invited to Ignited Church in Lakeland, Florida, by Pastor Stephen Strader. Bentley was originally invited to be in Lakeland for only...
, which attracted controversy for its claims of supernatural healing, was started down the road at the Carpenter's Home Church
Carpenter's Home Church
Carpenter's Home Church was a prominent Assemblies of God megachurch in Lakeland, Florida. At its peak, the charismatic church claimed 5,000 attendees. The church closed amidst financial scandal and dwindling membership...
in Lakeland. Other churches which have a presence in Bartow include the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
at 9%, and the Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
and Lutheran churches with 2% apiece. While there are no synagogues in town for Jewish Bartownians, Temple Emanuel is a conservative synagogue only 12 miles (19.3 km) away in Lakeland. There are two Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s and a Hindu temple in the county.
Economy
The economy of Bartow is driven by four sectors: government, mining, agriculture, and tourism. While Bartow's population is less than 20,000, it is shaped by its proximity to several large centers of population. Within a 100 miles (160.9 km) radius of the center of town, there are close to 8 million people.The dominant force in the economy of Bartow is city, county and state government. As a small city which is the seat of a county with over half a million people, Bartow has an unusually large number of government jobs. In addition to city and county offices, there are also a number of regional, state, and federal offices located within Bartow city limits. Nine of the seventeen largest employers in Bartow are government entities. The largest by far is the Polk County School Board with over 12,000 employees. Other county entities which employ many people in the Bartow area include the county commission, the sheriff's department, the clerk of court, the tax collector, and the property appraiser. The Florida Department of Transportation
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the Florida State Road Department...
District One office is located in Bartow and is responsible for southwest Florida's transportation needs.
There are several large businesses with headquarters elsewhere which were founded in Bartow. The large international law firm of Holland & Knight
Holland & Knight
Holland & Knight is an international law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers in 17 U.S. offices. Other offices around the world are located in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Beijing, China, and Mexico City, Mexico. Holland & Knight provides representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law.-...
was founded in Bartow in 1929. What eventually become the large Burdines and Sons
Burdines
Burdines was a leading department store chain in the state of Florida. The first Burdines store was opened in Bartow, Florida in 1896., Burdines became part of Federated Department Stores, Inc in 1956...
department store chain was founded in Bartow in 1896 as Payne and Burdines. A couple years after opening his store, William M. Burdines opened a store in Miami and relocated his operations there.
Phospate mining has been a major player in Bartow's economy since the discovery of phosphate rock in 1881.
Polk County is part of the Bone Valley
Bone Valley
The Bone Valley is a region of central Florida, encompassing portions of present-day Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Polk counties, in which phosphate is mined for use in the production of agricultural fertilizer...
which is the richest source of phosphate rock in the world; 75% of the United States's supply and 25% of the world's supply come from the Bone Valley. The largest employer in the phosphate industry is Mosaic which employs over 3,000 people in the area.
In terms of area, Polk County has 600000 acres (2,428.1 km²) dedicated to agriculture. According to the US Census of Agriculture, Polk County is the top citrus production county in Florida. Polk County is also ranked second in the state in production of honey and fourth in number of heads of cattle. Since 1997 the new bumper crop in the area is blueberry. From 2000–07 the area has more than doubled its production of blueberries and accounts for more than 35% of the state's production of the fruit. While spring is usually a "dead" time for every other blueberry growing area in North and South America, Polk County blueberries peak from March to May.
Although there are no major tourist attractions in the immediate Bartow area, the city is located less than 50 miles (80.5 km) from both the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The city is also less than 20 miles (32.2 km) from Legoland Florida
Legoland Florida
Legoland Florida is a theme park in Winter Haven, Florida. It opened on Saturday, October 15, 2011. Merlin Entertainments Group operates the park which encompasses of the former Cypress Gardens amusement park, making Legoland Florida the world's largest Legoland park.-Announcement:A press release...
in Winter Haven and Bok Tower Gardens
Bok Tower Gardens
Bok Tower Gardens is a botanical garden and bird sanctuary, located north of Lake Wales, Florida, United States. It consists of a 250-acre garden, the tall Singing Tower with its carillon bells, Pine Ridge Trail, Pinewood Estate, and a visitor center...
in Lake Wales. As a city with many historical sites dating back over 100 years, Bartow is also a point of interest for those interested in historical sites and monuments.
Culture
Annual festivals and other events
There are several annual events in the Bartow area which have a long tradition. Many of these are large events which draw people from other communities to the city such as the Cricket Club Halloween Parade and Carnival held each year since 1942 or the annual Fourth of July Celebration held at Mosaic Park. The Bloomin' Arts Festival is an art show held in early April by the Bartow Art Guild. Every February brings the Annual L.B. Brown Festival at the L.B. Brown House on Second Avenue.The Polk County Arts Alliance based in Bartow is designated the official Art Agency by the county commission and is in charge of furthering the performing arts in the county. The Bartow Performing Arts Series sponsors five performances every year. The Imperial Symphony Orchestra is an ensemble of ninety volunteer musicians throughout the county who perform a dozen or so events every year including a concert "under the stars." The city also has a volunteer band, the Bartow Community Band, which performs several shows a year. On the third Friday of every month, Main Street is blocked off for Friday Fest at 6 p.m. for a night of live music and entertainment, informally known as "Tow Jam" by natives.
Historic buildings and landmarks
The city's Historic Architecture Review Board is responsible for the preservation, enhancement and promotion of historic buildings, landmarks and districts within the city. Three districts in the city, the Bartow Downtown Commercial DistrictBartow Downtown Commercial District
The Bartow Downtown Commercial District is a historic district in central Bartow, Florida. Composed of an area bounded by Davidson and Summerlin Streets and Broadway and Florida Avenues, the district includes twenty-one contributing properties. It was added to the National Register of Historic...
, the Northeast Bartow Residential District
Northeast Bartow Residential District
The Northeast Bartow Residential District is a historic district in Bartow, Florida. Composed of an area bounded by Jackson and 1st Avenues and by Church and Boulevard Streets, the district includes twenty-six contributing properties. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in...
, and the South Bartow Residential District
South Bartow Residential District
The Bartow Downtown Commercial District is a historic district in central Bartow, Florida. Composed of an area bounded by Floral and 1st Avenues and Main and Vine Streets, the district includes 204 contributing properties. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in...
have been designated as historic districts. New construction within these districts is regulated by the board and they have the power to veto construction which might alter the character of the neighborhood.
While the towering oaks and ever-present azalea bushes which spawned the city's nickname give many of the historic landmarks of the city a distinctive Southern "look and feel", many styles of architecture are represented in Bartow's historic buildings. The South Bartow and Northeast Bartow historic districts are characterized by masonry vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
and various revival styles, while downtown is dominated by frame vernacular and classical revival styles. Other buildings on the National Register of Historic Places
National 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...
with distinctive architectural styles include the Thompson and Company Cigar Factory built in a Mission Revival Style
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
and the L.B. Brown House built with distinctive Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
ornamentation. The L.B. Brown House is notable as perhaps the only house still standing in Florida built by a freedman. The Old Polk County Courthouse, Bartow's most recognizable symbol seen on its city seal, was built in 1909 in a neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style.
There are several other notable buildings in Bartow which are not on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wonder House at 1075 Mann Road features natural air-conditioning (using rainwater), secluded outdoor bathtubs, and numerous mirrors that let occupants see who is at the door from other parts of the home. The Thomas Lee Wilson House, also known as the Stanford Inn, at 555 East Stanford Street was the "Sultenfuss Funeral Parlor" in the movie My Girl
My Girl (film)
My Girl is a 1991 drama film directed by Howard Zieff and written by Laurice Elehwany. The film depicts the coming-of-age of a young girl who faces many different emotional highs and lows and stars Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis in their first film together since 1983's Trading Places. The film...
. The house at 935 South Oak Avenue known as "Windsweep" was the residence used in the movie China Moon
China Moon
China Moon is a 1994 neo-noir written by Roy Carlson, directed by John Bailey, and starring Ed Harris and Madeleine Stowe.-Plot:The film opens as detectives Kyle Bodine and Lamar Dickey investigate a murder scene...
.
Sports and recreation
There are no major-league teams in Bartow and the surrounding Polk County area, although there are three professional teams in the nearby Tampa Bay area and a fourth in the Greater Orlando Area. The Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
train at Joker Marchant Stadium
Joker Marchant Stadium
Joker Marchant Stadium is a baseball field located in Lakeland, Florida. The stadium, opened in 1966, was renovated in 2002, holds 8,500 people, and was named after local resident and former Parks and Recreation Director, Joker Marchant...
in nearby Lakeland and during the regular season, the stadium hosts the Tigers' Single A affiliate, the Lakeland Flying Tigers.
Many of the recreational opportunities in the area are outdoor activities designed to take advantage of the warm subtropical climate. There are eighteen parks in the City of Bartow Department of Parks and Recreation. Mary Holland Park, named after the wife of former Florida governor Spessard Holland
Spessard Holland
Spessard Lindsey Holland was an American lawyer, politician and elected officeholder. He was the 28th Governor of Florida from 1941 until 1945, during World War II. After finishing his term as governor, he was a United States Senator from Florida from 1946 until 1971...
, is a 119 acre (0.48157634 km²) park with three lakes, an overnight camping area, and a skateboard park. The Bartow Civic Center is a 31 acres (125,452.7 m²) complex with meeting rooms, concert facilities and a public pool. Bartow Park is a 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) complex with softball, baseball and soccer fields and a track for remote control cars. The Bartow Golf Course is a par 72, 6,300 yard course with a restaurant and an area for barbecuing.
The Tour de Tow is an annual cycling tour held in September. The Fort Fraser Trail is a 7.7 miles (12.4 km) path leading from Bartow to south Lakeland. The path follows an abandoned CSX railroad line and is popular with area cyclists, joggers, and in-line skaters. Plans have been made to build a replica of the historic Fort Fraser
Fort Fraser (Florida)
Fort Fraser was a United States Army fortification constructed in November 1837 between the modern cities of Lakeland and Bartow in Polk County, Florida. The fort's name was inspired by Upton S. Fraser, a Captain in the U.S. Army who was killed by Seminole Indians in the March to Fort King on...
along the path, as well as adding historical markers. Five picnic areas and six rest shelters are available along the path.
Polk County has over 550 lakes. Most of these lakes were formerly strip mines; they are closed to the public, only 88 of the lakes are open to the public via boat ramp access. The area has a national reputation for largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
fishing and there are tournaments held weekly almost year round. Some of the lakes on the east side of Bartow offer anglers the opportunity to catch 50 largemouth bass a day.
Government and politics
The City of Bartow has a commission-manager form of government. The city commission consists of five commissioners, each elected for a three-year term. The mayor is a member of the city commission elected annually by the commissioners, although traditionally the position is rotated. As of 2010, the mayor of Bartow is W. Patrick "Pat" Huff. The city executive powers rest with the city manager, as contracted by the city commission. In 2010, the city's budget was $74.2 million. Electricity, waste disposal and water are municipal services provided by the city of Bartow to residents in city limits and nearby areas. Bartow is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management DistrictSouthwest Florida Water Management District
The Southwest Florida Water Management District , unofficially nicknamed “Swiftmud” or SWFWMD, is one of five regional agencies directed by Florida state law to protect and preserve water resources. Established in 1961 the agency operates and maintains several large properties and flood protection...
and in times of drought, the city strictly enforces the restrictions set forth by the district. Although it is a private entity outside of the city limits of Bartow, the Bartow Municipal Airport
Bartow Municipal Airport
Bartow Municipal Airport is a public use airport located four miles northeast of the central business district of Bartow, a city in Polk County, Florida, United States...
is governed and administrated by the city commission. As of September 2010, the Bartow Police Department employs 52 sworn officers and 27 civilian employees, while the Bartow Fire Department has 21 full time firemen and 3 volunteers. The city of Bartow also operates the Bartow Public library, which was founded in 1897 and has reciprocal borrowing agreements with other public libraries in Polk County.
Bartow, as well as the rest of Polk County, is part of the so-called I-4
Interstate 4
Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...
corridor. The I-4 corridor is seen by political analysts as the most politically competitive part of the state. Polk is considered the most conservative county in the corridor. Even though the majority of the residents of Bartow are members of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, outnumbering the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in party affiliation (53.3% to 31.7%), voters tend to support Republicans in most state and federal elections. In 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's lead over Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
(53.6% to 46.5) in the city was larger than that of both the county and state.
All of Bartow's local representation in the state and federal legislatures are members of the Republican Party. Bartow is represented in the state Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
by Seth McKeel
Seth McKeel
Seth McKeel is a Representative in the House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Florida. He received his Bachelors degree from the University of Florida in 1997. His grandfather, also named Seth McKeel, served on the Polk County School Board and is the namesake of a charter elementary and...
and Baxter Troutman
Baxter Troutman
Baxter Troutman is a Winter Haven, Florida Citrus Grower, businessman, and Republican politician who serves as the representative for District 66 in the House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Florida. He was first elected to the Florida House in 2002, and was re-elected to three more...
. In the Florida Senate
Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....
, Bartow is represented by J.D. Alexander. In the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, Bartow is located in Florida's 12th congressional district
Florida's 12th congressional district
Florida's 12th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida that encompasses much of Polk County as well as parts of rural and suburban east Hillsborough County and a small piece of western Osceola County....
, and represented by Bartow native Congressman Adam Putnam
Adam Putnam
Adam H. Putnam is the current Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2001 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
.
Education
The schools in Bartow are operated by the Polk County School Board, although several of them predate the establishment of the school board, and were autonomous at one time. Bartow High SchoolBartow High School
Bartow High School, formerly Summerlin Institute and Union Academy is the only high school located in Bartow, Florida. The school is also the location of the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High, a school which annually finishes in the top five in composite SAT scores in the United...
, formerly Summerlin Institute, is the oldest high school in the county and one of the oldest high schools in the state of Florida. In 1923 Union Academy, the first African-American high school in Polk County was opened. Court-ordered integration began in Bartow during the fall of 1969, and the former black high school Union Academy became a middle school. In 1971, Summerlin Institute officially became Bartow High School, a name it had been known as informally at least since the early 1900s. There are currently seven elementary schools and two middle schools which are feeder schools of Bartow High School. Located at the campus of Bartow High School is the International Baccalaureate School of Polk County which offers an academically challenging environment and the Summerlin Academy which offers a military-oriented education.
It is expected that the rapid growth of the Clear Springs development will necessitate the building of at least two elementary schools and a middle school within the next twenty years. As part of this development, a new Polk State College campus called The PSC Advanced Technology Center at Clear Springs is projected to open by 2012. This 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) campus will be located near the intersection of State Road 60 and 80 Foot Road.
While there are currently no colleges or universities in Bartow, there are several within a 20 mile (32 km) radius of Bartow. The nearest university, University of South Florida Polytechnic is located 6 miles (10 km) northwest of city limits in Lakeland on a joint campus with Polk State College.Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...
and Southeastern University are also located in Lakeland. Warner University is located to the east in Lake Wales.
Media
Bartow is part of the TampaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
/St. Pete television market, the 13th largest in the country. There are two AM radio stations within the city: WQXM
WQXM
WQXM is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Variety format. Licensed to Bartow, Florida, USA, the station serves the Lakeland area. The station is currently owned by Florida Broadcasting Media, LLC.-History:...
(1460 AM) and WWBF
WWBF
WWBF is a full-time commercial broadcast radio station located in Bartow, Florida, USA. As the capital city of Polk County, Bartow is centrally located in the Lakeland-Winter Haven Metropolitan Area....
(1130 AM). These stations are part of the local Lakeland/Winter Haven radio market, which is the 94th largest in the country. In addition to the stations in the local market, people in the area have the choice of both Tampa Bay and Orlando area radio stations and as of the 2010 market sweeps
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
several of the most listened to stations in the market are in the Tampa Bay area.
The Polk County Democrat is the only newspaper published within Bartow. It is a semi-weekly paper which began publication in 1931. The dominant daily newspaper is The Ledger
The Ledger
The Ledger is a daily newspaper serving Lakeland, Florida and the Polk County area. It is owned by The New York Times Company. Jerome Ferson became publisher of the newspaper on July 30, 2007....
out of Lakeland, although the Tampa Tribune, the News Chief
News Chief
The News Chief is a daily paper located in Winter Haven, FL and serves east Polk County, FL. It is owned by The New York Times Company and is located at 455 Sixth St. N.W.- History :...
out of Winter Haven and the Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
have some circulation in town.
Transportation
The street grid of Bartow is a typical four quadrant grid with Main Street as the east-west axis and Broadway Avenue as the north-south axis. Broadway is co-signed with U.S. Route 98U.S. Route 98
U.S. Route 98 is an east–west United States highway that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida and Apalachicola, Florida, and has since been extended westward into Mississippi and eastward across the Florida...
in the northern commercial district and leads southward into the center of town before heading into one of the older residential sections of town. Main Street is the old Florida State Road 60 leading into the historic heart of downtown Bartow.
The primary numbered routes going through Bartow are Florida State Road 60 and U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 in Florida
U.S. Route 17 in Florida is a north–south United States Highway. It runs from the Punta Gorda, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area northeast to the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area....
and U.S. Route 98. State Road 60 is a major state highway leading to both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts and is the major east-west route through town. Originally traveling along Main Street, State Road 60 now follows Van Fleet Drive bypassing the downtown area, and is commonly known as "the 60 Bypass" by locals. Heading east on State Road 60 leads to Lake Wales and on to Vero Beach, while westbound leads to Mulberry and eventually Tampa. U.S. 17 is the main north-south route on the east side of town. It is a four lane divided highway leading north to Winter Haven and south to Fort Meade. U.S. 98 is cosigned with U.S. 17 until its intersection with SR 60. Briefly cosigned with State Road 60 until its intersection with Broadway Avenue. US 98 then turns northward onto Broadway Avenue heading towards Lakeland. State Road 570, known as the Polk Parkway, is a toll road located (10 km) north of city limits on U.S. 98. The Polk Parkway provides direct freeway access to Tampa and Orlando via Interstate 4
Interstate 4
Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...
.
The explosive growth expected in the area in the next few decades has created a need for a reexamination of the area's transportation infrastructure. The Central Polk Parkway is a proposed limited access highway that would connect the Polk Parkway with U.S. 17 and State Road 60. The Northern Bartow Connector, which is expected to be completed by 2015, is a partial loop around the north part of town connecting U.S. 98 with State Road 60 east of town.
For small aviation needs, Bartow Municipal Airport
Bartow Municipal Airport
Bartow Municipal Airport is a public use airport located four miles northeast of the central business district of Bartow, a city in Polk County, Florida, United States...
is available. The airport has three runways and includes an industrial park
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
and warehouse storage. Both Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is a major public airport located six nautical miles west of the central business district of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority...
(TPA) and Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...
(MCO) are within 60 miles (96.6 km) driving distance from the center of Bartow.
Bartow has its own bus system, the Bartow Shuttle, which runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Citrus Connection
Citrus Connection
Citrus Connection is the public transit system of Lakeland, Florida, operated by the Lakeland Area Mass Transit District . The system operates a fleet of 38 buses on 21 routes in the Lakeland area, including service provided for Winter Haven Area Transit to the neighboring cities of Auburndale,...
has buses that serve the Bartow downtown area from Lakeland, and Winter Haven Area Transit
Winter Haven Area Transit
Winter Haven Area Transit is a bus system based in Winter Haven, Florida. The system operates 9 of its own buses, and another 4 buses are provided for WHAT by the Citrus Connection. There are 8 routes serving Winter Haven, Auburndale, Lakeland, Lake Alfred, Haines City, Lake Wales, Frostproof,...
serves Bartow from Winter Haven and Fort Meade.
Notable People
A large number of notable people have been born, raised or lived in Bartow and the city's Chamber of Commerce suggests that few cities since JamestownJamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
have produced as many prominent citizens per capita as Bartow. Many government officials and politicians have been associated with the city of Bartow since its founding. Perhaps the most notable is Spessard Holland
Spessard Holland
Spessard Lindsey Holland was an American lawyer, politician and elected officeholder. He was the 28th Governor of Florida from 1941 until 1945, during World War II. After finishing his term as governor, he was a United States Senator from Florida from 1946 until 1971...
, former Florida governor and U.S. Senator, who governed the state during World War Two and authored the 24th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. His predecessor in the U.S. Senate, Charles O. Andrews
Charles O. Andrews
Charles Oscar Andrews was a Democratic Party politician from Florida, who represented Florida in the United States Senate from 1936 until 1946.-Biography:...
also attended school in Bartow. Others who were raised and schooled in Bartow include former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Stephen Grimes, former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris
Katherine Harris
Katherine Harris is an American Republican politician, former Secretary of State of Florida, and former member of the United States House of Representatives. Harris won the 2002 election to represent Florida's 13th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She held that post...
who had a key role during the 2000 U.S. Presidential election, and former U.S. congressman Adam Putnam
Adam Putnam
Adam H. Putnam is the current Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2001 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
. The most notable military officer from Bartow is three-star general James Van Fleet
James Van Fleet
James Alward Van Fleet was a U.S. Army officer during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. He served as a regimental, divisional and corps commander during World War II and as...
who was the commanding officer of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
forces during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Other generals associated with the City of Bartow include Albert H. Blanding
Albert H. Blanding
Albert Hazen Blanding was an United States Army soldier. Among the most distinguished military figures in Florida's history, he was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal.-Biography:...
who served during World War One and Confederate General Evander M. Law
Evander M. Law
Evander McIver Law was an author, teacher, and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
who lived the last forty years of his life in Bartow.
A large number of professional athletes were born, lived in or associated with the city of Bartow. Many of these athletes were born in Polk General Hospital, a public hospital in Bartow which closed in 1995, but were generally associated with other cities in Polk County.Those who were born in Bartow, but raised elsewhere include NFL linebacker Ray Lewis
Ray Lewis
Ray Lewis is a professional American football player.Ray Lewis may also refer to:* Ray Lewis , former English association football referee* Ray Lewis , Canadian track-and-field athlete...
, NBA guard Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady
Tracy Lamar McGrady, Jr., is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons.Entering the league after graduating from high school, McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star. He led the league in scoring in 2003 and 2004. He has also played for the Toronto...
, and motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
star James "Bubba" Stewart. Other athletes who were both raised and educated in Bartow include former NFL defensive back Ken Riley
Ken Riley
Kenneth Jerome Riley is a former professional American Football defensive back who played his entire career for the Cincinnati Bengals, in the American Football League in 1969 and in the NFL from 1970 through 1983...
, former wide receiver Lance Leggett and former NASCAR driver Rick Wilson
Rick Wilson
Richard Gordon Wilson is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman and head coach. On August 10, 2010 Wilson was named assistant coach for the Minnesota Wild organisation.-Playing career:...
.
Other notable people from Bartow include January 2010 Playboy Playmate Jaime Faith Edmondson, notable centenarian Charlie Smith
Charlie Smith (centenarian)
Charlie Smith was a centenarian noted for claiming to be the oldest person in the United States, although his claim has since been debunked. Smith stated that he had been born in Liberia in 1842 and came to the United States as a slave. Later research indicated that he had been born circa 1874 or...
and Sweet Trials defendant Ossian Sweet
Ossian Sweet
Ossian Sweet was an American physician. He is most notable for his self defense in 1925 of his newly-purchased home in a predominantly white neighborhood against a mob attempting to force him out of the neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan, and the subsequent acquittal by an all-white jury of murder...
.