Punta Rassa, Florida
Encyclopedia
Punta Rassa is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Lee County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 1,750 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral
–Fort Myers
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²), of which, 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) of it is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it (47.66%) is water.
Punta Rassa was a thriving cattle shipping town in the 1800's. Florida cattle would be loaded at the port onto ships destined for Cuba
. It was one of the home bases for the "King of the Cracker
Cowboys" Jake Summerlin
, who by the time he was 40 was one of the wealthiest of the Florida cattle barons. The town of Punta Rassa was lined with wooden buildings, including a hotel and several bars, which were frequented by the many merchants and cattle sellers.
Between 1835 and 1865, Punta Rassa was a site of many Indian skirmishes during the Seminole Indian Wars
. As a result, Fort Dulany was built there in 1838, as an army supply depot. A hurricane destroyed Fort Dulany in October 1841, and the military was forced to look for a site less exposed to storms from the Gulf of Mexico
. As a result of the search, Fort Harvie was built on the grounds that now comprise downtown Fort Myers. Fort Dulany was rebuilt and later used again during the Civil War when Punta Rassa again became a thriving southwest Florida port.
At the end of the Civil War, the area was abandoned. In 1866, the International Ocean Cable Company, of Newark, New Jersey (later becoming merged into Western Union), took over the fort and port of Punta Rassa and made it the southernmost point of its cabling system. The company also controlled the shipping rights, pens and the dock. For the use of these facilities, the company usually charged 15 cents a head of cattle. Punta Rassa was the telegraph office that first learned of the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine
in Cuba in 1898.
In 1880's, the area became known as a great sport fishing area and was frequented by the wealthy, who came in search of the prized tarpon
sport fish. Soon, however, visitors relocated to Boca Grande
, 70 miles north of Punta Rassa by land, after a railway was completed to that destination.
The area figured prominently in the 1996 historical novel A Land Remembered
, by Patrick D. Smith
.
of 2000, there were 1,731 people, 1,015 households, and 481 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 734.8 people per square mile (283.2/km²). There were 1,372 housing units at an average density of 582.4/sq mi (224.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 99.25% White, 0.35% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.06% from other races
, and 0.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.23% of the population.
There were 1,015 households out of which 1.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples
living together, 0.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.6% were non-families. 52.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 48.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.53 and the average family size was 2.09.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 1.5% under the age of 18, 0.5% from 18 to 24, 2.8% from 25 to 44, 12.8% from 45 to 64, and 82.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 80 years. For every 100 females there were 63.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $44,583, and the median income for a family was $66,912. Males had a median income of $73,333 versus $19,583 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $39,048. None of the families and 1.9% of the population was living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 1.3% of those over 64.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Lee County
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,750 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral
Cape Coral, Florida
Cape Coral is a municipality located in Lee County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. Founded in 1957 and developed as a master-planned, pre-platted community, the city grew to a population of 154,305 by the year 2010. With an area of , Cape Coral is the largest city between Tampa and...
–Fort Myers
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Punta Rassa is located at 26°31′N 82°0′W (26.5104, -81.9988).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²), of which, 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) of it is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it (47.66%) is water.
History
The location was named "Punta Rasca" (Spanish for "smooth or flat point" and later corrputed to "Punta Rassa") by the Spanish Conquistadors in the mid-16th century, who unloaded cattle in the area.Punta Rassa was a thriving cattle shipping town in the 1800's. Florida cattle would be loaded at the port onto ships destined for Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. It was one of the home bases for the "King of the Cracker
Florida cracker
Florida cracker refers to original colonial-era English and American pioneer settlers of what is now the U.S. state of Florida, and their descendants. The first Florida crackers arrived in 1763 when Spain traded Florida to Great Britain...
Cowboys" Jake Summerlin
Jacob Summerlin
Jacob Summerlin , aka the King of the Crackers and King of the Cracker Cow Hunters, was reputed to be the first child born in Florida after the land was ceded by Spain...
, who by the time he was 40 was one of the wealthiest of the Florida cattle barons. The town of Punta Rassa was lined with wooden buildings, including a hotel and several bars, which were frequented by the many merchants and cattle sellers.
Between 1835 and 1865, Punta Rassa was a site of many Indian skirmishes during the Seminole Indian Wars
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
. As a result, Fort Dulany was built there in 1838, as an army supply depot. A hurricane destroyed Fort Dulany in October 1841, and the military was forced to look for a site less exposed to storms from the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. As a result of the search, Fort Harvie was built on the grounds that now comprise downtown Fort Myers. Fort Dulany was rebuilt and later used again during the Civil War when Punta Rassa again became a thriving southwest Florida port.
At the end of the Civil War, the area was abandoned. In 1866, the International Ocean Cable Company, of Newark, New Jersey (later becoming merged into Western Union), took over the fort and port of Punta Rassa and made it the southernmost point of its cabling system. The company also controlled the shipping rights, pens and the dock. For the use of these facilities, the company usually charged 15 cents a head of cattle. Punta Rassa was the telegraph office that first learned of the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine
USS Maine (ACR-1)
USS Maine was the United States Navy's second commissioned pre-dreadnought battleship, although she was originally classified as an armored cruiser. She is best known for her catastrophic loss in Havana harbor. Maine had been sent to Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt...
in Cuba in 1898.
In 1880's, the area became known as a great sport fishing area and was frequented by the wealthy, who came in search of the prized tarpon
Tarpon
Tarpons are large fish of the genus Megalops. There are two species of Megalops, one native to the Atlantic, and the other to the Indo-Pacific oceans.They are the only members of the family Megalopidae.- Species and habitats :...
sport fish. Soon, however, visitors relocated to Boca Grande
Boca Grande, Florida
Boca Grande is a small residential community on Gasparilla Island, in southwest Florida. Gasparilla Island is a part of both Charlotte and Lee Counties, while the actual village of Boca Grande, which is home to many seasonal and some year-round residents, is entirely in the Lee County portion of...
, 70 miles north of Punta Rassa by land, after a railway was completed to that destination.
The area figured prominently in the 1996 historical novel A Land Remembered
A Land Remembered
A Land Remembered is a best-selling novel written by author Patrick D. Smith, and published in 1984 by Pineapple Press. It is historical fiction set in pioneer Florida...
, by Patrick D. Smith
Patrick D. Smith
Patrick D. Smith, is an American author and member of the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. His work has been nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize and five times for the Nobel Prize for Literature....
.
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 1,731 people, 1,015 households, and 481 families residing in the CDP. 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 734.8 people per square mile (283.2/km²). There were 1,372 housing units at an average density of 582.4/sq mi (224.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 99.25% White, 0.35% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.06% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.23% of the population.
There were 1,015 households out of which 1.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% 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, 0.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.6% were non-families. 52.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 48.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.53 and the average family size was 2.09.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 1.5% under the age of 18, 0.5% from 18 to 24, 2.8% from 25 to 44, 12.8% from 45 to 64, and 82.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 80 years. For every 100 females there were 63.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $44,583, and the median income for a family was $66,912. Males had a median income of $73,333 versus $19,583 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 CDP was $39,048. None of the families and 1.9% of the population was living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 1.3% of those over 64.