Ruskin, Florida
Encyclopedia
Ruskin is an unincorporated census-designated place
in Hillsborough County
, Florida
, United States
. The population was 17,208 at the 2010 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the community has a total area of 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²), of which, 14.2 square miles (36.8 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it (7.65%) is water.
In 1907, Dr. George McAnelly Miller, a former Chicago prosecuting attorney and professor, and former president of Ruskin College in Trenton, Missouri
, relocated his family to the area, and along with his brother-in-law Albert Peter Dickman’s family. They purchased land and started to setup homes, a saw mill, and a school. Mrs. Adaline D. Miller, (Dr. Miller's wife) founded a post office on August 7, 1908. This day is recognized as the official founding day of the town. The Ruskin Commongood Society platted Ruskin on February 19, 1910, and filed the plat on March 9, 1910, in the Hillsborough County Court House with lots for the college, the business district, two parks, and for the founding families, with only Whites allowed to own or lease land in the community. Albert Dickman’s house, finished in 1910, on the banks of the Little Manatee River, is one of the few structures left standing from the founding of Ruskin.
The Millers began Ruskin College in 1910 with Dr. Miller serving as president and Adeline Miller serving as Vice President. Continuing with the college’s former practices, students worked a portion of each day as part of their education and as a way to pay for tuition and board. It offered three years of preparatory classes, students could then attend the college, taking classes in art, drama, language, literature, music, shorthand, social sciences, and speech. In 1913 the school has 160 students.
By 1913, the community had a cooperative general store, a canning factory, a telephone system, an electric plant supplying electricity to both public and private buildings, a weekly paper, and regular boat freight and passenger service to Tampa.
With the onset of World War I, most of students went to the war in Europe and the college closed its doors. In 1918, a fire destroyed the college, sparing only the Miller’s house. Dr. Miller died in August 1919.
At this time U.S. Highway 41 was only a more than a 9 feet (2.7 m) shell road paid for by a $30,000 local bond issue. Because of the growing importance of truck farming, these roads and others were built to facilitate the transportation of produce to local markets throughout the 1920s. The railroad track connected Ruskin to the Seaboard Airline Railroad line in 1913. On the eve of the college’s demise in 1918, Ruskin had a population of 200 Ruskinites, as they are called. The majority of people appeared to have been truck growers. These residents supported a saw mill, a turpentine still, a syrup factory, a black smith, a newspaper, a lawyer, two carpenters, and three general stores. Rachel W. Billings served as postmaster and as the Universalist Reverend. With this foundation, it is not surprising that even with the destruction of the college the colony survived.
In 1925, Ruskin
’s population remained at 200. It had six hotels, two saw mills, one turpentine still, a public library, the Ruskin Telephone Company, four groceries, one garage, a well driller, two restaurants, a dry goods dealer, a carpenter, and a number of fruit and truck growers. Some of the fields have been cultivated and tomatoes, cabbages, onions and other crops are being raised. There is a nursery established for ornamentals on a favorable site, and in all probability it will become a pretentious place. Thousands of palms are ready for the demand of the markets and streets are being graded in certain portions of the town that lie off the highway....The social life of the town is commendable. The women have organized four or five clubs, ranging from the Woman’s Twentieth Century Club of the League of Women Voters. A new school was erected, as well as a church. With the road developments auto service was provided to Brandon
, Tampa
, and Wimauma.
In 1930 Ruskin
’s population reached 709, consisting of 395 males and 314 females. Despite the deed restrictions against African Americans owning or leasing property, 140 Blacks resided in Ruskin. The rest of the population was White, of whom 514 were native and 52 were foreign born. Three companies operated in Ruskin in 1935 despite the Depression and a drop to 600 residents: Florida Power & Light Company; Ruskin Telephone, Electric Light and Power Company, Inc.; and Ruskin Trailer Company.
Because of its agricultural roots, the town weathered the depression. The soil of Ruskin farms is especially adapted to growing tomatoes. There is a large area of muck land under-laid with marl in this region. The marl base allows irrigation of crops without loss of fertilizer, as the marl prevents the fertilizer from washing too deep into the soil. Irrigation is no problem for Ruskin is favored with numerous artesian wells. Due to the rapid growth of tomato culture and a cooperative arrangement among Ruskin farmers, the town has taken a new lease on life and again is a thriving community. It has a canning plant which employs 65 workers, a community hall and a modern schoolhouse. As part of an attempt to attract visitors to Ruskin and to celebrate the area’s agricultural richness, the community instituted the annual springtime Ruskin Tomato Festival in 1935 where vegetables were displayed and the community’s most popular woman was voted as queen. This Festival still takes place every year in May.
With many Ruskin residents working in Tampa during World War II, people from Tampa began hearing of the benefits of the rural community. Shortly after the war, Ruskin slowly became more and more suburban as people not related to the agricultural business moved into the community.
In 1960, Ruskin was still very rural. Agriculture dominated Ruskin throughout the 1970s, but its influence began to wane. The greater Ruskin area’s population reached 17,000 by 1975, many of whom were not farmers, but suburbanites. By 1982, Ruskin produced approximately 3000 acres (1,214.1 ha) of tomatoes a year, and one of the world’s largest tomato-packing houses operated in nearby Apollo Beach. However, flower farms, phosphate, real estate, and tropical fish farms also became important economic engines for Ruskin that began encroaching upon farmland. Despite this invasion, farmers grew approximately $15 million worth of produce yearly in the late 1980s.
Poor crop yields in the mid- to late 1980s drove some farmers to the wall. Many borrowed money, sometimes as much as $500,000, against their land to plant their crops. Consequently, many farmers were forced out of business, and others chose to leave farming forever. Due to the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement
in the 1990s which allowed Mexican tomatoes to flood the U.S. market and with ever increasing water restrictions, tomato acreage continued to decline. Less than half the number of acres planted with tomatoes in the early 1990s were planted in 1997. The housing boom of the first decade of the 21st century turned most of the tomato and orange plantations into new housing development, bringing thousand of new inhabitants to the area.
Despite the downfall of the housing market, Ruskin continues to grow. US-41 is now a 4-lane road connecting Ruskin to Tampa, as does the interstate I-75 that has an exit at Ruskin. It has a very active Chamber of Commerce
, and a downtown revitalization program is in progress. Ruskin is the seat of the South Hillsborough County Government Center. It also has a branch of the Hillsborough County Public Library System. In 2009, the Dickman family donated the land where the new Ruskin Campus of the Hillsborough Community College
was erected, across the street from the Lennard High School.
of 2000, there were 8,321 people, 2,963 households, and 2,074 families residing in the community. The population density
was 584.4 people per square mile (225.6/km²). There were 3,603 housing units at an average density of 253.1/sq mi (97.7/km²). The racial makeup of the community was 80.69% White, 1.23% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 14.85% from other races
, and 2.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.73% of the population.
There were 2,963 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the community the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.9 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $28,228, and the median income for a family was $32,404. Males had a median income of $25,787 versus $20,817 for females. The per capita income
for the community was $12,943. About 10.6% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
.
They are:
Ruskin, Florida, was founded as a utopian socialist
community similar to Tennessee's Ruskin Colony
.
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...
in 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...
, 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 17,208 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Ruskin is located at 27°42′53"N 82°26′1"W (27.714703, -82.433530).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 community has a total area of 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²), of which, 14.2 square miles (36.8 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it (7.65%) is water.
History
Situated on the shores of the Little Manatee River, the town and college were named after the English writer and social reformist John Ruskin (1819–1900)In 1907, Dr. George McAnelly Miller, a former Chicago prosecuting attorney and professor, and former president of Ruskin College in Trenton, Missouri
Trenton, Missouri
Trenton is a city in Grundy County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,006 in 2009. The population according to the 2000 census was 6,216, indicating a 3.4% decrease in population from 2000 to 2009. It is the county seat of Grundy County...
, relocated his family to the area, and along with his brother-in-law Albert Peter Dickman’s family. They purchased land and started to setup homes, a saw mill, and a school. Mrs. Adaline D. Miller, (Dr. Miller's wife) founded a post office on August 7, 1908. This day is recognized as the official founding day of the town. The Ruskin Commongood Society platted Ruskin on February 19, 1910, and filed the plat on March 9, 1910, in the Hillsborough County Court House with lots for the college, the business district, two parks, and for the founding families, with only Whites allowed to own or lease land in the community. Albert Dickman’s house, finished in 1910, on the banks of the Little Manatee River, is one of the few structures left standing from the founding of Ruskin.
The Millers began Ruskin College in 1910 with Dr. Miller serving as president and Adeline Miller serving as Vice President. Continuing with the college’s former practices, students worked a portion of each day as part of their education and as a way to pay for tuition and board. It offered three years of preparatory classes, students could then attend the college, taking classes in art, drama, language, literature, music, shorthand, social sciences, and speech. In 1913 the school has 160 students.
By 1913, the community had a cooperative general store, a canning factory, a telephone system, an electric plant supplying electricity to both public and private buildings, a weekly paper, and regular boat freight and passenger service to Tampa.
With the onset of World War I, most of students went to the war in Europe and the college closed its doors. In 1918, a fire destroyed the college, sparing only the Miller’s house. Dr. Miller died in August 1919.
At this time U.S. Highway 41 was only a more than a 9 feet (2.7 m) shell road paid for by a $30,000 local bond issue. Because of the growing importance of truck farming, these roads and others were built to facilitate the transportation of produce to local markets throughout the 1920s. The railroad track connected Ruskin to the Seaboard Airline Railroad line in 1913. On the eve of the college’s demise in 1918, Ruskin had a population of 200 Ruskinites, as they are called. The majority of people appeared to have been truck growers. These residents supported a saw mill, a turpentine still, a syrup factory, a black smith, a newspaper, a lawyer, two carpenters, and three general stores. Rachel W. Billings served as postmaster and as the Universalist Reverend. With this foundation, it is not surprising that even with the destruction of the college the colony survived.
In 1925, Ruskin
Ruskin
- Surname :*John Ruskin , an English author, poet and artist, most famous for his work as art critic and social critic, and for his writing on the architecture of Venice....
’s population remained at 200. It had six hotels, two saw mills, one turpentine still, a public library, the Ruskin Telephone Company, four groceries, one garage, a well driller, two restaurants, a dry goods dealer, a carpenter, and a number of fruit and truck growers. Some of the fields have been cultivated and tomatoes, cabbages, onions and other crops are being raised. There is a nursery established for ornamentals on a favorable site, and in all probability it will become a pretentious place. Thousands of palms are ready for the demand of the markets and streets are being graded in certain portions of the town that lie off the highway....The social life of the town is commendable. The women have organized four or five clubs, ranging from the Woman’s Twentieth Century Club of the League of Women Voters. A new school was erected, as well as a church. With the road developments auto service was provided to Brandon
Brandon, Florida
Brandon is a census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 103,483.-Founding:...
, Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, and Wimauma.
In 1930 Ruskin
Ruskin
- Surname :*John Ruskin , an English author, poet and artist, most famous for his work as art critic and social critic, and for his writing on the architecture of Venice....
’s population reached 709, consisting of 395 males and 314 females. Despite the deed restrictions against African Americans owning or leasing property, 140 Blacks resided in Ruskin. The rest of the population was White, of whom 514 were native and 52 were foreign born. Three companies operated in Ruskin in 1935 despite the Depression and a drop to 600 residents: Florida Power & Light Company; Ruskin Telephone, Electric Light and Power Company, Inc.; and Ruskin Trailer Company.
Because of its agricultural roots, the town weathered the depression. The soil of Ruskin farms is especially adapted to growing tomatoes. There is a large area of muck land under-laid with marl in this region. The marl base allows irrigation of crops without loss of fertilizer, as the marl prevents the fertilizer from washing too deep into the soil. Irrigation is no problem for Ruskin is favored with numerous artesian wells. Due to the rapid growth of tomato culture and a cooperative arrangement among Ruskin farmers, the town has taken a new lease on life and again is a thriving community. It has a canning plant which employs 65 workers, a community hall and a modern schoolhouse. As part of an attempt to attract visitors to Ruskin and to celebrate the area’s agricultural richness, the community instituted the annual springtime Ruskin Tomato Festival in 1935 where vegetables were displayed and the community’s most popular woman was voted as queen. This Festival still takes place every year in May.
With many Ruskin residents working in Tampa during World War II, people from Tampa began hearing of the benefits of the rural community. Shortly after the war, Ruskin slowly became more and more suburban as people not related to the agricultural business moved into the community.
In 1960, Ruskin was still very rural. Agriculture dominated Ruskin throughout the 1970s, but its influence began to wane. The greater Ruskin area’s population reached 17,000 by 1975, many of whom were not farmers, but suburbanites. By 1982, Ruskin produced approximately 3000 acres (1,214.1 ha) of tomatoes a year, and one of the world’s largest tomato-packing houses operated in nearby Apollo Beach. However, flower farms, phosphate, real estate, and tropical fish farms also became important economic engines for Ruskin that began encroaching upon farmland. Despite this invasion, farmers grew approximately $15 million worth of produce yearly in the late 1980s.
Poor crop yields in the mid- to late 1980s drove some farmers to the wall. Many borrowed money, sometimes as much as $500,000, against their land to plant their crops. Consequently, many farmers were forced out of business, and others chose to leave farming forever. Due to the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
in the 1990s which allowed Mexican tomatoes to flood the U.S. market and with ever increasing water restrictions, tomato acreage continued to decline. Less than half the number of acres planted with tomatoes in the early 1990s were planted in 1997. The housing boom of the first decade of the 21st century turned most of the tomato and orange plantations into new housing development, bringing thousand of new inhabitants to the area.
Despite the downfall of the housing market, Ruskin continues to grow. US-41 is now a 4-lane road connecting Ruskin to Tampa, as does the interstate I-75 that has an exit at Ruskin. It has a very active Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, and a downtown revitalization program is in progress. Ruskin is the seat of the South Hillsborough County Government Center. It also has a branch of the Hillsborough County Public Library System. In 2009, the Dickman family donated the land where the new Ruskin Campus of the Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough Community College is a two-year community college, located in Hillsborough County, Florida. The college has six campuses located throughout the county. Locations include: Brandon, Dale Mabry, Plant City, Ybor City, MacDill AFB, and South Shore...
was erected, across the street from the Lennard High School.
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 8,321 people, 2,963 households, and 2,074 families residing in the community. 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 584.4 people per square mile (225.6/km²). There were 3,603 housing units at an average density of 253.1/sq mi (97.7/km²). The racial makeup of the community was 80.69% White, 1.23% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 14.85% 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 2.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.73% of the population.
There were 2,963 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the community the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.9 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $28,228, and the median income for a family was $32,404. Males had a median income of $25,787 versus $20,817 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 community was $12,943. About 10.6% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government
As of March 2006, the area collectively known as Ruskin remains as a part of unincorporated Hillsborough County. A movement towards incorporation began in late 2004 and early 2005 as mounting opposition to the amount of new developments within the community. Many long time residents feel that the County Board of Commissioners have ignored repeated requests to slow down the development until proper infrastructure was in place. The Ruskin Incorporation Committee was formed to perform a study on whether it was feasible for the community to become a city in which it found it was. On January 19, 2006, HB 759 was filed with the Florida House of Representatives with all county representatives fully supporting the measure. If passed the question will be place on the ballots of the voters within Ruskin and the city would be officially incorporated on April 1, 2007 as a sovereign government. The Bill was not approved and it prevented Ruskin from becoming the first new city within the county in over 80 years. Ruskin is the seat of the South Hillsborough County Government Center and the Hillsborough Community College Ruskin Campus.Notable residents
- Aaron CarterAaron CarterAaron Charles Carter is an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early-first decade of the 21st century....
, singer - Leslie CarterLeslie CarterLeslie Barbara Carter is an American singer.- Family :Carter was born in Tampa, Florida, the daughter of Jane Elizabeth and Robert Gene Carter. She is the older sister of Aaron Carter and younger sister of Nick Carter. Aside from her brothers, Nick and Aaron, she also has two sisters: Angel and...
, singer - Nick CarterNick Carter (musician)Nickolas Gene "Nick" Carter is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, musician, entertainer and actor. He is best known as a member of the pop group, Backstreet Boys. He went on to release a solo album called Now Or Never during their hiatus. He has made occasional television appearances and...
, musician, Backstreet BoysBackstreet BoysThe Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys... - Willa FordWilla FordAmanda Lee Modano , known professionally as Willa Ford and often as Mandy Modano, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, model, television personality and film actress. She released her debut album, Willa Was Here, in 2001...
National historic status
There are several locations in and near Ruskin which have been included in the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
They are:
- A. P. Dickman HouseA. P. Dickman HouseThe A. P. Dickman House is a historic home in Ruskin, Florida, United States. It is located at 120 Dickman Drive, Southeast. On July 14, 2000, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-External links:* at * at...
- Cockroach KeyCockroach KeyCockroach Key is a historic site near Ruskin, Florida, United States. It is located south of the Little Manatee River, roughly three miles west of Sun City. On December 4, 1973, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-External links:* at * at...
- George McA. Miller HouseGeorge McA. Miller HouseThe George McA. Miller House is a historic home in Ruskin, Florida. It is located at 508 Tamiami Trail. On July 23, 1974, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-External links:* at * **...
Ruskin, Florida, was founded as a utopian socialist
Utopian socialism
Utopian socialism is a term used to define the first currents of modern socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen which inspired Karl Marx and other early socialists and were looked on favorably...
community similar to Tennessee's Ruskin Colony
Ruskin Colony
The Ruskin Colony was a utopian socialist colony which existed near Tennessee City in Dickson County, Tennessee from 1894 to 1896...
.
External links
- Ruskin Chamber of Commerce
- Ruskin Historical Society webpage (including photos on subpages)
- Ruskin Website
- http://www.visitruskin.com/Articles/history_of_ruskin.htm