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Ocala began undergoing rapid growth in the 1970s with the development of the Interstate 75 and the founding of Disney World.
In the last decades of the twentieth century, the greater Ocala area experienced one of the highest growth rates in the country. The population of Marion County in 2000 was over 250,000, up from under 100,000 in 1975. Much of the county's growth is attributable to the area's growing popularity as a retirement destination, primarily in two areas southwest and south of the city: the SR 200 corridor and The Villages, respectively.
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Ocala Culture
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In 1956, the Ocala area Thoroughbred industry received a boost when Needles became the first Florida-bred to win the Kentucky Derby. In 1978, Marion County-bred and -raised Affirmed won the Triple Crown. Today, Marion County is one of the major Thoroughbred centers of the world, with over 1,200 horse farms in total and about 600 Thoroughbred farms.
Ocala/Marion County has been recognized by the US Department of Agriculture as the Horse Capital of the World.
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Ocala Education
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Ocala public schools were integrated under court order in the late 1960s. Because of incidents elsewhere, violence was expected when school opened in September 1968. Ocala had a full complement of correspondents and photographers from Life Magazine and other publications. The opening of school occurred without incident and the reporters left town without much of a story. Much of the credit for the quiet integration of the schools went to a planning committee of three, including Al Lisk.
Colleges:
Webster College (Ocala Colleges)
Central Florida Community College
The vision of Marion County Public Schools is
“Leading the State in Raising Student Performance.”
Our school system includes
• 28 elementary schools,
• 8 middle schools,
• 1 school which is combined elementary and middle,
• 8 high schools,
• 2 charter schools, and
• 14 special needs schools.
As of May 20, 2005, we had 40,688 students attending our schools.
As of April 20, 2006, we had 41,698 students.
As of March 16, 2007, we had 42,264 students.
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Ocala History
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Early years
Ocala was established in 1846 near the site of Fort King, a military outpost of the Seminole Wars. Ocala is a derivation of the Timucua word "Ocali" which is believed to mean the "Kingdom of the Sun." Hernando de Soto (explorer) passed through a Timucua village or province named Ocali or Ocale near the present site of Ocala during his famous expedition through what is today the southeastern United States in 1539. Greater Ocala and Marion County are still known as the "Kingdom of the Sun."
The Brick City
Rail service reached Ocala in June 1881, encouraging economic development. Several years later, much of the Ocala downtown area was destroyed by fire on Thanksgiving Day, 1883. Buildings were rebuilt with brick, granite, and steel rather than lumber. By 1888, Ocala was known state-wide as "The Brick City."
In December 1890, the Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union, a forerunner of the Populist Party (United States) held its national convention in Ocala. At the convention, the Alliance adopted a platform that would become known as the "Ocala Demands." This platform included abolition of national banks, low interest government loans, free and unlimited coinage of silver, reclamation of excess railroad lands by the government, a graduated income tax, and direct election of United States Senators. Most of the "Ocala Demands" were to become part of the Populist Party platform.
Ocala was an important center of citrus production until the "Big Freeze" of 1894-1895.
Historical preservation
Many historic homes are preserved in Ocala's large residential Historic District, established in 1984. A focus of this district is East Fort King Street, featuring many excellent examples of Victorian Revival architecture. Ocala structures on the National Register of Historic Places include the Coca Cola Building, the E. C. Smith House, East Hall, the Marion Hotel, Mount Zion A.M.E. Church, the Ritz Historic Inn, and Union Train Station.
Noteworthy Ocalans
Famous Ocalans have included: C. Farris Bryant, 34th governor of Florida; Kenneth H. "Buddy" MacKay, Jr., 42nd governor of Florida; actor Patrick O'Neal; Tony Award-winning actress Elizabeth Ashley; the bands Underoath and A Day To Remember; and pro football quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Other noteworthy residents have included: Arthur Jones, Tom Petty, John Travolta, Deanna Wright, NFL defensive back Drayton Florence, science fiction writer Bruce Boston, Puerto Rican singer Daniel Santos, and country singer Chad Brock. Also notable is satellite-dish dealer John MacDougall, aka Captain Midnight who, in 1986, overrode the Eastern feed of HBO with a message protesting the scrambling of their signal and a $12.95 per month fee for dish subscribers.
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Ocala Nature
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The 110 mile long Ocklawaha River flows north from Central Florida until it joins the St. Johns River near Palatka, Florida.
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Ocala News
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Search for "Ocala FL" - Elsie Mosher Smith - Gloversville Leader-Herald
| Elsie Mosher Smith, 97, passed away at St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam, Friday, July 4, 2008. |
- Almost $10,000 in Ammunitions Stolen From FL Home - WCTV Tallahassee
| Authorities say more than a dozen guns and 2,000 rounds of ammunitions valued at more than $9,500 have been stolen from a north Florida home. |
- U.S. Drivers Weber and Johnson Off to a Winning Start at World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen - Horses Daily
| Lexington, KY Two of the top U.S. drivers are taking on some of the world's best at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen in Aachen, Germany as part of their important preparation for the 2008 World Driving ... |
- WMNF Jazz Series - Billy Norris - WMNF-FM Tampa
| Bass player Billy Norris left Tampa a couple years ago to entertain jazz audiences in New York City, but he hasn't forgotten his roots in the Tampa Bay area. |
- CellForCash.com Hopes to Help Family Purchase a Special Needs Van Through Cell Phone Fundraiser - PRWeb
| CellForCash.com will make a $10.00 donation to Jackson & Hayden Van Fund on behalf of each supporter who sells their cell phone. |
- Citrus County - Baker County Standard
| Exit Realty Leaders serving Citrus County , Florida buyers and sellers Real Estate needs. |
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Ocala Recreation
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In the twentieth century, Ocala increased its role as a center for tourism in Florida. Important attractions included the Silver Springs Attraction, Wild Waters water park, and the now-defunct Western-themed Six Gun Territory, all in nearby Silver Springs, Florida. Silver Springs Attraction is a 350 acre nature theme park that surrounds the headwaters of the Silver River, the largest artesian spring formation in the world.
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Ocala Weather
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Ocala has two distinct seasons: the dry season (November-May) and the wet season (June-October). During the dry season, there is almost uninterrupted sunshine with very little rainfall. In January, the morning low temperatures are often in the 40's, but the cloudless sunny weather typically warms the dry air up to the 70's by the afternoon. During the wet season, afternoon thunderstorms are a daily occurrence. These storms are often severe (unofficially, Ocala is known to have more cloud-to-ground lightning per square mile than any other city in the world). The typical morning low temperatures during the wet season are in the 70's and typical daytime high temperatures are in the 90's. Due to the city being relatively far away from the moderating influence of the oceans, Ocala's summertime temperatures are often the highest in the state while winter temperatures are often the lowest compared to other cities on the peninsula. Also, Ocala's distance from the oceans means the city has more days of sunshine than Florida's coastal cities. This is, in part, why the Ocala/Marion County area is called "the kingdom of the sun." The last snowfall of any significance fell in December of 1989.
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