Plant City, Florida
Plant City is an incorporated city in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. It is part of the Tampa Bay area. The population was 39,764 at the 2020 census.
Despite many thinking it was named for flora grown at plant nurseries (especially vegetables and fruits, as well as tropical houseplants) in its subtropical Gulf Coast climate, it was named after prominent railroad developer Henry B. Plant[5] (see Plant System). Plant City is known as the winter strawberry capital of the world[6] and hosts the annual Florida Strawberry Festival in the late winter (usually in February or early March), which is attended by people from all over the United States as well as many people from around the world.
History[edit]
Plant City's original name given during the middle 1800s was Ichepuckesassa (also known as Idasukshed) after the Indian village that once occupied the territory.[5] Its name caused so much confusion that the city was renamed "Cork", after the postmaster's Irish hometown. It was finally given the name "Plant City" in commemoration of Henry B. Plant and his railroad, which significantly boosted the commerce in this primarily agricultural community by incorporating it with the South Florida Railroad.
Plant City was the spring training home of baseball's Cincinnati Reds, who played exhibition games at Plant City Stadium from 1988 to 1997.
Bruton Memorial Library[edit]
The Quintilla Geer Bruton Memorial Library is located in Plant City and was built in 1960. It is a part of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative but is under the jurisdiction of the City of Plant City. There are 44,000 members as of 2014.[17]
Bruton Memorial Library offers programs for children, young adults, and adults. Bruton Memorial Library also offers free access to multiple databases, tutoring websites, ebooks, emagazines, and movie streaming. Computers are available for use, as are laptops that can be used only within the library. A variety of activities and services are available to a variety of patrons, from book clubs to extensive workshops regarding the beginnings and upkeep of the cultivation of homes and gardens, as well as crafts available on Mondays and hobbyists convening for fabric arts like knitting or crocheting two Fridays a month. Crafts also extend to children and teens as well.[18]
Economy[edit]
Wish Farms, the largest strawberry producer in Florida, has a large presence in Plant City.[19]
Transportation[edit]
Aviation[edit]
Plant City Airport is a public-use airport located 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the central business district.
Railroad[edit]
Plant City Union Depot served both the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) and Seaboard Air Line Railroad even after their merger into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad until passenger service ceased operations in 1971.[20] It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.[21] The east-west ACL tracks cross the north-south Seaboard tracks at a 90-degree angle at the southeast corner of the station, forming a diamond junction. Both tracks are now owned and run by Class 1 railroad CSX. Amtrak's Silver Star uses the line's west-to-eastbound ACL tracks, although it does not stop at the station. A train observation deck is present where railfans can watch CSX freight trains and the Amtrak Silver Star train pass.[20] The closest other passenger stations are Tampa or Lakeland.
Parks, culture, recreation and attractions[edit]
National Register of Historic Places[edit]
There are several locations in Plant City which have been included in the National Register of Historic Places. They are:
Mural ban[edit]
On October 12, 2009, the Plant City Commissioners voted 4-to-1 to essentially ban all new murals[23] in the Historic District of Plant City. Current murals being painted are not affected by this ban, but no new murals can be painted unless the owner of the building can prove there was an already existing mural on the wall before 1994. The ban was set in motion by a complaint that a recent mural by Blake Emory—a rendition of Norman Rockwell's "April Fools"—contained a sex organ in the painting. Even though the creators of the mural insisted it was not intentional, and immediately altered the section of the mural, City Commissioners hastily cast the vote adding that they may revisit this ban in the future. City Commissioner Bill Dodson was the only vote against the ban saying he was looking for a more thought out and complete ordinance over an immediate and outright ban.