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132-443: The Fort Fraser Trail is a 7.75 miles (12.47 km) paved multi-use path that runs from Bartow to Lakeland . It runs along a former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad line that once ran from Lakeland to Naples . The southern terminus of the trail can be accessed from North Wilson Avenue in Bartow, immediately north of Tractor Supply Company . The northern terminus is at the entrance to

264-548: A mission system. The Native Americans in the missions were to serve as a militia to protect the colony from incursions from the neighboring colony of South Carolina . However, due to a combination of raids by South Carolinan colonists and newly introduced European diseases to which the Indians had no immunity, Florida's native population was quickly decimated. After the local Native Americans had all but died out, Spanish authorities encouraged Native Americans and refugee slaves from

396-464: A starchy flour similar to arrowroot , as well as mashing corn with a mortar and pestle to make sofkee , a sort of porridge often used as a beverage, with water added— ashes from the fire wood used to cook the sofkee were occasionally added to it for extra flavor. They also introduced their Gullah staple of rice to the Seminole, and continued to use it as a basic part of their diets. Rice remained part of

528-649: A $ 56 million federal settlement, a judgement trust, originally awarded in 1976 to the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and the Seminole Tribe of Florida (and other Florida Seminoles) by the federal government. The settlement was in compensation for land taken from them in northern Florida by the United States at the time of the signing of the Treaty of Moultrie Creek in 1823, when most of the Seminole and maroons were moved to

660-433: A Hindu temple in the county. 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-mile (160 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

792-415: A converted 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

924-562: 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

1056-476: A mass escape in 1849 to northern Mexico , where slavery had been abolished twenty years earlier. The black fugitives crossed to freedom in July 1850. They rode with a faction of traditionalist Seminole under the chief Coacochee , who led the expedition. The Mexican government welcomed the Seminole allies as border guards on the frontier, and they settled at El Nacimiento  [ es ] , Coahuila . After 1861,

1188-490: A more cautious approach. Bartow's growth was also limited because 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 it in population. Bartow remained the second largest city in the county until sometime in the 1950s, when Winter Haven superseded it. In

1320-567: 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. It is likely that their population suffered high mortality from European diseases, such as smallpox and measles. The remnants of these pre-Columbian peoples probably joined the Creek Indians who migrated from the north to become the Seminole Indian tribe . The first non-Indian settlement in

1452-533: A public pool. Bartow Park is a 95-acre (380,000 m ) 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 designed by renowned golf course architect Donald Ross, 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

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1584-623: A rare phenomenon in the area, perhaps a few times every century. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 19,309 people, 6,546 households, and 4,378 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 17,298 people, 5,909 households, and 4,097 families residing in the city. In 2010, the population density was 377.1 inhabitants per square mile of land (976.7/km ). There were 7,130 housing units at an average density of 155.4 per square mile of land(402.5/km ). In 2010, there were 5,909 households, of which 67.4% were families (one or more other people related to

1716-517: A reservation in the center of the territory. This was before removal west of the Mississippi. The judgement trust was based on the Seminole tribe as it existed in 1823. Black Seminoles were not recognized legally as part of the tribe, nor was their ownership or occupancy of land separately recognized. The US government at the time would have assumed most were fugitive slaves, without legal standing. The Oklahoma and Florida groups were awarded portions of

1848-422: A result, the black Seminoles born to slave mothers were always at risk from slave raiders. Historian Ray Von Robertson conducted oral interviews with sixteen Black Seminoles from 2006 and 2007 and found that Seminole cultural influences were incorporated into their daily lives in practices such as food ways, herbal medicine, and language. Black Seminoles cooked and ate fry bread, sofkee , and grape dumplings. By

1980-487: A small city which is the seat of a county with over half a million people. 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

2112-407: 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 2022, the mayor of Bartow is Steve Githens Other commissioners are Nick Adams, Leo Longworth, Tanya Tucker and Trish Pfeiffer". The city executive powers rest with the city manager, as contracted by the city commission. In 2010, the city's budget

2244-481: 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

2376-560: 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 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 District ,

2508-468: Is approximately 39 miles (63 km) east of Tampa and 51 miles (82 km) southwest of Orlando . The cities of Bartow, Lakeland, and Winter Haven form a roughly equilateral triangle pointed southward, 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

2640-675: Is governed and administrated by the city commission which convenes as the Bartow Airport Authority. As of 2016, the Bartow Police Department has five sergeants, twenty officers, three K-9 officers, two school resource officers, two public safety aides, and one parking enforcement specialist, while the Bartow Fire Department has 18 full-time firemen. The city of Bartow also operates the Bartow Public library, which

2772-482: 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 Adult Concert Band, which performs several shows

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2904-546: Is located in the Old Polk County Courthouse and consists of exhibits presenting local and regional history from pre-Columbian to present eras, along with a history and genealogical library. Florida Senator Spessard L. Holland was born in Bartow. His home is located on South Broadway 2 blocks north of Bartow High School. Senator Holland was a founding member of the Holland and Knight Law Firm. The firm's original office

3036-407: 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

3168-447: 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 an annual minimum temperature of 32 °F (0 °C), putting it in plant hardiness zone 10a. Snow is

3300-592: 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 600,000 acres (2,400 km ) dedicated to agriculture. According to the US Census of Agriculture, Polk County

3432-600: 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 cooler temperatures at night. Regardless, the climate pattern prevalent throughout central Florida is evident in Bartow: hot, humid summers with frequent afternoon thunderstorms and relatively drier and milder winters. On average,

3564-696: Is the "City of Oaks and Azaleas". Three districts within the city are on the National Register of Historic 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. Summerlin Academy now uses the space and was named for the historic school. Although Bartow has been eclipsed in population, importance and name recognition by other cities in

3696-623: 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 to 2007 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

3828-598: The American Civil War . It is part of the Lakeland − Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area , which had an estimated population of 787,404, as of July 1, 2022. According to the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 19,309. Located near the source of the Peace River , Bartow is approximately 39 miles (63 km) east of Tampa, Florida and 50 miles (80 km) southwest of the Greater Orlando area . The city

3960-563: The Atlantic slave trade in 1807 , in 1818 Britain declared that African slaves or slaves who arrived in the Bahamas from outside the British West Indies would be manumitted . In 1833 Britain abolished slavery throughout its Empire. They have been sometimes referred to as "African Indians or Black Indians", in recognition of their history. In 1900, Seminole Freedmen numbered about 1,000 on

4092-646: 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 March by the Bartow Art Guild. Every February brings the Annual L.B. Brown Festival at

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4224-634: The Comanche . After the close of the Texas Indian Wars, the scouts remained stationed at Fort Clark in Brackettville, Texas . The Army disbanded the unit in 1914. The veterans and their families settled in and around Brackettville, where scouts and family members were buried in its cemetery. The town remains the spiritual center of the Texas-based black Seminoles. In 1981, descendants at Brackettville and

4356-682: The Creek or Mikasuki-speaking Seminole. The Native Americans used them as translators to advance their trading with the British and other tribes. Together, in Florida, they developed Afro-Seminole Creole , identified in 1978 as a distinct language by the linguist Ian Hancock . Black Seminoles and Freedmen continued to speak Afro-Seminole Creole through the 19th century in Oklahoma. Hancock found that in 1978, some Black Seminole and Seminole elders still spoke it in Oklahoma and in Florida. After winning independence in

4488-490: The Creek Nation , many of whom were slaveholders. The Creek tried to re-enslave some of the fugitive black slaves. John Horse and others set up towns, generally near Seminole settlements, repeating their pattern from Florida. In the west, the black Seminoles were still threatened by slave raiders. These included pro-slavery members of the Creek tribe and some Seminole, whose allegiance to the blacks diminished after defeat by

4620-584: The Creek Wars . By a process of ethnogenesis , the Native Americans formed the Seminole. The black Seminole culture that took shape after 1800 was a dynamic mixture of African, Native American, Spanish, and slave traditions. Adopting certain practices of the Native Americans, maroons wore Seminole clothing and ate the same foodstuffs prepared the same way: they gathered the roots of a native plant called coontie , grinding, soaking, and straining them to make

4752-551: 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

4884-674: The Fort Pierce Reservation , a 50-acre parcel taken in trust in 1995 by the Department of Interior for the Tribe as its sixth reservation. Descendants of Afro Seminoles, who identify as Bahamian, reside on Andros Island in the Bahamas in an Area called Red Bay. A few hundred refugees had left in the early nineteenth century from Cape Florida to go to the British colony for sanctuary from American enslavement. After banning its participation in

5016-579: The Gullah culture of the coastal Southeast, with its own Creole language. Under a 1693 edict from King Charles II of Spain , the black refugees received liberty in exchange for defending the Spanish settlers at St. Augustine . The Spanish organized the black volunteers into a militia ; their settlement at Fort Mosé , founded in 1738, was the first legally sanctioned free black town in North America. Not all

5148-645: The Kikongo language . Other African words spoken by black Seminoles are from the Twi , Wolof , and other West African languages. Initially living apart from the Native Americans, the maroons developed their own unique African-American culture, based in the Gullah culture of the Lowcountry. Black Seminoles inclined toward a syncretic form of Christianity developed during the plantation years. Certain cultural practices, such as " jumping

5280-694: The Polk State College (Lakeland) campus in Lakeland. A .5 miles (0.80 km) paved extension of the trail runs to the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland, a park run by Polk County , the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and the State of Florida, where several additional 3.5 miles (5.6 km)s of unpaved trails traverse the property and provide access to Lake Hancock . Most of

5412-600: The Southern colonies to move to their territory. The Spanish hoped that the increased number of inhabitants of Spanish Florida would be effective defense in case of potential raids by American colonists. As early as 1689, enslaved Africans fled from the South Carolina Lowcountry to Spanish Florida seeking freedom. Over centuries, the Africans in the Lowcountry and Sea Islands gradually formed what has become known as

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5544-526: The 1800s, to describe the African Americans as "vassals and allies" of the Seminole. The traditional relationship between Seminole Blacks and natives changed in the course of the Second Seminole War when the old tribal system broke down and the Seminole resolved themselves into loose war bands living off the land with no distinction between tribal members and Black fugitives. That changed again in

5676-520: The American naturalist William Bartram visited the area, he referred to the Seminole as a distinct people. He believed their name was derived from the word "simanó-li", which according to John Reed Swanton, "is applied by the Creeks to people who remove from populous towns and live by themselves.". William C. Sturtevant says the ethnonym was borrowed by Muskogee from the Spanish word cimarrón , supposedly

5808-574: The Bahamas , and northern Mexico . Since the 1930s, the Seminole Freedmen have struggled with cycles of exclusion from the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma. In 1990, the tribe received the majority of a $ 56 million judgment trust by the United States, for seizure of lands in Florida in 1823, and the Freedmen have worked to gain a share of it. In 1999, the Seminole Freedmen's suit against the government

5940-468: The Bahamas, the black Seminoles developed a village known as Red Bays on Andros , where basket making and certain grave rituals associated with Seminole traditions are still practiced. Federal construction and staffing of the Cape Florida Lighthouse in 1825 reduced the number of slave escapes from this site. The Second Seminole War (1835–42) marked the height of tension between the U.S. and

6072-443: 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

6204-879: The Black Seminole had more freedom than did slaves held by whites in the South and by other Native American tribes, including the right to bear arms . Today, Black Seminole descendants live primarily in rural communities around the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma . Its two Freedmen's bands, the Caesar Bruner Band and the Dosar Barkus Band, are represented on the General Council of the Nation. Other centers are in Florida , Texas ,

6336-421: The Black Seminole settlements to kidnap and enslave people. The Seminole leadership would become headed by a pro-Creek faction who supported the institution of chattel slavery. These threats led to many Black Seminoles escaping to Mexico. In terms of spirituality, the ethnic groups remained distinct. Seminole historian Susan Miller explained that Black Seminoles did not participate in Seminole ceremonies such as

6468-479: The Black Seminoles flourished. US Army Lieutenant George McCall recorded his impressions of a Black Seminole community in 1826: We found these negroes in possession of large fields of the finest land, producing large crops of corn, beans, melons, pumpkins, and other esculent vegetables.... I saw, while riding along the borders of the ponds, fine rice growing; and in the village large corn-cribs were filled, while

6600-451: The Black former-slaves never wholly adopted Seminole culture and beliefs but were accepted into Seminole society, as seen by the skin tone in the pictures of the early 1900s. They were not considered Native American by the middle of the 20th century. Most Black former-slaves spoke Gullah , an Afro-English-based creole language . That enabled them to communicate better with Anglo-Americans than

6732-486: The Bob Crawford Agricultural Center in Bartow. 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 School , 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 , became

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6864-603: 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 (30 km ), of which 11.2 square miles (29 km ) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km ) (1.23%) is water. As a result of the annexation of over 26,000 acres (110 km ) of undeveloped land, primarily

6996-439: The Clear Springs land, the area of the city has quadrupled to over 52 square miles (130 km ) with more annexation still pending. Bartow is located on the South Central Florida Ridge, as classified by the USDA . 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

7128-400: The Dawes Rolls were inaccurate and often classified persons with both Seminole and African ancestry as only Freedmen. The District Court for the District of Columbia however ruled in Seminole Nation of Oklahoma v. Norton that Freedmen retained membership and voting rights. The Spanish strategy for defending their claim of Florida at first was based on forcing the local Indian tribes into

7260-404: The European-American patriarchal system. But, under the South's adoption of the principle of partus sequitur ventrem in the 17th century and incorporated into slavery law in slave states, children of slave mothers were considered legally slaves. Under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, even if the mother escaped to a free state, she and her children were legally considered slaves and fugitives. As

7392-451: The First Baptist and the First Methodist churches, were constructed on land given by the city founder Jacob Summerlin in 1867. Jacob Summerlin was known as the "King of the Crackers" and owned much of the land located around Bartow. 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 Sunday preach, which

7524-434: 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,

7656-410: The Gulf of Mexico and up the Mississippi River. Because of harsh conditions, many of both peoples died along this trail from Florida to Oklahoma, also known as The Trail of Tears . The status of black Seminoles and fugitive slaves was largely unsettled after they reached Indian Territory. The issue was compounded by the government's initially putting the Seminole and blacks under the administration of

7788-427: The Indian Bureau. That made the poorly educated Freedmen easy marks for white settlers migrating from the Deep South." Numerous Seminole Freedmen lost their land in the early decades after allotment, and some moved to urban areas. Others left the state because of its conditions of racial segregation. As US citizens, they were exposed to the harsher racial laws of Oklahoma. Since 1954, the Freedmen have been included in

7920-404: The L.B. Brown House on L.B. Brown Avenue (formally Second Avenue). Bartow's discarded natural Christmas trees are piled around a telephone pole for the annual New Year's Eve bonfire, a unique tradition spanning more than seven decades which has sometimes been covered by national media. The Polk County Arts Alliance based in Bartow is designated the official Art Agency by the county commission and

8052-433: The Little River community of Oklahoma met for the first time in more than a century, in Texas for a Juneteenth reunion and celebration. Afro Seminole descendants continue to live in Florida today. They can enroll in the Seminole Tribe of Florida if they meet its membership criteria for blood quantum : one-quarter Seminole ancestry. About 50 black Seminoles, all of whom have at least one-quarter Seminole ancestry, live on

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8184-402: 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

8316-474: The Oklahoma reservation, about one-third of the total population at the time. Members were registered on the Dawes Rolls for allocation of communal land to individual households. Since then, numerous Freedmen left after losing their land, as their land sales were not overseen by the Indian Bureau. Others left because of having to deal with the harshly segregated society of Oklahoma. The land allotments and participation in Oklahoma society altered relations between

8448-404: The Republican Party. Bartow is represented in the state Florida House of Representatives by Ben Albritton . In the Florida Senate , Bartow is represented by Denise Grimsley . In the United States House of Representatives , Bartow is located in Florida's 15th congressional district , and represented by Congressman Scott Franklin . The Florida Department of Citrus has its headquarters in

8580-428: The Revolution, American slaveholders were increasingly worried about the armed black communities in Florida. The territory was ruled again by Spain, as Britain had ceded both East and West Florida . The US slaveholders sought the capture and return of Florida's black fugitives under the Treaty of New York (1790) , the first treaty ratified under the Confederation. Wanting to disrupt Florida's maroon communities after

8712-411: The Revolution, the Seminole allied with the British, and African Americans and Seminole came into increased contact with each other. The Seminole held some slaves, as did the Creek and other Southeast Native American tribes. During the War of 1812 , members of both communities sided with the British against the US in the hopes of repelling American settlers; they strengthened their internal ties and earned

8844-413: The Seminole Busk ritual. Participation in spiritual practices required matrilineal descent within a Seminole clan. The Seminole followed the nativistic principles of their Great Spirit . Black enslaved people had a syncretic form of Christianity brought with them from the plantations and developed a Pan-African culture that was expressed in writing, language, religion , and social structure. In general,

8976-414: The Seminole and Black Seminole people owned large quantities of Florida land. In some cases, a portion of that Florida land is still owned by the Seminole and black Seminole descendants in Florida. In the 19th century, the Black Seminoles were called "Seminole Negroes " by their white American enemies and Estelusti ("black People"), by their Native American allies. Under the comparatively free conditions,

9108-405: The Seminole and Freedmen, particularly after the 1930s. Both peoples faced racial discrimination from whites in Oklahoma, who essentially divided society into two: white and "other". Public schools and facilities were racially segregated. When the tribe reorganized under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, some Seminole wanted to exclude the Freedmen and keep the tribe as Native American only. It

9240-422: The Seminole and the other Five Civilized Tribes supported the Confederacy during the American Civil War, in 1866 the US required new peace treaties with them. The US required the tribes emancipate any slaves and extend to the freedmen full citizenship rights in the tribes if they chose to stay in Indian Territory. In the late nineteenth century, Seminole Freedmen thrived in towns near the Seminole communities on

9372-475: The Seminole generally lived in their own communities. In exchange for paying an annual tribute of livestock, crops, hunting, and war party obligations, Black prisoners or fugitives found sanctuary among the Seminole. Seminoles, in turn, acquired an important strategic ally in a sparsely-populated region. They elected their own leaders, and could amass wealth in cattle and crops. Most importantly, they bore arms for self-defense. Florida real estate records show that

9504-642: The Seminoles, and also the historical peak of the African-Seminole alliance. Under the policy of Indian removal , the US wanted to relocate Florida's 4,000 Seminole people and most of their 800 black Seminole allies to the western Indian Territory . During the year before the war, prominent white citizens captured and claimed as fugitive slaves at least 100 black Seminoles. Anticipating attempts to re-enslave more members of their community, black Seminoles opposed removal to

9636-700: The Southeast at the same time. In Florida, they developed the Afro-Seminole Creole , which they spoke with the growing Seminole tribe. Following the Treaty of Paris signed in 1763 at the conclusion of the Seven Years' War , Spanish Florida was ceded to the Kingdom of Great Britain . The area remained a sanctuary for fugitive slaves from the Southern colonies , as it was lightly settled. Many slaves sought refuge near growing Native American settlements. In 1773, when

9768-480: 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. The Polk County Historical Museum

9900-446: The US in the war. Officers of the federal army may have tried to protect the black Seminoles, but in 1848 the U.S. Attorney General bowed to pro-slavery lobbyists and ordered the army to disarm the community. This left hundreds of Seminoles and black Seminoles unable to leave the settlement or to defend themselves against slavers. Facing the threat of enslavement, the black Seminole leader John Horse and about 180 black Seminoles staged

10032-563: The United States. The black Seminole Scouts (originally an African American unit despite the name) played a lead role in the Texas-Indian Wars of the 1870s, when they were based at Fort Clark, Texas , the home of the Buffalo Soldiers . The scouts became famous for their tracking abilities and feats of endurance. Four men were awarded the Medal of Honor , three for an 1875 action against

10164-669: The War of 1812, General Andrew Jackson attacked the Negro Fort , which had become a black Seminole stronghold after the British had allowed them to occupy it when they evacuated Florida. Breaking up the maroon communities was one of Jackson's major objectives in the First Seminole War (1817–18). Under pressure, the Native American and black communities moved into south and central Florida. Slaves and black Seminoles frequently migrated down

10296-466: The West. In councils before the war, they threw their support behind the most militant Seminole faction, led by Osceola . After war broke out, individual black leaders, such as John Caesar, Abraham, and John Horse , played key roles. In addition to aiding the natives in their fight, black Seminoles recruited plantation slaves to rebellion at the start of the war. The slaves joined Native Americans and maroons in

10428-536: The Wonder House are restoring it and plan to open a museum. 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 . Many of the recreational opportunities in the area are outdoor activities designed to take advantage of

10560-617: The area was a colony of Black Seminole , free blacks and escaped slaves who established Minatti south of Lake Hancock in the late 1810s. These " maroons ", as they were commonly called, were slaves who escaped from Georgia and the Carolinas . The Black Seminole of Minatti were allies of the Red Stick Creek in Talakchopko , a village that preceded present-day Fort Meade . The Seminole leader Osceola had strong ties to Talakchopko. Many of

10692-551: The black Seminoles in Mexico and Texas had little contact with those in Oklahoma. For the next 20 years, black Seminoles served as militiamen and Native American fighters in Mexico, where they became known as mascogos , derived from the tribal name of the Creek – Muskogee . Slave raiders from Texas continued to threaten the community but arms and reinforcements from the Mexican Army enabled

10824-651: The black warriors to defend their community. By the 1940s, descendants of the Mascogos numbered 400–500 in El Nacimiento de los Negros, Coahuila , inhabiting lands adjacent to the Kickapoo tribe. They had a thriving agricultural community. By the 1990s, most of the descendants had moved into Texas. Throughout the period, several hundred black Seminoles remained in the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). Because most of

10956-516: The blacks if they surrendered and agreed to removal to Indian Territory. John Horse was among the black warriors who surrendered under this condition. Due to Seminole opposition, however, the Army did not fully follow through on its offer. After 1838, more than 500 black Seminoles traveled with the Seminoles thousands of miles to the Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma; some traveled by ship across

11088-413: The broom " to celebrate marriage, hailed from the plantations; other customs, such as some names used for black towns, reflected African heritage. As time progressed, the Seminole and blacks had limited intermarriage, but historians and anthropologists have come to believe that generally the black Seminoles had independent communities. They allied with the Seminole at times of war. The Seminole society

11220-609: 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. Black Seminole Historically, the Black Seminoles lived mostly in distinct bands near the Native American Seminoles. Some were held as slaves, particularly of Seminole leaders, but

11352-405: The city were purchased by the phosphate industry. 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

11484-586: The constitution of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. They have two bands, each representing more than one town and named for 19th-century band leaders: the Cesar Bruner band covers towns south of Little River ; the Dosar Barkus covers the several towns located north of the river. Each of the bands elects two representatives to the General Council of the Seminole Nation. In 1870, the U.S. Army invited black Seminoles to return from Mexico to serve as army scouts for

11616-435: The country, as gambling revenues and federal land payments have given Native Americans something to fight over." In 2000, Seminole Freedmen were in the national news because of a legal dispute with the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma , of which they had been legal members since 1866, over membership and rights within the tribe. The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma held the black Seminoles could not share in services to be provided by

11748-487: The county, particularly Lakeland and Winter Haven , the city has retained its small city heritage and its distinctive Southern culture. With the annexation of 18,000 acres (73 km ) of former phosphate mining land owned by the Clear Springs Land Company, Bartow's population is projected to increase to over 25,000 by 2025 and over 45,000 by 2030. A Spanish map of the Florida peninsula drawn in 1527 shows

11880-464: The destruction of 21 sugar plantations from Christmas Day, December 25, 1835, through the summer of 1836. Historians do not agree on whether these events should be considered a separate slave rebellion ; generally they view the attacks on the sugar plantations as part of the Seminole War. By 1838, U.S. General Thomas Sydney Jesup tried to divide the black and Seminole warriors by offering freedom to

12012-468: The diet of the black Seminoles who moved to Oklahoma. In addition, the language of the black Seminoles is a mix of African, Seminole, and Spanish words. The African heritage of the black Seminoles, according to academics, is from the Kongo , Yoruba , and other African ethnic groups. African American linguist and historian, Lorenzo Dow Turner documented about fifteen words spoken by black Seminoles that came from

12144-450: The early 19th century, maroons (free Black people and freedom seekers ) and the Seminole were in regular contact in Florida, where they evolved a system of relations unique among North American Native Americans and Black people. Seminole practice in Florida had acknowledged slavery, though not on the chattel slavery model then common in the American south. It was, in fact, more like feudal dependency and taxation since African Americans among

12276-577: The enmity of American general Andrew Jackson . Spain had given land to some Muscogee (Creek) Native Americans. Over time the Creek were joined by other remnant groups of Southeast American Native Americans , such as the Miccosukee , Choctaw , and the Apalachicola , and formed communities. Their community evolved over the late 18th and early 19th centuries as waves of Creek left present-day Georgia and Alabama under pressure from white settlement and

12408-575: 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 by US forces. The Armed Occupation Act of 1842 facilitated European-American settlement of the Florida peninsula in the 1840s, although the act prohibited settlement near the Peace River, as this

12540-459: The first African-American high school in Polk County. 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

12672-556: 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. Bartow, like most of Florida, is located in the humid subtropical zone ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa ). The climate of Bartow and other inland cities

12804-471: 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

12936-662: The householder by birth, marriage, or adoption), 27.4% consisted of individuals, 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were heterosexual married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.12. Among housing units, 87.7% were occupied and 1.4% were for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use; 63.5% of occupied housing units were owner-occupied and 36.5% were occupied by renters. an average density of 155.4 per square mile of land(402.5/km ). In 2010,

13068-564: The houses were larger and more comfortable than those of the Native Americans themselves. Historians estimate that during the 1820s, 800 blacks were living with the Seminoles. The Black Seminole settlements were highly militarized, unlike the communities of most of the slaves in the Deep South. The military nature of the African and Seminole relationship led General Edmund Pendleton Gaines , who visited several flourishing black Seminole settlements in

13200-650: The immediate Bartow area, the city is located less than 50 miles (80 km) from both the Walt Disney World Resort and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay . The city is also less than 20 miles (32 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. There are several annual events in

13332-427: 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. The City of Bartow has a commission-manager form of government. The city commission consists of five commissioners, each elected for

13464-589: The late 1990s 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; he announced plans for an 18,000-acre development, the largest 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, 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m ) of commercial space, three schools, and

13596-476: The median age was 36.2 years; 25.8% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 males there were 112.6 females. For every 100 males age 18 and over, there were 120.1 females. an average density of 155.4 per square mile of land(402.5/km ). According to the American Community Survey between 2009 and 2013,

13728-518: The median income for a household in the city was 44,297, and the median income for a family was 56,009. Among full-time, year-round workers, males had a median income of $ 39,540 versus $ 32,076 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,994. About 17.2% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over. an average density of 155.4 per square mile of land(402.5/km ). The first two churches built in town,

13860-410: 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

13992-488: The new territory when the Seminole were obliged to settle on fixed lots of land and take up settled agriculture. Conflict arose in the territory because the transplanted Seminole had been placed on land allocated to the Creek , who had a practice of chattel slavery. There was increasing pressure from both Creek and pro-Creek Seminole for the adoption of the Creek model of slavery for the Black Seminoles. Creek slavers and those from other Native groups, and whites, began raiding

14124-408: The peninsula to escape from Cape Florida to the Bahamas . Hundreds left in the early 1820s after the United States acquired the territory from Spain, effective 1821. Contemporary accounts noted a group of 120 migrating in 1821, and a much larger group of 300 African-American slaves escaping in 1823, picked up by Bahamians in 27 sloops and also by canoes. Their concern about living under American rule

14256-458: The population of the Seminole Nation in Indian Territory, about one-third of the total. By the time of the Dawes Rolls , there were numerous female-headed households registered. The Freedmen's towns were made up of large, closely connected families. After allotment, "[f]reedmen, unlike their [Native] peers on the blood roll, were permitted to sell their land without clearing the transaction through

14388-569: The reservation. Most had not been living as slaves to the Native Americans before the war. They lived —as their descendants still do— in and around Wewoka, Oklahoma , the community founded in 1849 by John Horse as a black settlement. Today it is the capital of the federally recognized Seminole Nation of Oklahoma . Following the Civil War, some Freedmen's leaders in Indian Territory practiced polygyny , as did ethnic African leaders in other diaspora communities. In 1900 there were 1,000 Freedmen listed in

14520-743: The slaves escaping south found military service in St. Augustine to their liking. More escaped slaves sought refuge in wilderness areas in northern Florida, where their knowledge of tropical agriculture—and resistance to tropical diseases—served them well. Most of the black people who pioneered Florida were Gullah people who escaped from the rice plantations of South Carolina (and later Georgia). As Gullah, they had developed an Afro-English based Creole, along with cultural practices and African leadership structure. The Gullah pioneers built their own settlements based on rice and corn agriculture. They became allies of Creek and other Native Americans escaping into Florida from

14652-676: The source as well of the English word maroon . This was used to describe the runaway slave communities of Florida and of the Great Dismal Swamp on the border of Virginia and North Carolina, on colonial islands of the Caribbean, and other parts of the New World . But linguist Leo Spitzer, writing in the journal Language , says, "If there is a connection between Eng. maroon , Fr. marron , and Sp. cimarron , Spain (or Spanish America) probably gave

14784-489: The supply line directed at US 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 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

14916-657: 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 , connecting Tampa and Orlando, was completed. The railroads were catalysts for growth of the area; during the Spanish–American War , the Bartow rail yards became a crucial part of

15048-499: The trail parallel's US Highway 98, and numerous benches, shelters, water fountains and other amenities are available. Bartow, Florida Bartow ( / ˈ b ɑːr t oʊ / BAR -toh ) is a city and 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 of the Confederate Army to die in combat during

15180-473: 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 supplying food, particularly cattle and beef. 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

15312-480: The war. Bartow recovered slowly from the war. The first Polk County Courthouse was built in 1867, which firmly established the city as county seat. Although Florida formally rejoined the union in 1868, the Reconstruction era did not end in Florida until 1877. The 1880s and 1890s 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,

15444-471: 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 (0.48 km ) park with three lakes, a playground, an overnight camping area, and a skateboard park. The Bartow Civic Center is a 31-acre (130,000 m ) complex with meeting rooms, concert facilities and

15576-543: The wealthiest members of the Cow Cavalry was Jacob Summerlin. After Summerlin purchased the Blount property in 1862, he 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 brigade commander to die during

15708-469: The word directly to England (or English America)." Florida had been a refuge for fugitive slaves for at least 70 years by the time of the American Revolution . Communities of black Seminoles were established on the outskirts of major Seminole towns. A new influx of freedom-seeking black people reached Florida during the American Revolution (1775–83), escaping during the disruption of war. During

15840-575: 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 District 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 Executive Airport

15972-539: Was a translation of the Spanish Rio de la Paz of early 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. The state legislature had directed

16104-455: Was based on a matrilineal kinship system, in which inheritance and descent went through the maternal line. Children were considered to belong to the mother's clan , so those born to ethnic African mothers would have been considered black by the Seminole. While the children might integrate customs from both parents' cultures, the Seminole believed they belonged to the mother's group more than the father's. African Americans adopted some elements of

16236-444: Was considered Seminole land. Enforcement of that part of the act was not strictly enforced; however, and settlers eventually moved 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. Bartow developed east of this site. At some point in the 1850s, Fort Blount was renamed as Peace Creek or Peas Creek, which

16368-596: Was dismissed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ; the court ruled the Freedmen could not bring suit independently of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, which refused to join on the claim issue. In 2000 the Seminole Nation voted to restrict membership to those who could prove descent from a Seminole on the Dawes Rolls of the early 20th century, which excluded about 1,200 Freedmen who were previously included as members. Excluded Freedmen argue that

16500-427: 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

16632-453: 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. Phosphate mining has been a major player in Bartow's economy since the discovery of phosphate rock in 1881. Polk County

16764-549: Was located on South Central Avenue across the street from the Bartow Post Office. 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 current owners of

16896-495: Was not until the 1950s that the black Seminole were officially recognized in the constitution. Another was adopted in 1969, that restructured the government according to more traditional Seminole lines. It established 14 town bands, of which two represented Freedmen. The two Freedmen's bands were given two seats each, like other bands, on the Seminole General Council. There have been "battles over tribal membership across

17028-472: Was not unwarranted. In 1821, Andrew Jackson became the territorial governor of Florida and ordered an attack on Angola , a village built by black Seminoles and other free blacks south of Tampa Bay , on the Manatee River. Raiders captured over 250 people, most of whom were sold into slavery. Some of the survivors fled to the Florida interior and others to Florida's east coast and escaped to the Bahamas. In

17160-580: Was started up 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 km) away in Lakeland. There are two Muslim mosques and

17292-419: Was the training location for many Army Air Corps pilots during the war. The airport was returned to the city in 1967 and renamed as 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

17424-472: 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

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