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39-496: WPIO is simulcast in the areas of Dade City, Florida and Bushnell, Florida on 89.3 WKFA . 28°34′49″N 80°51′00″W  /  28.58028°N 80.85000°W  / 28.58028; -80.85000 This article about a radio station in Florida is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Dade City, Florida Dade City, officially the City of Dade City ,

78-562: A house built before the American Civil War , an old school, and an old train depot from Trilby, Florida . The Hugh Embry Library, currently located on 4th Street in downtown Dade City, was opened in 1904 when its namesake, then 25 years old, was recovering from an illness. Embry had a strong desire to read, but at that time there was no public library located in Dade City. He solicited donations of books from local households, and developed

117-574: A more diversified economy than Miami which included manufacturing and tourism. Miami's economy was primarily based on tourism despite failed attempts during the 1920s to diversify the city economically. Jacksonville, the largest city in Florida, would not be as affected by the boom because municipal leaders had decided to work on expanding industry and commerce rather than tourism after World War I. By January 1925, investors were beginning to read negative press about Florida investments. Forbes magazine warned that Florida land prices were based solely upon

156-591: A movie theater on South 7th Street, operated from 1948 until 1999 and has since been demolished. Lawrence Puckett (1906–1985) settled in Dade City in 1925. He later became involved in politics and served as mayor of Dade City from 1981–1983 and as a member of the Dade City Commission from 1976 until his death in 1985. His recollections of the city were published by the Pasco County Centennial Committee. They date from his arrival as

195-849: A profound effect on its culture: "Country clubs and golf courses were being constructed with country folks playing golf and dancing the Charleston. Wood lands and grazing lands were developed into subdivisions with side walk &: streets built 9 miles in the woods, which in most cases was about all that happened." During World War II, the government established a prisoner-of-war camp in Dade City. The prisoners were German soldiers from Field Marshal Erwin Rommel 's Afrika Korps , who were captured in battles in North Africa in 1942-1943. They were put to work, producing limestone bricks, building warehouses, and making boxes. The POW camp operated from approximately 1942 to

234-480: A result led to a boom in demand for office space. Then, on January 10, 1926, the Prinz Valdemar , a 241-foot, steel-hulled schooner , sank in the mouth of the turning basin of Miami harbor and blocked access to the harbor. It had been on its way to becoming a floating hotel. Because the railroads were still embargoing non-essential shipments, it now became completely impossible to bring building supplies into

273-553: A small library in the Embry home on Church Street (now the site of the U.S. Post Office). His efforts helped generate great enthusiasm in the community for a much more extensive library, culminating in the development of the Pasco County Library Association in 1905. After Embry's death at the age of 28 due to tuberculosis , the library initially faltered. Efforts of active community members and civic organizations such as

312-526: A young man of 19. Puckett describes Dade City before and after the Florida land boom as "a typical southern agriculture area, where the few well-to-do controlled the economy and the poor white folks and Negroes did the work for minimal pay. In other words, folks here were either quite well-to-do or very damn poor". Puckett described Dade City as it existed during the Florida boom, with its various shops, streets, and buildings. Most of these had changed significantly by

351-507: Is a city in and the county seat of Pasco County, Florida , United States. It is located in the Tampa Bay Area , northeast of Tampa and southwest of Orlando . The population was 7,275 as of the 2020 census. The current Mayor of Dade City is Scott Black. The city was named after U.S. Army Major Francis L. Dade who was killed alongside most of the men he led from Fort Brooke (present-day Tampa ) to Fort King (present-day Ocala ) in

390-860: Is held every first Saturday from September to May around the historic courthouse square. During the holiday season, the annual Dade City Christmas parade is held on the first Friday in December. The parade route runs south on 7th Street for around half a mile. One can also catch the Country Christmas Stroll and Church Street Christmas held later on in the month. Downtown Dade City is known for its quaint shops and array of restaurants. Businesses like Kiefer Jewelers, The Book Shack, and Treehouse Mercantile, among others, can be found downtown. Area restaurants include, Florida Cracker Lunch on Limoges, Del Carmen Mexican restaurant, Olio (which offers authentic Italian cuisine), and more. Dade City City Hall (adjacent to

429-438: Is water. Dade City contains gently rolling topography with elevations from 60 ft to 100 ft. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 7,275 people, 2,371 households, and 1,782 families residing in the city. By age in 2020, the population was split with 3.5% were under 5 years old, 20.1% were under 18 years old, and 21.8% were 65 years or older. 52.0% were female persons only. There were 707 veterans living in

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468-460: The Atlantic Coast Line depot . Since 2004, the depot is only served by Amtrak Thruway service to Jacksonville and Lakeland . CSX Transportation 's Wildwood Subdivision provides freight rail service to Dade City. Pasco County Public Transportation provides local bus service on routes 30 & 31 in Dade City. The Dade City Police Department (DCPD) is the law enforcement arm of

507-665: The Dade Battle , which marked the beginning of the Second Seminole War . The gently rolling hills of eastern Pasco County give way to this quintessential Southern small town that is known and beloved by many for its slow-paced, "Old Florida" ambience. An earlier community known as Fort Dade existed nearby in the 1870s and 1880s. The railroad was constructed a few miles to the east of Fort Dade, so business owners chose to relocate in order to be nearer to it. The newer settlement became known as Dade City. The name became official when

546-481: The Dade City Woman's Club kept the library open. The library was relocated several times over the next five decades, finally reaching its current location in 1963. The library underwent a complete renovation in the late 1980s, with the current 7,200-square-foot (670 m ) building opening in 1991. More recently, the library underwent renovations in 2021. The library reopened on May 30, 2023. The Crescent Theatre

585-537: The Florida East Coast Railway , and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad —called an embargo due to the rail traffic gridlock of building materials, permitting only foodstuffs, fuel, perishables , and essential commodities to enter or move within the state. Also in 1925, Florida began to pass laws further regulating real estate; with salesmen being required to have licenses and offices which as

624-575: The City of Dade City. Pasco County Fire Rescue covers all fire protection and emergency medical services for the city. The only hospital in Dade City is AdventHealth Dade City . Florida land boom The first real estate bubble in Florida was primarily caused by the economic prosperity of the 1920s coupled with a lack of knowledge about storm frequency and the poor building standards . This pioneering era of Florida land speculation lasted from 1924 to 1926 and attracted investors from all over

663-455: The Hatton post office was changed to the Dade City post office on December 18, 1884. After being initially incorporated in either 1884 or 1885 (the exact date is subject to debate), Dade City was subsequently reincorporated following the official approval of the state legislature on June 5, 1889. When Pasco County was formed from the southern section of a much larger Hernando County ( Citrus County

702-611: The Miami area, and the city's image as a tropical paradise began to crumble. In his book Miami Millions , Kenneth Ballinger wrote that the Prinz Valdemar capsize incident saved many people from huge possible losses by revealing cracks in the Miami façade. "In the enforced lull which accompanied the efforts to unstopper the Miami Harbor," he wrote, "many a shipper in the North and many a builder in

741-501: The South got a better grasp of what was actually taking place here." New buyers failed to arrive, and the property price escalation that fueled the land boom stopped. The days of Miami properties being bought and sold at auction as many as ten times in one day were over. Although the railroads lifted the embargo in May 1926, the boom was about to end. The 1926 Miami hurricane ended the boom and

780-600: The United States began taking an interest in Miami real estate. Due in part to publicity stunts and deed restrictions, developers saw a large influx of Northern tourists and potential residents. Developer Carl G. Fisher of Indiana became famous by purchasing a huge lighted billboard in New York 's Times Square proclaiming "It's June In Miami". Fisher's publicity and investments along with those of concurrent pioneers Lummus and Collins correlated with rapidly rising prices, and

819-414: The boom began. Brokers and dealers speculated wildly on commodities as well. They ordered supplies in excess of what was actually needed and sent shipments to general destinations. The result was railroad freight cars became stranded, choking the movement of rail traffic statewide. The impact of the boom would extend beyond Miami and southern Florida. Tampa saw growth during this period as well, but had

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858-471: The city and 7.3% were foreign born persons. In 2020, 62.0% of the housing units were owner occupied. The median value of those owner-occupied units was $ 150,700. The median selected monthly owner costs for those with a mortgage was $ 1,270, and $ 399 for those without a mortgage. The median gross rent was $ 1,004. There were 2.83 persons per household. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 6,437 people, 2,123 households, and 1,454 families residing in

897-458: The city. Dade City is popular with tourists for its antique stores, historic buildings, and various renowned events. The Kumquat Festival is hosted annually downtown on the last Saturday in January, attracting thousands of attendees. The festival celebrates the widely locally-grown kumquat , a citrus fruit that is eaten whole and is similar in size to an olive . The Dade City Cruise In car show

936-548: The expectation of finding a customer, not upon any real land value. The Bureau of Internal Revenue began to scrutinize the Florida real estate boom as a giant sham operation. Speculators intent on flipping properties at huge profits began to have a difficult time finding new buyers. To make matters worse, in October 1925, the "Big Three" railroad companies operating in Florida—the Seaboard Air Line Railway ,

975-470: The much smaller 1928 Okeechobee hurricane made certain it was extinguished. The 1926 hurricane destroyed "whatever public enthusiasm for Florida vacation properties and real estate development that remained," as there had been little preparation for the storm. Florida's economic decline predated the start of the Great Depression. Therefore, it had fewer resources and more debt "than other regions of

1014-456: The nation. The land boom left behind entirely new, planned developments incorporated into towns and cities. Major investors and speculators such as Carl G. Fisher also left behind a new history of racially deed restricted properties that segregated cities for decades. Among those cities at the center of this bubble were Miami Beach , Coral Gables , Hialeah , Miami Springs , Opa-locka , Miami Shores , and Hollywood . It also left behind

1053-433: The nation." Large amounts of local debt financing through bonds worsened the economic situation in the state with most of it coming from the years of the land boom. During the land boom, many local governments sold bonds to pay for projects related to development. After the boom, local government did not have revenue proceeds to pay down bond debt. This resulted in widespread unsecured bond default. Another contributing factor

1092-507: The police department building) is located downtown on Meridian Avenue. The Hugh Embry branch library, which is a member of the Pasco County Library Cooperative , is directly across the street from city hall. Standing front and center as the crown jewel of historic downtown Dade City is the stately Pasco County Courthouse . The courthouse was designed by Atlanta -based architect Edward Columbus Hosford and its construction

1131-564: The real estate boom of the 2000s , including the forces of outside speculators, easy credit access for buyers, and rapidly appreciating property values, ending in a financial collapse that ruined thousands of investors and property owners, and crippled the local economy for years thereafter. In the background were the well-publicized extensions of the Florida East Coast Railway , first to West Palm Beach (1894), then Miami (1896), and finally Key West , 1912. The Everglades were being drained, creating new dry land. Finally, World War I cut off

1170-452: The remains of failed development projects such as Aladdin City , Boca Raton (original plan), Chevelier , Fulford-by-the-Sea , Interocean City , Isola di Lolando , Okeelanta , Palm Beach Ocean , Poinciana , and Sun City . The land boom shaped Florida's future for decades and created entire new cities out of the Everglades land that remain today. The story includes many parallels to

1209-487: The rich from their seasons on the French Riviera , increasing the appeal of parts of the U.S. with a Mediterranean or Tropical climate. The economic prosperity of the 1920s coupled with a lack of knowledge about storm frequency and the poor building standards used by boom developers set the conditions for the first real estate bubble in Florida. Miami had an image as a tropical paradise and outside investors across

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1248-579: The spring of 1946. The site has been redeveloped as the Pyracantha Park Civic Center. Dade City is located at 28°21′42″N 82°11′36″W  /  28.361774°N 82.193319°W  / 28.361774; -82.193319 . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km ), of which 3.3 square miles (8.5 km ) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km ) (2.96%)

1287-425: The state started to reverse. A "surplus of funds" and easily available credit also began to dry up. The collapse of Florida land values caused a severe financial crisis for the state government.  Land values had dropped nearly to the vanishing point, but the property was subject to property tax assessments far in excess of its current value.  Many property owners simply abandoned the property and did not pay

1326-566: The taxes.  Under state law, the state could not sell the property for less than its assessed value.  To remedy the situation, in 1937, the Florida Legislature passed the Murphy Act. The Act permitted the state to sell tax delinquent property for what could be obtained.  Deeds issued to purchasers, colloquially known as “Murphy deeds,” reserved certain rights to the state.  Years later, these reservations in many cases enabled

1365-499: The time he was writing. With the Florida land boom, people were streaming into the state, usually sticking to the Eastern Coast. The overall economic effect was to drive up property prices all across the state. For Dade City, Puckett estimated that the top money-making ventures were either real estate, business related to real estate, or the production of moonshine . He said that the increase of people and capital into Dade City had

1404-411: Was Dade City's main movie theater from its opening in 1926 until it closed in 1950. It was located on the northeast corner of South 5th Street and Florida Avenue. The facade of the original building was preserved while other renovations were made for adaptive reuse. A metal structure was added in the 1990s. Today the building is used as a non-profit Seniors' Services center. The Pasco Theater, built as

1443-468: Was completed in 1909. Wells Fargo currently occupies the two-story brick building across from the courthouse on the northeast corner of Meridian Avenue and 7th Street. The building was originally opened by the Bank of Pasco County in 1891. This was the first brick structure ever constructed in Dade City. The city is served by Zephyrhills Municipal Airport . Passenger rail service was previously available at

1482-461: Was formed from the northern section) in 1887, Dade City became the county seat of the new county, first temporarily and later permanently, by popular vote. The Pioneer Florida Museum (located just outside city limits), which opened on Labor Day of 1975, showcases the life of European-American pioneers in Central Florida. Its artifacts and exhibits include a 1913 locomotive, a Methodist church,

1521-731: Was that numerous counties in southern Florida would take out "large loans" during the boom to help build infrastructure projects to entice developers which led to these counties going into debt. Doyle Carlton was elected in 1928 as governor and during his tenure he tried to put a limit on the amount of bonded debt local governments could hold. He faced opposition from state representatives in northern Florida whose counties had less debt and did not want to pay for their southern counterparts. Deposits in Florida banks had increased steadily between 1922 and 1925, but then started to decline; by 1926 smaller banks began to fail because of many withdrawals by depositors and defaults on loans. Bank assets flowing into

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