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Florida State...
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Florida Counties
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Florida Counties
In 1821, there were only two counties in Florida: Escambia to the west and St. Johns to the
east. From these two counties were formed 67 today. In 1968, the electors
of Florida granted local voters the power to adopt charters to govern their counties. Charters are formal
written documents that confer powers, duties, or privileges on the county.
To date, there are 19 charter counties in Florida. Collectively these
counties are home to more than 75 percent of Florida's residents.
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Osceola County, Florida
Osceola County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Kissimmee
Year Organized: 1887
Square Miles: 1,322 |
Court House: 2 Courthouse Square
County Courthouse
Kissimmee, FL 34741-5476
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Etymology - Origin of County Name
The Indian leader Osceola ("Singer of the Black Drink").
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Osceola County was created in 1887. It was named for the Indian leader Osceola, whose name means "Singer of the Black
Drink."
On July 21, 1821, Florida was divided into two counties, named Escambia County to the west and St. John's County to the
east. In 1824, the southern part of St. John's County became Mosquito County, with Enterprise as the county seat. When
Florida became a state in 1845, Mosquito County was renamed Orange County. In 1844, Brevard County was carved out from
Mosquito County. On May 12, 1887, Osceola was named a county, having been created from both Orange and Brevard Counties.
Osceola County reached all the way down to Lake Okeechobee until 1917 when Okeechobee County was formed.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,506 square miles (3,901 kmē), of which,
1,322 square miles (3,424 kmē) of it is land and 184 square miles (478 kmē) of it (12.24%) is water.
Neighboring Counties:
- Northeast: Brevard County
- Southeast: Indian River County; Okeechobee County
- South: Highlands County
- West: Polk County
- Northwest: Lake County; Orange County
Cities and Towns:
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- Kissimmee
(County
Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- St. Cloud |
city |
Incorporated Area |
County Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally,
act locally." |
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