Arcadia Florida

Arcadia was originally named by Reverend James Hendry in honor and appreciation of Arcadia Albritton, a daughter of  pioneer settlers who had baked him a cake in honor of his birthday.

Boasting a population of nearly 7,500, it is the country seat of DeSoto county. Up until the late 1800's Arcadia was the county seat of what would become 5 different counties. In 1921 Florida legislation resulted in  DeSoto, Charlotte,Hardee,Glades, and Highlands counties being created from what had originally  been DeSoto county.

As with many similar towns in Florida , a military base was nearby, Carlstrom Field, a grass airfield maintained by the U.S. Army Air Service.It was used to train pilots before and during both major wars. Suffering the fate of many other bases, it was closed at the end of WW2.

During it's history, Arcadia has suffered two disasters, on Thanksgiving Day 1905, the town was
destroyed by a fire that began in a livery stable.

Arcadia Railroad Station                                                                    

Again on August 13th 2004, the city was devastated by hurricane Charley after it made a hard right turn in the Gulf of Mexico and headed straight up Charlotte Harbor. Contrary to most storms, Charley didn't slow down or lose force, it continued in land with the same devastation it had created on the coast.

 Many people had evacuated coastal cities such as Sarasota for safety in Arcadia, and much to their dismay wound up in the path of a devastating storm.

IN 2006 Arcadia was featured in an episode of the "Travel Channel" show"Cash & Treasures Treasure Hunter: Kirsten Gum".

Among other featured events, the episode included locals helping Kirsten dig for fossil shark teeth in the nearby Peace River.

Arcadia's local economy is heavily reliant upon agriculture and tourism. Primary agriculture elements include citrus, cattle and watermelons.  Because of the extremely high cost of real estate in surrounding areas ,Arcadia has experienced a surge in home development. It being cost effective to relocate in Arcadia and commute to jobs in the surrounding areas.  During the winter months many retirees from the mid west relocate to sunny  Arcadia for a winter of relaxation and relief from the cold mid-western winters.

Along with agriculture, tourism plays an important role in the economy of Arcadia. As a Florida Main Street community, the downtown antique district draws visitors from not only Florida, but across the nation as well.

Several rodeo events a year are hosted by the Arcadia Rodeo Association. The historic Peace River, A Florida State Paddling Trail, a popular river for fishing,swimming,fossil hunting, canoeing, kayaking and boating, is nearby and runs through DeSoto County.

Today Arcadia is a quaint , sleepy little town located about 40 miles inland from the west coast of Florida, in the middle of  Florida's citrus and cattle ranches.

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