Bill Text: FL S1938 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: 250th Anniversary of the Founding of New Smyrna Beach

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-03-07 - Adopted [S1938 Detail]

Download: Florida-2018-S1938-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2018                            (NP)    SR 1938
       
       
        
       By Senator Hukill
       
       
       
       
       
       14-03551A-18                                          20181938__
    1                          Senate Resolution                        
    2         A resolution celebrating the 250th anniversary of the
    3         founding of New Smyrna Beach.
    4  
    5         WHEREAS, New Smyrna Beach has a rich heritage and history
    6  that began with the Timucua Indians, who lived in the area for
    7  several hundred years as hunters, gatherers, and fishermen and
    8  developed a highly aristocratic tribe, and
    9         WHEREAS, in 1768, Andrew Turnbull, a Scottish physician and
   10  entrepreneur, obtained a grant from the British Crown and
   11  established a colony of 1,225 immigrants on the coastal
   12  plantations of what was then known as Smyrnae, and
   13         WHEREAS, this colony was the largest single attempt at
   14  colonial settlement in the United States and is recognized as
   15  being the second-oldest European-settled community in this
   16  state, and
   17         WHEREAS, the settlement was located on the west bank of the
   18  Indian River across from one of coastal east Florida’s
   19  relatively few inlets and consisted of people of many cultures
   20  who spoke many languages, and
   21         WHEREAS, inspired by the irrigation system in Egypt, Dr.
   22  Turnbull’s colonists built a similar system of canals lined with
   23  coquina rock, which remain beneath the streets of New Smyrna
   24  Beach today, and
   25         WHEREAS, Dr. Turnbull envisioned increased commercial
   26  production of crops, such as corn, indigo, rice, and cotton,
   27  with indigo being the primary crop, which led to the
   28  establishment of 13 indigo processing works to maintain high
   29  production, and
   30         WHEREAS, many settlers were killed during the first year of
   31  the Second Seminole War, but resettlement began shortly
   32  thereafter, and in 1887, with a population of 150, the Town of
   33  New Smyrna was incorporated under Florida law, and
   34         WHEREAS, in 1892, Henry Flagler’s East Coast Railway
   35  arrived, spurring the development of the area’s economy, which
   36  was then based on the tourism, citrus, and commercial fishing
   37  industries, and
   38         WHEREAS, at the turn of the 20th century, the town
   39  continued to grow, with the population increasing fourfold over
   40  the course of the next two decades, and
   41         WHEREAS, today, about 800 structures remain standing from
   42  the historical period, such as the Old Fort, whose ruins and
   43  origin remain a mystery to this day and serve as an important
   44  reminder of the incredible heritage of New Smyrna Beach, and
   45         WHEREAS, New Smyrna Beach is home to museums and cultural
   46  centers that keep the rich heritage of the city alive, such as
   47  the Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum, which serves as the
   48  cornerstone of the Historic West Side community, and
   49         WHEREAS, the New Smyrna Museum of History, located in the
   50  old post office building, is the official repository of
   51  archeological artifacts belonging to the City of New Smyrna
   52  Beach and Volusia County and houses the formal exhibit to
   53  commemorate the Turnbull Settlement and other important local
   54  area artifacts and archives, and
   55         WHEREAS, New Smyrna Beach is known as a surf hub that
   56  attracts visitors from all over the world, and the excellent
   57  surfing conditions have produced eight world-class surfers over
   58  the years and have led many to call it one of the “Best Little
   59  Surf Towns in America,” and
   60         WHEREAS, New Smyrna Beach is home to the Atlantic Center
   61  for the Arts, which is a world-renowned artist-in-residence
   62  program where artists from all over the world come to work with
   63  prominent artists in a supportive and creative environment, and
   64         WHEREAS, New Smyrna Beach is known as the “Redfish Capital
   65  of the World,” and many anglers participate in world-class
   66  fishing offshore and in the backwaters of the Mosquito Lagoon,
   67  and
   68         WHEREAS, the Canal Street Historic District offers an
   69  eclectic and vibrant blend of historic buildings, parks, art
   70  galleries, and cultural attractions, which brings locals
   71  together and also attracts visitors to the area, and
   72         WHEREAS, New Smyrna Beach has an incredible 13-mile stretch
   73  of sandy beaches along central Florida’s Atlantic coast, which
   74  visitors and residents enjoy year round, and
   75         WHEREAS, the 250th anniversary of the founding of New
   76  Smyrna Beach is being celebrated at a number of sestercentennial
   77  events throughout the year which recognize this milestone, NOW,
   78  THEREFORE,
   79  
   80  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
   81  
   82         That the 250th anniversary of the founding of New Smyrna
   83  Beach is celebrated.