Fellsmere, Florida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fellsmere, Florida
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| City of Fellsmere | |
Location in Indian River County and the state of Florida
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 Fellsmere, Florida
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County | Indian River |
| Incorporated | 1911 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 57.79 sq mi (149.67 km2) |
| • Land | 57.58 sq mi (149.13 km2) |
| • Water | 0.21 sq mi (0.54 km2) |
| Elevation | 23 ft (7 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,834 |
| • Density | 83.95/sq mi (32.41/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
32948
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| Area code(s) | 772 |
| FIPS code | 12-22100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0282414 |
Fellsmere is a city in Indian River County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Sebastian–Vero Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,834 at the 2020 census.
It is home of the Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival and was home to the now closed National Elephant Center. Fellsmere is the first place in Florida where women were allowed to vote. In a municipal election on June 19, 1915, resident Zena M. Dreier became the first woman to legally cast a ballot in the American South, five years before the 19th Amendment established women's suffrage nationally.
Contents
History
In 1915, Fellsmere became the first municipality in Florida (or anywhere south of the Mason–Dixon line) to grant women the right to vote. It also, at the same time, held the first election in which corporations could vote. Mrs. Zena M. Dreier was the first woman to cast a vote in the city, and E. Nelson Fell cast a vote on behalf of his company Fellsmere Farms. The city had unanimously adopted a charter in February 1915, which granted these rights, and the city charter was ratified by the state legislature without any notice being paid to this provision. This, despite the fact that several statewide suffrage measures had failed in the legislature that year. Women's suffrage was not granted nationally in the United States until five years later, in August 1920, with the passage of the 19th Amendment.
Geography
The exact coordinates for the City of Fellsmere is located in central Indian River county at 27°46′00″N 80°35′55″W / 27.766771°N 80.598642°W.
- To the north: Palm Bay
- To the west: Blue Cypress Lake
- To the east: Sebastian
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 57.7 square miles (149.4 km2), of which 57.5 square miles (148.9 km2) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2), or 0.45%, are water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 333 | — | |
| 1930 | 356 | 6.9% | |
| 1940 | 643 | 80.6% | |
| 1950 | 649 | 0.9% | |
| 1960 | 732 | 12.8% | |
| 1970 | 813 | 11.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,161 | 42.8% | |
| 1990 | 2,179 | 87.7% | |
| 2000 | 3,813 | 75.0% | |
| 2010 | 5,197 | 36.3% | |
| 2020 | 4,834 | −7.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 and 2020 census
| Race | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 691 | 545 | 13.30% | 11.27% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 246 | 299 | 4.73% | 6.19% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 15 | 3 | 0.29% | 0.06% |
| Asian (NH) | 5 | 3 | 0.10% | 0.06% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 1 | 4 | 0.02% | 0.08% |
| Some other race (NH) | 3 | 15 | 0.06% | 0.31% |
| Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) | 21 | 55 | 0.40% | 1.14% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4,215 | 3,910 | 81.10% | 80.89% |
| Total | 5,197 | 4,834 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,834 people, 1,244 households, and 970 families residing in the city.
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 5,197 people, 1,323 households, and 1,137 families residing in the city.
Local economy
The large Hispanic population of Fellsmere owes to the surrounding agriculture industry, namely citrus groves and other crop types. In the city, many locally owned niche businesses thrive, including restaurants, ethnic food, architectural salvage, gifts, guitar, and motorized vehicle repair establishments.
Public transportation
Fellsmere is served by the #10 bus route of GoBus Lines, providing service to the North County Transit Hub.
The first railroad to reach Fellsmere was the narrow-gauge Sebastian-Cincinnatus Railroad, built by the sons of printing magnate Anthony Octavius Russell. It was replaced by the standard-gauge Fellsmere Railroad in 1910. The line was later extended west to the now-gone town of Broadmoor before being bought by the Trans-Florida Central Railroad in 1924. The line was abandoned in 1952.
See also
In Spanish: Fellsmere para niños
