DeSoto County, Florida
The story of Arcadia
Everything below is a single verifiable claim with a citation attached. Where the record is a local legend rather than a document, it says so.
- 1886Incorporated
- 1905Thanksgiving Day fire
- 1984370+ buildings on the National Register
founding
How it started
- 1886
Arcadia was established as a post office in 1883 and incorporated as a town in 1886; DeSoto County was created in 1887 and Arcadia became its county seat in 1888.
Walking Tour of Downtown Arcadia - South Florida State College
etymology
How it got its name
-
No documented origin survives for the name. The story the town tells is that Arcadia is named for Arcadia Albritton Coker, in thanks for a birthday cake she baked.
Walking Tour of Downtown Arcadia - South Florida State College
industry
What it lived on
-
Cattle and ranching country. By the 1920s ranch families were organising local rodeos to raise money for schools and civic causes, and that tradition became the town's defining event.
Arcadia All-Florida Rodeo - DeSoto County Historical Society
claim to fame
What it is known for
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The Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo is billed as Florida's oldest and favourite rodeo - The Granddaddy of 'Em All.
Arcadia All-Florida Rodeo - DeSoto County Historical Society
landmark
What still stands
- 1905
A downtown of brick and block, rebuilt under an ordinance passed after the fire of Thanksgiving Day, 30 November 1905 destroyed the old wooden business district.
Walking Tour of Downtown Arcadia - South Florida State College
- 1984
The Arcadia Historic District: more than 370 historic homes and businesses were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, and a Florida Historic Marker was installed in 2017.
Walking Tour of Downtown Arcadia - South Florida State College