Yankeetown, Florida
Town
CR 40 boat ramp off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Yankeetown, Florida
CR 40 boat ramp off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Yankeetown, Florida
Location in Levy County and the state of Florida
Location in Levy County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 29°2′N 82°43′W / 29.033°N 82.717°W / 29.033; -82.717
Country United States
State Florida
County Levy
Area
[1]
 • Total20.97 sq mi (54.31 km2)
 • Land7.73 sq mi (20.02 km2)
 • Water13.24 sq mi (34.29 km2)
Elevation
10 ft (3 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total588
 • Density76.07/sq mi (29.37/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
34498
Area code352
FIPS code12-78925[2]
GNIS feature ID0293564[3]
Websiteyankeetownfl.govoffice2.com

Yankeetown is a town in Levy County, Florida, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 588. The school, Yankeetown School was burned down as of January 8, 2024

History

Yankeetown was founded in 1923 by the Indiana politician and lawyer Armanis F. Knotts, who moved to the area because of his great love for hunting.[4] The settlement was originally named Knotts for the founder. However, stories have it that the present name comes from a local mail carrier, an "unreconstructed Confederate," who frequently and derisively directed visitors to the settlement that he called "that Yankee town."[5] Yankeetown was initially to be the western end of a 1930s proposed, but never actualized, Cross Florida Canal.[6]

Geography

View just west of Yankeetown

Yankeetown is located at 29°1′52″N 82°43′12″W / 29.03111°N 82.72000°W / 29.03111; -82.72000 (29.031155, –82.720104).[7] The outermost reaches of the town are located around the mouth of the Withlacoochee River and along the Gulf of Mexico.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.1 square miles (54.6 km2), of which 7.6 square miles (19.8 km2) is land and 13.4 square miles (34.8 km2), or 63.75%, is water.[8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1930157—
194025562.4%
195032226.3%
196042532.0%
197049015.3%
198060022.4%
19906355.8%
2000629−0.9%
2010502−20.2%
202058817.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

As of the 2020 census,[10] Yankeetown had a population of 588 with 292 households. The median household income was $44,318. There was an employment rate of 30.2%. 28.9% of the population lived below the Poverty threshold.

28.2% of the population 25 years or older had a Bachelor’s degree or higher. 11.9% of the population were without Health Care Coverage. The median age was 56.0.

11.9% of the population were veterans. 1.8% of the population were foreign born persons.

Education

School Board of Levy County operates the PK–8 Yankeetown School.[11] The Yankeetown Inglis Woman's Club provides Yankeetown and Inglis with the local A. F. Knotts Public Library. The YIWC has a contract with Levy County who provides staffing and books for the local library. The YI Woman's Club is believed to be the last woman's club in the US to own and maintain a public library for their community. The original library opened in 1959 with 1,000 donated books [12] The A.F. Knotts Public Library was named in honor of the town's founder, Armanis F. Knotts, in 1975 by his nephew Eugene Knotts.

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ Jack Nast (February 26, 1975). "A.F. Knotts Library Dedicated". Ocala Star-Banner.
  5. ^ Clark, Alisson (May 10, 1999). "What's in a name?". Ocala Star-Banner. pp. 3C. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  6. ^ Flynt, Wayne (2008). "The Cross-Florida Canal and the Politics of Interest-Group Democracy". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 87 (1): 3. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Yankeetown town, Florida". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
  9. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ^ "Yankeetown town, Florida". data.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  11. ^ Home. Yankeetown School. Retrieved on February 5, 2017.
  12. ^ "History of the A.F.Knotts Public Library". Friends of A. F. Knotts Public Library, Inc. Retrieved April 22, 2016.

External links

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Municipalities and communities of Levy County, Florida, United States
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