Homestead (FL)

Homestead name is associated with the Homestead Act , adopted in the United States in 1863. During the construction of the in 1905-1906, the place where the city now stands was used as an extreme builder camp and a warehouse of equipment and spare parts on the mainland: then it had to last on the islands to Key West . This area did not have a name, but in order to somehow indicate it on the map, cartographers gave it the name Homestead Country , or Homestead for short, since it was at this time that the resettlement of people who were given land for a small fee began ( Homestead Acts ).

Homestead Center is about 14 kilometers from the ocean , closely adjacent to the towns of and Leger City . Homestead area is 37.2 km², of which 0.2 km² (0.63%) is open water. The city is served by Homestead General Aviation Airport , located 7 kilometers away. The and the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike run through the city. From Homestead, Biscayne and Everglades National Parks are easily accessible ^[2] .

Homestead is located in a monsoon climate , characterized by hot and humid summers, warm winters and a high frequency of hurricanes. The maximum temperature in the city was recorded on July 21, 1942 and amounted to 38 ° C. Minimum - December 13, 1934 and amounted to -3 ° C ^[3] . The rainy season lasts from mid-May to early October. Snowfall was recorded only once: January 20, 1977. The total annual rainfall is 1478 mm, the wettest month is June (242 mm), and the driest is December (41 mm) ^[4] .

In 1898, the southern part of Florida opened to migrants. In 1904, industrialist Henry Flagler decided to extend the to the south as far as Key West . In 1906, on the site of the future city, the camp of the builders of this road was located, and next year the first school opened in this settlement. In 1909, two churches opened: the Baptist and Methodist churches, and in 1912 the first bank. In 1913, the settlement was incorporated with 121 inhabitants (28 eligible to vote). In 1923, Homestead received the status of a city ( city ). In 1942, the Homestead Air Reserve Base ^{[5] was} launched near the city. In 1962, in the light of the Caribbean crisis , three missile launch points were equipped near the city. In 1972, the nuclear station ^[6] began operation at 8 kilometers from the city’s borders. In 1992, the city was badly damaged by the direct blow of hurricane Andrew : It took Homestead at least five years to recover completely. In 1993, the was established in the city, and in November 1995 the first race was held there.

According to the 2000 data, 51.1% of the Homestead population used Spanish as their home language of communication, 43.22% used English and 4.72% Creole languages ^[7] . According to preliminary estimates in 2012, 63,190 people lived in Homestead (50.4% of men and 49.6% of women). The average age of a resident is 29.1 years. The per capita income is $ 15,899 per year ^[8] .

Homestead’s main attraction is the Coral Castle , which was built for nearly three decades by a single person. There is still no complete clarity on how he managed to process and move multi-ton boulders ^[9] .

• Lily Lawrence Bow Library
• Bakery Funchs
• Cafe-hotel "Seminol"

•  

  Since 1996, the city has been hosting the Cafés do Brasil Indy 300 race .

•  

  Coral castle

•  

  Former City Hall

•  

  Lily Lawrence Bow Library

• The official site of the city (eng.)
  • The history of the city on the official website (eng.)