This article is about the community in Florida. For other uses, see
Silver Springs
.
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Silver Springs
is an
unincorporated community
and
census-designated place
(CDP) in
Marion County
of northern Florida. It is the site of
Silver Springs
, a group of
artesian springs
and a historic tourist attraction that is now part of
Silver Springs State Park
. The community is part of the
Ocala metropolitan area
. It was first listed as a CDP for the
2020 census
, at which time it had a population of 2,844.
[2]
One of Florida's first tourist attractions, the springs drew visitors even before the
U.S. Civil War
.
Glass-bottom boats
have been a popular way to see the 242-acre (98 ha) complex. A small amusement park with various animals, a concert stage, a carousel, and exhibits also developed.
History
[
edit
]
Silver Springs was founded in 1852.
[4]
Since the mid-19th century, the natural environment of Silver Springs has attracted visitors from throughout the United States. The glass-bottom boat was invented and tours of the springs began in the late 1870s.
[5]
In the 1920s, W. Carl Ray and W.M. "Shorty" Davidson, after leasing the land from Ed Carmichael (upon whose death the springs were left to the
University of Florida
), developed the land around the headwaters of the
Silver River
into an attraction that eventually became known as
Silver Springs Nature Theme Park
. The attraction featured native animal exhibits, amusement rides, and 30 or 90-minute glass-bottom boat tours of the springs. The 1934 'Princess Donna' is the oldest and only remaining operational boat from this bygone era. The "
Princess Donna
' currently operates on the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, Florida. In 2013, the State of Florida took over operations of Silver Springs and combined it with the adjacent Silver River State Park to form the new
Silver Springs State Park
. The
T. W. Randall House
on the
National Register of Historic Places
is located to the northeast.
Several defunct tourist attractions were once located near Silver Springs. The
Western-themed
Six Gun Territory
theme park
, which included several attractions such as the Southern Railway & Six Gun
3 ft
(
914 mm
)
narrow gauge
[6]
railroad, operated from 1963 to 1984. The
Wild Waters
water park
also existed in Silver Springs and operated from 1978 to 2016.
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
Silver Springs was "whites only" until 1967. From 1949 to 1969, African Americans were served by nearby
Paradise Park, Florida
, which closed when Silver Springs integrated racially.
Cattle ranch development
[
edit
]
Canadian billionaire
Frank Stronach
has been building the
Adena Springs Ranch
for cattle, an
abattoir
, residential property development, and a thoroughbred horse farm in the area, stirring concern over plans for water use and how groundwater draw will affect the springs.
[13]
[14]
Geography
[
edit
]
Silver Springs is in central Marion County and is bordered to the southwest by the city of
Ocala
, the
county seat
. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
, the Silver Springs CDP has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16 km
2
), of which 0.03 square miles (0.08 km
2
), or 0.50%, are water.
[1]
The springs, in the center of the community, flow out to form the
Silver River
, which runs 4 miles (6 km) east to the
Ocklawaha River
.
Transportation
[
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]
The main road through Silver Springs is
State Road 40
which runs east and west from
Rainbow Lakes Estates
to
Ormond Beach
in Volusia County.
State Road 326
terminates at SR 40, as does
State Road 35
, which becomes County Road 35 north of SR 40 before terminating at SR 326. County Roads 314 and 314A are also important north-south county roads that run west and into the
Ocala National Forest
.
Notable people
[
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]
See also
[
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]
Gallery
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Florida"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
December 21,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"P1. Race ? Silver Springs CDP, Florida: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)"
. U.S. Census Bureau
. Retrieved
December 21,
2022
.
- ^
"Silver Springs Census Designated Place"
.
Geographic Names Information System
.
United States Geological Survey
,
United States Department of the Interior
.
- ^
"Marion County"
. Jim Forte Postal History
. Retrieved
May 30,
2015
.
- ^
Griffin, Steve (September 2, 2013).
"Glass-bottom boats, history and monkeys in Silver Springs"
. Tampa Bay Times
. Retrieved
May 9,
2022
.
- ^
"Surviving Steam Locomotive Search"
.
www.steamlocomotive.com
. Retrieved
May 26,
2017
.
- ^
Bevil, Dewayne.
"Silver Springs looks back at its 'Sea Hunt' days"
.
orlandosentinel.com
. Retrieved
May 26,
2017
.
- ^
VANHOOSE, JOE (May 23, 2008).
"Silver Springs marks 'Sea Hunt' anniversary - underwater - STAR-BANNER"
.
ocala.com
. Retrieved
May 26,
2017
.
- ^
Alec Peirce Scuba (April 27, 2017).
"Sea Hunt Remembered: Silver Springs, Florida - S02E11"
. Retrieved
May 26,
2017
– via YouTube.
- ^
"Sea Hunt (TV Series 1958?1961)"
.
imdb.com
. Retrieved
May 26,
2017
.
- ^
"Now Endangered, Florida's Silver Springs Once Lured Tourists"
.
NPR.org
. Retrieved
May 26,
2017
.
- ^
Florida, State Library and Archives of.
"Shipwreck used during filming of the TV show "Seahunt" - Silver Springs, Florida"
.
Florida Memory
. Retrieved
May 26,
2017
.
- ^
Joe Callahan
Billionaire makes big donation to Fort McCoy School
September 28, 2011 Ocala.com
- ^
Nathan Crabbe
Water-issue protesters greet UF's Stronach center dedication
May 15, 2012 Gainesville Sun
External links
[
edit
]