Tallahassee, Florida, the county seat of Leon County and the state capital, is in the northwest part of the state. It is an economic center of distribution for agriculture and processing. Several wood products are manufactured and many of the crops that come into the city are processed in Tallahassee. The state government and many of the city's universities are the largest employers in Tallahassee, but technology has recently become more important within the city with the National High Magnetic Laboratory being recently built. The city's still growing; it saw explosive growth in the '80s, when its population jumped 53 percent. Even today local Tallahassee movers are kept busy with newcomers.
History:
The Apalachee Indians resided in the area through the 1600s, when Spanish colonists, led by Hernando De Soto, settled in the area and brought diseases and violence. They left their village abandoned which explains the name "Tallahassee" meaning "abandoned fields" in the tribe's language. In 1824, the area was chosen as the capital of the territory as a middle point between the cities vying for the capital. Tallahassee quickly became a town for outlaws and the Tallahassee police group was formed shortly thereafter. During the 19th century, the fertile farm land of the region brought many plantations to the area which in turn led to Tallahassee becoming a home for many slaves. Tallahassee was not attacked during the Civil War and was the only major city east of the Mississippi to share this fate. After the Civil War, the area experienced a problem of having too many people looking for too few jobs. More recently, attempts have been made to move the state capital out of Tallahassee. In response, Tallahassee has added accommodations and beautified the city to make sure the capital stays where it is.
Tourism:
Tallahassee Regional Airport is located eight miles from the city. There are no major professional sports teams in the city, although minor league and collegiate teams are in the area. State buildings of the city include the state library and the state capitol building. The Apalachicola National Forest and Wakulla Springs are nearby destinations that can be visited. A state monument is also in the city marking the Battle of Natural Bridge where a Union army was unable to defeat a Confederate army mainly composed of older men and college students.