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DeSoto County,through time.

6 eras · 1850–2026 · every fact sourced · compiled from the sources shown, not yet reviewed by a historian

Start in 1850
Populationfrom 1890

—

Peace River cattle frontier

1850–1886: Peace River cattle frontier

Era 1 · 1850–1886

Peace River cattle frontier

Settlement at what became Arcadia began in the 1850s at Waldron's Landing, a Peace River port for settlers who farmed and raised cattle. During the late-19th-century range or cattle wars, Arcadia was as wild as any frontier town.

Image shown for this era: 1859 federal land-survey map of Florida: a township grid covering the peninsula, with surveyed land around Tampa Bay and the Peace River country and largely unsurveyed land around Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades.. 1859 · United States General Land Office, 1859; Library of Congress Geography and Map Division, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Source

Key moments

  1. Phosphate found on the Peace River

    Phosphate was discovered on the banks of the Peace River; mining it brought prosperity to the county for many years.

    Source

    1. A Brief History of DeSoto County Florida, DeSoto County FLGenWeb (accessed 2026-11-09)

  2. Hendry sawmill and post office at Waldron's Landing

    James "Boss" Hendry moved his sawmill to Waldron's Landing, and a post office soon followed, beginning real development at Arcadia.

    Source

    1. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)

  3. Railroad arrives; Arcadia incorporated

    After the Florida Southern Railway arrived, the town of Arcadia was incorporated, then still part of Manatee County.

    Source

    1. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)

Sources

  1. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)
  2. DeSoto Walking Tour, South Florida State College Library (accessed 2026-11-09)
Correct this era: Peace River cattle frontier

Era 2 · 1887–1904

A new county and the county-seat contest

DeSoto County was split from Manatee County in 1887 and at first took in present-day Charlotte, Glades, Hardee and Highlands counties. After repeated elections, Arcadia won the county seat in November 1888 by 21 votes.

Image shown for this era: Hand-colored 1890 atlas map of Florida by county, with De Soto County shown in southwest Florida between Manatee and Lee counties and Lake Okeechobee to its east.. 1890 · Samuel Augustus Mitchell, published by Wm. M. Bradley & Bro., 1890; David Rumsey Map Collection, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Source

Key moments

  1. DeSoto County created from Manatee County

    DeSoto County was created in 1887 by dividing Manatee County, and was named for the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto.

    Source

    1. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)

  2. Arcadia wins the county seat

    On a third vote, Arcadia won the DeSoto County seat by 21 votes over rival communities.

    Source

    1. A Brief History of DeSoto County Florida, DeSoto County FLGenWeb (accessed 2026-11-09)

Sources

  1. Explore DeSoto County, Florida Public Archaeology Network (University of West Florida) (accessed 2026-11-09)
  2. A Brief History of DeSoto County Florida, DeSoto County FLGenWeb (accessed 2026-11-09)
Correct this era: A new county and the county-seat contest

Era 3 · 1905–1920

Fire, rebuilding and the citrus boom

After the Thanksgiving Day fire of 1905, Arcadia allowed only brick or block buildings downtown, and the city prospered through the 1910s and 1920s with railroads, the Dixie Highway and a tourist camp. A 1914 state history called Arcadia the world's largest shipping point for citrus fruit, with livestock the county's principal industry.

Image shown for this era: Black-and-white aerial view of Carlstrom Field near Arcadia in 1918: a long double row of white hangars, rows of wooden barracks and a water tower beside a dirt road, surrounded by flat open grassland.. 1918 · Air Service, United States Army, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Source

Key moments

  1. Thanksgiving Day fire destroys downtown Arcadia

    A fire on Thanksgiving Day destroyed much of downtown Arcadia; afterward the town allowed only brick or block buildings downtown.

    Source

    1. DeSoto Walking Tour, South Florida State College Library (accessed 2026-11-09)

  2. Second railroad through Arcadia

    The Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway, later the Seaboard Air Line, was built through Arcadia, linking Mulberry to Boca Grande.

    Source

    1. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)

  3. Arcadia described as top citrus shipping point

    George M. Chapin's 1914 history of Florida described Arcadia, the county seat, as the world's largest shipping point for citrus fruit for several years.

    Source

    1. A Brief History of DeSoto County Florida (quoting Chapin, Florida 1513-1913, 1914), DeSoto County FLGenWeb (accessed 2026-11-09)
1 more from this era

  1. Carlstrom and Dorr fields open

    Two World War I aviation training camps, Carlstrom Field and Dorr Field, were established, and Arcadia became known as the Aviation City of Florida.

    Source

    1. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)

Sources

  1. DeSoto Walking Tour, South Florida State College Library (accessed 2026-11-09)
  2. A Brief History of DeSoto County Florida (quoting Chapin, Florida 1513-1913, 1914), DeSoto County FLGenWeb (accessed 2026-11-09)
Correct this era: Fire, rebuilding and the citrus boom

Era 4 · 1921–1945

A smaller county: aviation and rodeo

In 1921 the Legislature kept Arcadia as DeSoto's seat while creating Charlotte, Hardee, Glades and Highlands counties from it. Arcadia held one of Florida's first annual rodeos in 1929, and Carlstrom Field trained military and Royal Air Force pilots until it closed in 1945.

Image shown for this era: Black-and-white photo of a crowded campground under tall pine trees, with canvas tents pitched beside 1920s automobiles at the Tin Can Tourists convention in Arcadia.. 1929 · State Library and Archives of Florida (Florida Memory), via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Source

Key moments

  1. Four new counties carved from DeSoto

    Charlotte, Glades, Hardee and Highlands counties were each established on April 23, 1921 from segments of DeSoto County, leaving DeSoto much smaller.

    Source

    1. Florida Census: DeSoto County, Exploring Florida, Florida Center for Instructional Technology, University of South Florida (accessed 2026-11-09)

  2. Arcadia's first rodeo

    Arcadia became one of the first Florida communities to host an annual rodeo, now the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo.

    Source

    1. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)

  3. Carlstrom Field reopens for flight training

    Carlstrom Field again became a military primary flight training airfield, operated by the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute.

    Source

    1. Arcadia | DeSoto County, FLGenWeb, DeSoto County FLGenWeb (accessed 2026-11-09)
1 more from this era

  1. Carlstrom Field closes

    Carlstrom Field, which also trained Royal Air Force pilots, closed at the end of World War II.

    Source

    1. Arcadia | DeSoto County, FLGenWeb, DeSoto County FLGenWeb (accessed 2026-11-09)

Sources

  1. Arcadia | DeSoto County, FLGenWeb, DeSoto County FLGenWeb (accessed 2026-11-09)
  2. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)
Correct this era: A smaller county: aviation and rodeo

Era 5 · 1946–2003

Postwar growth and preservation

The rebuilt World War II air fields helped start Arcadia's renewal after the Depression and its rapid growth in the late 20th century. The Arcadia Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Image shown for this era: Black-and-white aerial image of the former Carlstrom Field site in 1999, showing a campus of buildings arranged around a circular road, with farm fields and a highway along the right edge.. 1999 · United States Geological Survey, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Source

Key moments

  1. Arcadia Historic District listed

    The Arcadia Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

    Source

    1. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)

  2. Arcadia joins Florida Main Street

    Arcadia Main Street was designated a Florida Main Street community.

    Source

    1. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)

Sources

  1. DeSoto Walking Tour, South Florida State College Library (accessed 2026-11-09)
  2. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)
Correct this era: Postwar growth and preservation

Era 6 · 2004–2026

Hurricane Charley and recovery

Hurricane Charley's eye passed just west of Arcadia in August 2004, damaging most of the town. In 2026 the Florida Department of State named Arcadia Main Street its August Florida Main Street Program of the Month.

Image shown for this era: The calm, dark Peace River near Arcadia reflecting a clear blue sky, lined on both banks by dense green trees and shrubs.. 2011 · Ebyabe / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · CC BY-SA · Source

Key moments

  1. Hurricane Charley sweeps through Arcadia

    Hurricane Charley moved northeast through Fort Ogden and Arcadia; its eye passed just west of Arcadia and most of the town was damaged.

    Source

    1. Hurricane Charley preliminary local summary, National Weather Service Tampa Bay (accessed 2026-11-09)

  2. Arcadia Main Street honored by the state

    The Florida Department of State designated Arcadia Main Street the August 2026 Florida Main Street Program of the Month.

    Source

    1. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)

Sources

  1. Hurricane Charley preliminary local summary, National Weather Service Tampa Bay (accessed 2026-11-09)
  2. Secretary Byrd Designates Arcadia Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month, Florida Department of State (accessed 2026-11-09)
Correct this era: Hurricane Charley and recovery

Then & Now

DeSoto County, 1887 to 2026

DeSoto County created from Manatee County · drag to compare

Hand-tinted postcard looking over downtown Arcadia: passenger cars and a boxcar on the tracks, horse-drawn wagons on the dirt street, the long brick railroad depot with green roofs, and a large three-story stone block on the right, with rooftops and trees stretching to the horizon.
Front of the red-brick DeSoto County Courthouse in Arcadia, with white classical columns, a central pediment, arched windows and a flagpole above a front walk and lawn.
18872026

Then image1911 · Postcard, collection of the Museum aan de Stroom (MAS), Antwerp, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · CC0 · Source

Now image2022 · JohnTPaff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA · Source

Help us get it right

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This timeline is compiled from the public records cited on each era and event. Every quote is checked against its source automatically, and items marked Reviewed have also been checked by a person. Images are public domain or openly licensed, each with its credit. If you know something we’ve missed or got wrong, or you hold records of your own, we’d like to hear from you.

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