Tallahassee

Tallahassee (pop. 119,000), capital of Florida, located in the panhandle just south of the Georgia border. Tallahassee became the territorial capital in 1824 and the state capital when statehood was granted in 1845. The state government and 3 colleges are among the city's largest employers. The area, visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto in 1539, was named for the Native American word for “old town.” During the Civil War (1861–65) it was the only Confederate capital not to fall into Union hands. Today it is a seafood-processing, printing, and wood-product manufacturing center.

See also: Florida.