Evolution of the City of Titusville, Florida
Michael Knight
The City of Titusville, Florida, as we know it today, came through a lot transitions to get where it is now. The community started out as Sand Point with its first post office established in 1859. It consisted of several individuals and families that had gathered and settled down near the sandy point of land protruding into the Indian River where today, State Road 402 (Garden St) crosses the west bank of the Indian River.
In 1873, as the result of Col. Titus having won a bet over a game of dominoes between Capt. Rice and Col. Titus, Sand Point was renamed Titusville. If Capt. Rice would have won the game, we would live in Riceville today instead. Below is the original boundaries of Titusville, from Garden St. to South St. and from the river to DeSoto Ave., which later became the right-of-way for the Florida East Coast Railroad.
The town of Joynerville, Brevard County, Florida was platted by J. Francis LeBaron, a Civil and Railroad Engineer, and entered into the county records on October 7, 1887 by A. A. Stewart. Below is the boundaries of the town of Joynerville, from South Street: south to land owned by P.E. Wager, and from the Indian River west to Deleon Street.
The town of Bayview, Brevard County, Florida was incorporated as a town sometime around 1903, when the plat of the town of Bayview was recorded with the Brevard County Clerk of Court. It was dis-incorporated in 1925 when it was annexed by Titusville, Brevard County, Florida by State of Florida House Bill 2448. "An act to legalize, ratify, confirm and validate all acts and proceedings of the mayor and city council of the City of Titusville, Florida, and of the mayor and town council of the town of Bayview, Florida, in connection with the annexation of the town of Bayview, Florida, by the City of Titusville, Florida, Including the Elections Held in Titusville, Florida, and Bayview, Florida, on the 6th Day of January 1925".
Below is a plat, recorded with the Brevard County Clerk's office, of the boundaries of the town of Bayview. Roughly, it includes the lands included from a line running east and west along the south side of Union St. south to a line running east and west where Riverside Drive intersects with US 1 near Titusville High School and from the Indian River west to the Florida East Coast Railroad right of way.
In 1925-1926 Minor Jones built and promoted a golf course community called Whispering Hills. It was an unincorporated community located on both sides of Park Ave from approximately present Golfview Dr south on Park Ave. to Vista Terrace. The south end of this community also included the 9 hole golf course and country club called Whispering Hills Country Club. There were no businesses, gas stations or restaurants along this stretch of road except for Whispering Hills Country Club. They never grew large enough to incorporate and remained that way until they were annexed into Titusville.
Ed Kittles had a real estate and insurance agency in Titusville and was county commissioner for Brevard County, District 1 for a time. Because he lived in Whispering Hills he came to be known as Mayor of Whispering Hills although it was an unofficial position.
At the south end of present-day Titusville, existed the town of Indian River City.
Below is a copy of its boundaries.
Sometime in the 1960s, Whispering Hills and Indian River City were consolidated into the City of Titusville. Senator Bernard Parrish had introduced the incorporation bill in the State Legislature, saying he had sent postcards to all registered voters within those two towns and that the majority of those responding said they wanted incorporation. The controversy carried over into the next election, when Parrish, a Democrat, was defeated.
Over the years there have been many other annexations for one reason or another and have increased the overall size of Titusville to the configuration it is today. As a result of all this growth and annexations, Titusville is quite a large place and no doubt will keep on growing in the future. I hope our forefathers would be proud the growth of the city has taken.
Below is a map showing the current boundaries of the city of Titusville, Fl.
