The Town of Sneads was organized on this date. With a total of 45 qualified voters, 37 gathered and voted – 31 white voters and 6 black voters. The voters decided on the name to Sneads after Dr. Walter Robert Snead, the local dentist, in honor of his work in the area. Today the population of Sneads is just under 2000.
The third and fifth Territorial Governor of Florida, Richard Keith Call, was born in Virginia on this date. Call first came to Florida in 1814 as aide-de-camp to General Andrew Jackson during the Creek Indian Wars and worked with Jackson to establish a territorial government in 1821. Call decided to make Florida his permanent home and opened a law practice there in 1822. In 1836 President Jackson appointed Call Territorial Governor of Florida. During the Second Seminole War (1835-1842) Call led the Florida Militia and was directly involved in many early skirmishes.
Walt Disney World was officially dedicated by Roy O. Disney on this date. The October 25th dedication was the culmination of a three day dedication ceremony which included a 1,076-piece marching band performing down Main Street, performances by the World Symphony Orchestra, and a filmed T.V. special starring Bob Hope. Tens of thousands of visitors showed up for the three day dedication, including celebrities, the Disney family, and Florida Governor Reubin Askew. President Nixon had even planned on attending, but canceled last minute due to security reasons.
The University of Miami’s freshman football team played its first game ever, beating Rollins College 7-0 on this date. It was during this first season that the team adopted the nickname “the hurricanes,” although no one is sure exactly where the name originated. UM later added a varsity team which finished the 1927 season with a 3-6-1 record. Over the past 86 years the University of Miami has won five national championships, the most recent in 2001.
After launching from Kennedy Space Center on October 11, the crew of Apollo 7, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., commander; Donn F. Eisele, command module pilot; and Walter Cunningham, lunar module pilot, splashed down at 7:11:48 am (EDT). This was the first U.S. three manned mission, the first flight of Block II Apollo Spacecraft, first flight of the Apollo space suits, first flight with full crew support equipment, and the first live national TV boradcast from space during a manned space flight.
Justice Stephen C. O’Connell was sworn in as a justice of the Florida Supreme Court. O’Connell was born in West Palm Beach in 1916 and attended the University of Florida earning a degree in law. O’Connell was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court‘s decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 which ruled separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.
Fort Dallas in Miami was occupied by U.S. troops for the third time on this date. First built in 1836 by the Federal government during the Second Seminole War, the site was occupied sporadically by troops until 1857. Buildings associated with the Fort existed for decades later, some being occupied by some of Miami’s early settlers including Miami’s founder Julia Tuttle.
Pan American Airlines flew the first ever airmail flight from Key West, FL to Havana, Cuba on this date. The Fairchild FC-2 floatplane, piloted by Cy Caldwell, carried over 30,000 letters! Regularly scheduled service began 9 days later.
The presidential campaigns came to Florida with Vice President Richard M. Nixon visiting St. Petersburg and Senator John F. Kennedy visiting Tampa. Although Senator Kennedy was the eventual winner, Vice President Nixon carried Florida and its 10 electoral votes. With over 1.5 million Floridians voting, Nixon won the state with a little more than 46,000 votes, or 51.5%.
The Union ships, Adela and Tahoma were shelled near Tampa on this date. A number of casualties were inflicted. On land, Federal troops reached the Hillsborough River at about 6:00 a.m. Sighting the Scottish Chief and the Kate Dale, they set both ships on fire. The Scottish Chief had a cargo of 156 bales of cotton, while the Kate Dale carried 11 bales. Confederate forces, under the command of Captain James Westcott, attacked the Federals later in the evening and killed five soldiers, wounded ten, and took seven prisoner.