Cocoa, Florida

=== 19th century === In 1885, the S.

Cocoa's business district was mostly destroyed by fire in 1890, but significant development soon was stimulated by the extension of the Jacksonville, St.

In the winter of 1894–1895, Cocoa had an economic setback when the "Great Freeze" destroyed the citrus crop and forced many citrus workers to seek new jobs.

The city was chartered on October 1, 1895.

An annual "Christmas Bird Count" was conducted before this, starting in 1900.

By 1903, the population of Cocoa had declined to 382.

In October 1918, the mayor of Cocoa proclaimed that all places of assembly, including schools, churches, and movies, be closed to avoid spreading the Spanish flu.

By 1925, its population was estimated at 1,800.

Bennett (1929–1951), United States Army soldier during the Korean War and Medal of Honor recipient.

By 1930, despite the Great Depression, the population had risen to 2,200.

The Florida Historical Society is headquartered in the historic Cocoa Post Office, originally built in 1939 by the Works Progress Administration.

=== World War II and beyond === The population rose dramatically following the development of the space industry, quadrupling from 3,098 in 1940 to 12,244 in 1960.

=== Fauna === The Cocoa Bird Count has annually counted species of birds in or near Cocoa since 1950.

=== Water === Since 1957, Cocoa has supplied the communities of central Brevard County with potable water.

== Government == Cocoa first approved the council-manager form of government in 1959, and subsequent changes to the state statutes mirrored the City of Cocoa's plan.

All passenger trains along the FEC were suspended in 1963 due to a strike.

In 1964, the Cocoa Expo Sports Center (Cocoa Stadium) was built for the Colt 45s spring baseball training and Grapefruit League games.

The FEC resumed local passenger service between Jacksonville and the Miami area from 1965 until July 31, 1968.

He wanted to decorate the tower in time for the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1976.

By 1980, the city's population had grown to 16,096.

In 1985, the team responded by moving its training to Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.

=== 2000 census === As of the 2000 census, 16,412 people, 6,939 households, and 4,232 families lived in the city.

On October 7, 2007, the city became a sister city with Beit Shemesh.

In 2008, Kel-Tec CNC Industries, located in Cocoa, was the third-largest manufacturer of pistols in the United States.

In 2009, the Space Coast Surge, a member of the Florida Winter Baseball League, had Cocoa Stadium as its home stadium.

In 2010, it counted 150 species.

Clearlake Middle School was closed in 2013.

In 2014, the city refurbished and repainted the tower with the iconic American flags.

In 2015, the Cocoa High School football team was ranked 13th in Florida and first in the county, and had a 35-game winning streak against other Brevard County schools.

Cocoa has 1,381 registered businesses that include light manufacturing and industrial, retail, and office businesses as of 2017.

In 2021, the city had an authorized police force of 72 police officers and 44 firefighters.

As of 2023, the business remains open.

On March 12, 2024, Brightline officials confirmed that an infill station on the Space Coast would be built in Cocoa.