Before it was developed into the bustling town it is today, Satellite Beach, Florida was a region covered in saw palmetto and oak scrub. Mangrove swamps were prevalent along the banks of the Banana River. As of the late 1800s, the area was mostly government-owned public land and remained that way until 1923 when the last of the plots came under private ownership. Still, nothing permanent was developed and deer, bear, and panther roamed the area even up to the late 1940s.
In the early 1950s, a group assisting with the testing of long range rockets at nearby Cape Canaveral needed a place to call home. Because housing was at a premium further north, these residents established a settlement of about 50 homes and one restaurant in the future city. There were no utility or governmental services. The official origin of the City of Satellite Beach goes back only to August 1957 when residents voted to incorporate. Development surged rapidly after Satellite Beach was incorporated, and the original city building was completed in December 1957 at a cost to the City of about $6,500. A garden club was formed to plant and maintain the city’s landscape areas. In 1968, the City’s original recreation center was built on a former tennis court, and in 1977 the volunteer fire department bought and donated the land on which the existing Fire Station now stands.
Due to its dedication to enabling access and enjoyment of the Satellite Beach beachfront areas, the City received in 1994 the first annual Florida Excellence in Coastal Management Award. Since then the City has placed over 1/3 of its oceanfront into public open space and volunteers continue to provide more than 10,000 hours each year to youth and public service programs
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