Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first rocket to leave the ground at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was a Bumper V-2 on the 24th of July 1950. This launch marked the beginning of decades of military and space exploration activity in Florida.
President Harry S. Truman established the Joint Long Range Proving Ground at this location in 1949. The site offered unique advantages for testing missiles because it allowed launches out over the Atlantic Ocean.
The geographical name change proved unpopular due to the historical longevity of Cape Canaveral dating to the early 1500s. Both the geographical and Air Force Station Cape names reverted to Canaveral in 1973 and 1974 respectively after the Florida legislature passed a bill signed by Governor Reubin Askew.
Three Cape Canaveral Space Force Station pads are currently operated by private industry including United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, and SpaceX. SLC-41 hosts United Launch Alliance vehicles while LC-36 serves Blue Origin and SLC-40 accommodates SpaceX operations.
The Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip is a military airport that carries satellite payloads to CCSFS for mating with launch vehicles. It supports USAF C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy aircraft today.