2015 is a BIG year for a lot of places in the Tampa Bay Area! Seminole Elementary and Treasure Island both have Centennial Celebrations on May 2nd. The City of Clearwater is celebrating their Centennial at various events throughout 2015. Gasparilla Pirate Fest and Mirror Lake Library are celebrating 100 years too! Keep reading and brush up on your Bay area history!
The Tampa Bay Hotel 1891
The Tampa Bay Hotel is currently 124 years old. The Hotel was built by Henry B. Plant after he brought the railroad to Tampa in 1884. The hotel opened to wide fanfare in 1891 and was quickly deemed Plant’s Palace. The location has been home to the Henry B. Plant Museum and the University of Tampa since 1933. Learn more history and see upcoming Plant Museum events at plantmuseum.com.
Fort De Soto’s Fort 1900
In order to protect Florida’s coast and the port of Tampa Bay, the US government started construction on a 275-foot wharf extending into Tampa Bay with accompanying barracks in 1899. They were ready to start laying the foundation for the Fort. The Fort was named Fort De Soto and officially became a sub-post of Fort Dade on Egmont Key on April 4, 1900. The construction was completed under budget for $155,000 a month later on May 10, 1900. The Army closed Fort Dade and Fort De Soto in 1922 and offered Fort De Soto up for private sale in 1928 after the state, county and city governments declined to buy the land at its appraised value of $192,000. Still there were no buyers for this pristine Gulf island. The army kept the land and it served various purposes but was never militarized. Pinellas County purchased the bulk of Fort De Soto in 1963 and began its refurbishment in 1977. Read more on our website paradisenewsfl.com.
Gasparilla Pirate Fest 1904
Officially started by the Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the annual Gasparilla tradition began in 1904 when the society editor of the Tampa Tribune, Miss Louise Francis Dodge, conspired with George Hardee to promote the City of Tampa and its May Day celebration. Secret meetings led to a ‘Krewe’ of about 40 people renting costumes from New Orleans and ‘capturing the city’ during its May Day celebration on May 4, 1904. The Gasparilla tradtion was born. The Krewe took to the water in 1911 and bought their own ship in 1937- the Jose Gasparilla I. Read more at ymkg.com/.
Pinellas County 1911
Pinellas County, previously a part of Hillsborough County, officially became a county on January 1, 1911.
City of Clearwater 1915
The City of Clearwater will celebrate the Centennial of its incorporation on May 27, 2015! Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the big celebration runs through the following weekend though! Joel Castelli, Public Communications Director for the City of Clearwater, told Paradise News that Clearwater is planning at least one Centennial event each month with multiple events in some months. May’s Centennial celebrations include the unveiling of the new entryway monument along the Courtney Campbell Causeway (May 27th), a special Centennial Clearwater Threshers game on May 27th, & a Centennial Parade followed by a concert & fireworks at Coachman park on May 30th! Cozi Zeuhlsdorff, star of the Dolphin Tale movies will be the Grand Marshal at the Centennial parade. Find more Centennial events at www.myclearwater.com/100. Also, be sure to pre-order a copy of Clearwater Centennial by father-son team Dan and Ryan Friese at http://www.clearwatercentennial.com/. The coffee table book combines vintage and modern scenes to show Clearwater’s 100 year journey!
Mirror Lake Library 1915
Mirror Lake Library was built in 1915 thanks to a $17,500 Carnegie grant. The library was part of a series of grants made by Andrew Carnegie from 1881-1917. These Carnegie grants totaled $56 million & led to the construction of 2,509 free public libraries throughout the English speaking world including 13 in Florida. Upcoming Centennial Celebrations include the Annual Friends Book Sale on June 6, 2015 and ongoing 100th Summer of Reading events. You can also celebrate by purchasing one of their Plein Air Paintings from their outdoor painting festival back in 2012. To purchase one of the Plein Air paintings of Mirror Lake Library contact the Friends of Mirror Lake at 813.767.5503. To find out more about Mirror Lake Library’s history or its Centennial celebrations visit https://friendsofmirrorlakelibrary.wordpress.com.
Seminole Elementary 1915
Seminole Elementary celebrates 100 years on May 2nd with a day of music, food and old friends. To commemorate the 100 years, Pinellas County School Board has been renovating the old building with a new roof, walls, ceiling, fans and windows totaling $275,000! The school opened at its current site with 2 teachers in the fall of 1915 and is one of the oldest buildings in Seminole. See more Seminole’s Centennial History at http://www.pcsb.org/seminole-es.
Gulf Beaches Historical Museum 1917
The building for the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum is currently 98! The building was originally built in 1917 to be the first church in Pass-a-Grille. The building was saved by Joan Haley in 1952, when the church moved to its current and larger location on 16th Avenue, Pass-A-Grille St. Pete Beach. The home was converted to the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum when Joan bequeathed it to Pinellas County for its current purpose in 1989. Find out more at http://gulfbeachesmuseum.com/.
St. Petersburg Coliseum 1924
The historic St. Petersburg Coliseum opened in 1924 as “The South’s finest ballroom” with its oak dance floor for everything from ballroom dancing to corporate functions, and was purchased by the City of St. Petersburg in 1989. The Coliseum has undergone extensive renovations, making it one of the Tampa Bay area’s most unique multi-use facilities. Located in downtown St. Petersburg in the local historic district, it has over 800 parking spaces within convenient walking distance, as are many downtown restaurants, shops and hotels. The venue offers open catering and beverage service, and a friendly, professional and experienced staff. The architecture and ambiance of the Coliseum makes the facility very flexible for any type of event. Seating Capacity: Banquet with dance floor – 600-800 (60-inch round tables); Banquet – no dance floor – 1,600 (8-foot banquet tables); Dance Floor or Concert – 2,000; Trade Show – 2,000 (98 8 x 10-foot booths). Business Office and Booking, contact Robin Schroeder, (727) 551-3261, or robin.schroeder@stpete.org.
St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club 1924
Shuffleboard came to St. Petersburg in 1923 when Connecticut jeweler, Phineas T. Ives, urged the city to build courts in Mirror Lake Park. The city built two courts that fall and the next year a group of six avid shuffleboard players started the St. Petersburg Mirror Lake Park Shuffleboard Club, the first in the world. The club took in donations each year to add courts, benches, cues and sets of disks. The clubhouse was added in 1924. The club’s popularity continued to grow-maxing out at an estimated 5,000 members in 1964. The Shuffleboard Club started their current renaissance in 2005 when 35 members of a group of young artists known as The Artillery began their Friday night games. The Friday night games have been gaining popularity ever since with the Club celebrating its 10th Anniversary on April 10, 2015. Join them for free at the Mirror Lake Courts any Friday Night 7 – 11pm. Find out more at stpeteshuffle.com.
The Vinoy Renaissance Hotel 1926
Construction for the legendary hotel began in early 1925. The contractor set a record completing the 375-room hotel in only 10 months. The Grand Opening for the hotel was on New Year’s Eve 1925! The hotel boasted some of the most expensive room rates in the state when it opened. The Vinoy has a long list of historic guests including Jimmy Stewart, Babe Ruth, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover,Marilyn Monroe& Joe DiMaggio, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Jay Leno, George Clooney, Bo Derek, Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, Tom Petty, Wolfgang Puck, Joe Namath, Melissa Etheridge, Tiger Woods, B.B. King, Dionne Warwick, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Olivia Newton John, Harrison Ford and multiple presidents. Find out more at www.marriott.com.
The Don CeSar Hotel 1928
The Don CeSar Hotel celebrated 85 years in 2013! Indianapolis architect Henry DuPont built the ‘pink castle’ from the dreams of Thomas Rowe. The grand opening for the lavish hotel was on January 16, 1928. Historical guests at the St. Pete Beach hotel include Al Capone, Lou Gehrig, Franklin D. Roosevelt and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Visit the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum in Pass-A-Grille on 10th Avenue for more photos & a history lesson. Read more about the Don CeSar’s History on our website paradisenewsfl.com.
Treasure Island and Treasure Islettes 1955
Both the city of Treasure Island and its dedicated ladies’ auxiliary, the Treasure Islettes, celebrate their 60th anniversary this year. The City celebrates with “A Very Treasure Island 60th Birthday Party” on Saturday, May 2. The party features legacy musicians who have played Treasure Island venues over the years including Tomkats Jazz Orchestra, CornFused, Sarasota Slim, and T.C. Carr. Treasure Islettes is a remarkable women’s organization in the city of Treasure Island founded in 1955 by the late Ruth Dowling. The club has raised and contributed over $977,000 to hundreds of worthwhile endeavors. According to a recent article in the Tampa Bay Times, this includes $178,857 donated to the City; (6,650 to the Fire Dept., $52,920 to the Police Dept., $96,555 for beautification projects, and $405,665 to scholarships for college students, mostly funded by weekly bingo games at the Community Center. Help these dedicated women meet their ‘One Million Dollar Mark’ before their September anniversary by contacting Mary Cox at 727.360.0164 to make a donation!