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Significant Dates in Pinellas County's History
The following list presents a selection of significant events in Pinellas County's history. Many of these events are described in greater detail within the text of this report. Others are included not only for their historical significance, but also for their interest to Pinellas citizens.
- 1000 A.D. - Tocobaga Indians are at their zenith in the Safety Harbor area.
- 1528 - Spanish explorer Panfilo de Narvaez, it is believed, lands somewhere on the Pinellas peninsula.
- 1539 - Hernando de Soto, it is believed, explores the Tampa Bay area.
- 1832 - Odet Philippe establishes the first permanent white settlement on the Pinellas peninsula in the Safety Harbor area.
- 1834 - Hillsborough County is formed. Included within Hillsborough County's jurisdiction is the Pinellas peninsula, then known as West Hillsborough.
- 1842 - The federal government's Armed Occupation Act takes effect, providing 160 acres to any head of family or single man over 18 years of age who would bear arms and live on the land in a fit habitation for five years and cultivate at least five acres. This Act provided the first material impetus to white settlement of the peninsula.
- 1859 - A post office is established at Clearwater (then called Clear Water Harbor). Clear Water Harbor is the first point on the peninsula to become a community.
- 1885 - Dr. W. C. Van Bibber of Baltimore presents a report to the American Medical Society convention in New Orleans, lauding the healthy climate of the Pinellas peninsula. His recommendation helps introduce tourism to Pinellas.
- 1887 - Tarpon Springs becomes the first incorporated city on the peninsula.
- 1887 - The Orange Belt Railroad arrives on the Pinellas peninsula. Terminating in St. Petersburg in 1888, the railroad is a significant stimulant to growth and economic development in Pinellas.
- 1912 - Pinellas becomes a county, separate and apart from Hillsborough County.
- 1914 - Aviation history is made in Pinellas County as Tony Jannus pilots the world's first scheduled airline flight from St. Petersburg to Tampa.
- 1918 - World War I ends; shortly thereafter, in 1921, the real estate boom period begins in Pinellas and throughout Florida. Before the Boom ends sometime between December 1925 and June 1926, Pinellas experiences a period of multimillion dollar development, the construction of magnificent hotels, and the frenzied buying and selling of real estate.
- 1924 - The Gandy Bridge opens, shortening the travelling distance between St. Petersburg and Tampa from 43 to 19 miles. On opening day, it is the longest automobile bridge in the world.
- 1934 - The Davis Causeway is completed, providing Clearwater with a valuable transportation link to Tampa. The causeway is later renamed to honor Courtney Campbell of Clearwater, a local road board member.
- 1941 - The United States enters World War II; population growth in Pinellas slows dramatically.
- 1945 - World War II ends; Pinellas enters a period of rapid growth and development.
- 1954 - The first span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is opened, linking south Pinellas County with Manatee County.
- 1955 - The last segment of the Gulf Coast Highway (now known as U.S. Highway 19) opens for traffic in St. Petersburg, providing a direct route from Pinellas County to Tallahassee. Rapid development along this new roadway in Pinellas begins almost immediately.
- Late 1950s - New industry, typically electronic and electronic component firms, begins moving into Pinellas County, marking the beginning of a new, dynamic economy. Increasing numbers of tourists and retirees, however, continue to make retail and service industries the dominant employers in Pinellas.
- 1960 - The Howard Frankland Bridge opens, providing another transportation link between Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties.
- 1964 - Pinellas voters approve a referendum adopting a commission-administrator form of county government, the first in Florida.
- 1971 - A second span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is opened.
- 1974 - A Comprehensive Land Use Plan is adopted by the Pinellas Planning Council -- the first formal countywide attempt to manage growth and control ad hoc development.
- 1974 - The Environmental Assessment Task Force, a joint effort between Pinellas County and the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, completes an 18 month-long study designed to gather information on the natural systems of Pinellas County to help forecast future conditions. In addition to air and water quality, the assessment includes geology, topography, soils, groundwater, vegetation, wildlife, and open space. The Task Force produces three volumes which focus on the effects of urbanization on these natural systems and indicates directions for improved management. This assessment provides the basis for all the later land acquisitions and regulatory efforts such as tree protection programs.
- 1977 - Pinellas County's Heritage Village opens, providing a museum of historical artifacts, documents, manuscripts, and other memorabilia, and maintaining an exhibit of historically significant Pinellas County structures.
- 1980 - Portions of the southbound span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse when the freighter Summit Venture hits a bridge support. Thirty-five people die in the accident.
- 1980 - County voters approve state legislation providing for a home rule charter, which enables County government to submit matters of local interest directly to the voters without asking the Legislature for permission.
- 1985 - A four-cent local option gas tax is passed by the Board of County Commissioners. The tax, to be in effect for the next ten years, will raise an estimated $120 million for improvements to Pinellas County's streets and highways.
- 1985 - Growth management legislation is passed by the Florida Legislature. Representing one of the most significant steps toward controlling Florida's future, the new legislation will greatly enhance planning at the local and state government levels.
- 1987 - The new Sunshine Skyway is completed, replacing the old twin span, part of which was destroyed in an accident seven years earlier. Taking six years and $225 million to complete, it is the largest construction project undertaken in Florida and the largest cable-stayed box girder-type bridge in the United States.
- 1989 - Pinellas County and its municipalities adopt local comprehensive plans, in compliance with the State's 1985 Growth Management Act. The plans evaluate current conditions and prescribe future improvements for such public facilities as roads, parks, and water systems. The purpose of the comprehensive planning is to ensure that Florida's rapid growth doesn't overwhelm its public facilities.
- 1989 - By a narrow margin, Pinellas voters approve an additional penny sales tax to fund infrastructure such as road improvements, jail facilities, parks, environmental lands and the Pinellas Trail. Over its 10-year lifespan, the new tax is anticipated to generate $755 million.
- 1990 - The first segment of the Pinellas Trail that extends between Seminole Park (Seminole), and Taylor Park (Largo) opens. The 34-mile trail, when completed, will be the longest urban linear recreational trail in the eastern United States. It has been nationally recognized for its advanced design and for the high level of community participation.
- 1992 - The Tampa Bay Area was awarded their first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Four Basketball Tournament to take place in March 1999.
- 1993 - A Management Plan for the 7,100 acre Brooker Creek Preserve was completed and Pinellas County received a $2.7 million dollar Preservation 2000 grant from the State of Florida to purchase several infill properties within the Preserve. The establishment of the Brooker Creek Preserve by the Board of County Commissioners accomplishes a variety of goals related to the preservation of the quality of life in Pinellas County. These goals include wellfield recharge for potable water use, floodplain protection, preservation of ecosystems, preservation of habitat for native wildlife, and provision of an unique educational and passive recreational facility.
- 1993 - The Bayside Bridge spanning part of Old Tampa Bay opens, connecting 49th Street with McMullen-Booth Road. The Bayside Bridge and McMullen-Booth Road together provide an alternative north - south arterial route to relieve traffic congestion on U.S. Highway 19.
- 1993 - In April, 1993 at a referendum held by the City of St. Petersburg, the voters approved a change in their city charter from a City Council/Manager to a strong Mayor form of government.
- 1994 - The Lake Seminole Bridge opens and provides a needed additional east-west route in the Largo-Seminole area. This bridge is an important addition to the new County Road 296 route which will eventually span the width of the County.
- 1995 - Major League Baseball awarded a franchise to the Tampa Bay Area. The new baseball team named "Tampa Bay Devil Rays" will be housed in the Thunderdome, St. Petersburg.
- 1997-1998 - Florida International Museum's exhibit of artifacts from the Titanic draws 830,019, the largest American museum exhibit attendance since 1994.
- 1998 - The Florida Holocaust Museum opens a new facility in downtown St. Petersburg. The new 27,000-square-foot center makes the Holocaust museum the fourth-largest of its kind in the United States. The centerpiece exhibit is a 30-foot by 15-foot boxcar used to transport people to Nazi concentration camps.
- 1998 - Weedon Island, a 1,500-acre nature preserve near St. Petersburg, reopened after a $4 million renovation. The preserve features a 40-foot observation tower, 4-mile canoe trail, 9-mile hiking trail and other nature experiences. It will be home to a Native American Cultural Center set to open after 2000.
- 1998 - Brooker Creek Preserve, an 8,500-acre site near Tarpon Springs, starts free 3-mile, guided nature hikes on Saturdays. The Preserve is becoming one of Florida's leading natural attractions. Included in the $40 million project are a series of nature trails and boardwalks enabling visitors to enjoy the wildlife, and native and migratory birds while protecting the fragile ecosystem. Also included will be a $6 million environmental education center to be completed by October 2002.
- 1998 - Opening day for Major League Baseballís "Tampa Bay Devil Rays" at Tropicana Field in downtown St. Petersburg.
- 1999 - The Gulf Coast Museum of Art opens in Largo. It contains permanent and traveling collections as well as studios enabling visitors to work with artists in various media. A second phase doubling the size of the 22,000 sq. ft. facility will open in spring 2000 along with the opening of the Florida Botanical Gardens. The total 150-acre project called Pinewood Cultural Park will combine a cultural, historic and botanical experience at a single destination.
- 1999 - University of Connecticut tops Number 1 Duke in the Championship Game of the NCAA Final Four at Tropicana Field.
- 1999 - Opening of Phase 1 of the Florida Botanical Gardens.
- 1999 - St. Petersburg International Airport and Tampa International Airport undergo major renovations to improve service to visitors and ease access.
- 2000 - The Florida Botanical Gardens will open its first phase. The 18 distinct gardens will be Florida's largest and will include a botanical learning center. The Museum and Gardens will be adjacent to Heritage Village, the area's doorway to the past with 22 historic structures and The Gulf Coast Museum of Art. All attractions are free.
- 2000 - Adding momentum to a revitalization of downtown St. Petersburg, the city of St. Petersburg approved a $40-million project to build a 20-screen cinema complex to be known as "BayWalk." The complex will be surrounded by dozens of retail shops on 1 1/2 blocks of vacant downtown land.
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