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| Home Media DUNEDIN CELEBRATES 100 YEARS WITH A SALUTE TO ITS PAST DUNEDIN, FL - (June 1999) As Dunedin celebrates its Centennial in 1999, this village-like town still reflects the rich American and Scottish heritage of its founding fathers. Early in its history, thanks to a dock built to accommodate schooners and sloops and the ingenuity of pioneers from as near as Georgia and as far as Scotland, Dunedin became one of Florida's chief seaport and trading centers. At one time Dunedin had the largest fleet of sailing vessels in Florida. Early settlers were primarily cotton and citrus growers, and it is hard to envision that most of what is now downtown Dunedin was once a large field of cotton. Downtown now hosts several boutiques and restaurants. Dunedin was recently ranked by Walking Magazine as having one of the top five "walkable" downtowns of all small cities in the United States. Many of the historic buildings remain downtown giving it a connection with its past. The first land deed was recorded in 1852 by Richard L. Garrison, only seven years after Florida became a state. Although it was George L. Jones who put up a sign over his General Store in 1870 that read "Jonesboro," a petition in 1882 by two Scottish merchants, J.0. Douglas and James Somerville, officially named the Post Office, then the town itself, Dunedin. The town became incorporated in 1899, and a city in 1925. A Centennial Celebration will run throughout the summer featuring festivals, concerts, historical reenactments and a five-month special exhibit at the Dunedin Historical Society Museum. Events reach their peak June 1-5 with a Centennial Gala Celebration, Evening Under the Stars with the Florida Orchestra, "Hog Hustle" 5K Run/Walk, Pig Roast, Rootiní Tootiní and Rememberiní Parade and Vintage 1890s Baseball Game. Dunedin boasts of several "firsts" which are chronicled in Dunedin Through the Years by William L. Davidson. The amphibious tractor, the Alligator, assembled in Dunedin and used in World War II, played a decisive role in the Pacific phase of the war. Frozen orange juice concentrate, and the "Pram" sailboat racer both originated in Dunedin. The town was the first home of the prestigious Professional Golfers Association. Dunedin has only 36,000 residents, but it determines what television programs the whole country watches. That is because a master computer at A.C. Nielsen Company, located in Dunedin since 1972, is responsible for the Nielsen ratings. The historic Orange Belt Railroad Depot on Main Street is home to the Dunedin Historical Society and Museum. The Society has designed a walking tour of historic sites and works hard to collect area artifacts and preserve buildings that are pertinent to Dunedinís past. Through their efforts, the Douglas home and Andrews Memorial Chapel have been put on the National Register of Historic Sites. The Museum is also headquarters to a Vintage baseball league. Reenactors get together each month to play the game by 1890s rules. Games feature players and umpires in period dress, a hand-stitched ball, no gloves, legal spitballs and batters (called batsmen) who are allowed to request the location of a pitch. Dunedinís quality of life today is linked to its appreciation of its diverse and colorful past. The community also retains its link to the country that helped shape its past, present and future -- Scotland. In commemoration of its ancestral ties Dunedin has chosen Stirling, Scotland, as its sister city. |
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