Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in central Pinellas County, Florida, nearly due west of Tampa. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787, however, according to the 2004 U.S. Census Bureau's Estimates, the city's population fell slightly to 108,606. It is the county seat of Pinellas CountyTemplate:GR. It is one of the three large cities that constitute the Tampa Bay Area region.
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| 1st incorporation date | 1891 |
| 2nd Incorporation date | 1915 |
| Zip Codes | 33755-65 |
| County | Pinellas (county seat) |
| Mayor | Frank Hibbard |
| Population - City (2004) - Tampa Bay Metro |
108,606 2,600,000 (estimate) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5 |
| Latitude Longitude |
27°58' N 82°46' W |
| City of Clearwater's Official Website | |
History
Present-day Clearwater was originally the home of the Timucuan, Calusa and Apalachee tribes. Around 1835, the U.S. Army began construction of Fort Harrison as an outpost during the Seminole wars. The fort was located on a bluff overlooking Clearwater Harbor in an area known today as Harbor Oaks. University of South Florida archeologists excavated the site in 1977 after Alfred C. Wyllie discovered an underground ammunition bunker while digging a swimming pool on his estate.
The area's population grew in 1842, after the Federal Armed Occupation Act of 1842 offered 160 acres to anyone who would bear arms and cultivate the land. Early settlers included the Stevens, Stevenson and McMullen families, who claimed and farmed large tracts of land. Prior to 1906, the area was known as Clear Water Harbor. The name "Clear Water" is thought to have come from a fresh water spring flowing from near where the City Hall building is located today. There were many other freshwater springs that dotted the bayfront, many in the bay itself, which were the reason the crystal clear water found there.
Originally part of Hillsborough County, the first road joining Clearwater and Tampa was built in 1849, which dramatically reduced the prior day-long commute between the cities. The first US Post Office for Pinellas County was built on the site of the present Turner Steet Dock Park, circa 1859.
During the civil war, Union gunboats repeatedly raided the city's supplies as most of the able-bodied men were away fighting for the Confederate States of America army. The city began booming in late 19th century, prompted by Henry B. Plant building the first passenger railroad line into the city 1888. Clearwater was incorporated as a town in 1891 and James E. Crane became the town's first mayor [1]. The town's reputation as a tourist destination grew in popularity when Plant built the Belleview Biltmore in 1897.
By the early 1900's, Clearwater's population had grown to around 400 - ballooning to nearly 1,000 in the winter. Clearwater was reincorporated, this time as a city, on May 27, 1915, and made the county seat for Pinellas County, which broke from Hillsborough County in 1912. Also in 1915, a bridge was built across Clearwater Harbor, joining the city with modern-day Clearwater Beach. Remnants of the original bridge still remain as boating hazards in the harbor's shallows.
During World War II, Clearwater became a major training base for U.S. troops destined for Europe and the Pacific. Virtually every hotel in the area, including the historic Belleview Biltmore and Fort Harrison Hotel, became luxury barracks for new recruits. Vehicle traffic regularly stopped for companies of soldiers marching through downtown, and nighttime blackouts to confuse potential enemy bombers were common practice. The remote and isolated Dan's Island, now Sand Key, was used as a target for US Army Air Corps fighter-bombers for straffing and bombing practice.
Geography
Clearwater is located at 27°58'25" North, 82°45'51" West (27.973644, -82.764271)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 97.7 km² (37.7 mi²). 65.5 km² (25.3 mi²) of it is land and 32.2 km² (12.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 32.98% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 108,787 people, 48,449 households, and 27,422 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,660.8/km² (4,302.1/mi²). There are 56,802 housing units at an average density of 867.2/km² (2,246.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 83.85% White, 9.79% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.48% from other races, and 1.85% from two or more races. 8.97% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. Although the hispanic population (mostly Mexican Americans) is very small, they had made significant contributions to the city [2], [3].
There are 48,449 households out of which 21.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% are married couples living together, 11.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% are non-families. 35.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.17 and the average family size is 2.79.
In the city the population is spread out with 19.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,494, and the median income for a family is $46,228. Males have a median income of $31,067 versus $25,066 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,786. 12.3% of the population and 8.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.8% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Population History of Clearwater from the U.S. Census Bureau
- 1900......343
- 1910....1,171
- 1920....2,427
- 1930....7,607
- 1940...10,136
- 1950...15,581
- 1960...34,653
- 1970...52,074
- 1980...85,170
- 1990...98,669
- 2000..108,787
Source: United States Census Bureau
Government
The City of Clearwater is administered by a Council-Manager form of government, and the City Manager serves as the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer of the City.
The Clearwater City Council is comprised of the Mayor and four Councilmembers who each serve three year terms. The Council is responsible for setting policies and making decisions on local government issues including tax rates, annexations, property code variances, and large contract awards. The Council strives to maintain Clearwater's reputation as an innovative leader in the delivery of municipal services while developing programs, practices, policies and procedures that work within a conservative budget and strive to achieve a high level of citizen satisfaction.
The City Manager and City Council are supported by the various City Departments, each of which provides valuable public services to the successful operation and improvement of the City of Clearwater, its residents, businesses, and visitors.
See also: List of Mayors of Clearwater, Florida.
Colleges
- Clearwater Christian College
- St. Petersburg College
- Florida Metropolitan University
- Pinellas Technical Education Center
Scientology
The worldwide "spiritual headquarters" of the Church of Scientology is located in the city of Clearwater, Florida [4]. Officially known in Scientology as Flag Land Base, this international headquarters was founded in the late 1970s when an anonymous Scientology-founded group called "United Council of Churches" purchased the Fort Harrison Hotel for $3 million. The citizens and City Council of Clearwater did not realize that the building's owners were actually the Church of Scientology until after the building's purchase. Clearwater citizens groups, headed by Mayor Gabe Cazares, rallied against Scientology establishing a base in the city (repeatedly referring to the organization as a cult), but Flag Land Base was established nonetheless. In the years since its foundation, Flag Land Base has expanded as the church has gradually purchased additional property in the downtown Clearwater area. Its relationship with the city has repeatedly moved between "friendly" and "hostile," as the church has worked with the city to establish better relations; while at the same time actively opposing the local St. Petersburg Times newspaper and even protesting the Clearwater police department. Scientology's largest project in Clearwater has been the construction of a huge high-rise complex called the "Super Power Building," an enormous structure whose highest point, when completed, will be a huge Scientology cross that will tower over the city.
Trivia
David Lubin / TampaBayStart.com
In 1996, a 60-foot-tall, oily image resembling the Virgin Mary appeared on the side of a glass office building in Clearwater. The site has drawn a steady audience of believers and onlookers ever since its discovery. The building was formerly a bank but is now used as a shrine after the building's purchase by the Shepherds of Christ ministry. On March 1, 2004, a vandal used a slingshot to destroy the uppermost three glass panels that made up the image. Driven by guilt, 18-year old Kyle Maskell confessed to the vandalism and was jailed for 10 days and ordered to pay the ministry $1,200 for the damage. (This was not the first act of vandalism on the image: Previously, someone had thrown acid on the windows, but the image re-appeared.) See Marian apparitions.
The town is home to the Clearwater Threshers baseball club of the Florida State League.
External links
- MyClearwater.com: The official Web site of the city of Clearwater, FL
- Scientology's Town (St. Petersburg Times special report)
- ClearwaterCentral.com (Clearwater Real Estate, Jobs, Schools, Maps, etc.)
- TampaBayStart.com: Clearwater news & information
