Timeline of Largo, Florida history

This is a timeline of Largo, Florida history.

1513 - 1841

• 1513 - March 27 Ponce de Leon discovers Florida.

• 1515 - 1519 Spanish explorers visit Pinellas barrier islands while trading with Tocobaga.

• 1528 Panfilo de Narvaez expedition explores the Pinellas Peninsula. (LBBC, p. 2)

• 1539 Hernando de Soto expedition names present Tampa Bay "La Bahia de Espiritu Santo."

• 1702 - 1713 Queen Anne's War. Tocobaga virtually annihilated. English raids reach Tampa Bay. Pinellas largely deserted.

• 1739 - 1748 War of Jenkin's Ear. English mapping expeditions visit Pinellas Peninsula.

• 1757 Spanish expedition renames Tampa Bay "La Bahia de San Fernando", after the Spanish king. Names entrance to Tampa Bay "La Punta de Pinal de Jimenez" (Point of Pines).

• 1763 Spain cedes Florida to England at end of the French and Indian War.

• 1783 Treaty of Paris (1783) ends American Revolutionary War. England cedes Florida to Spain.

• 1817 - 1818 First Seminole War.

• 1821 Spain cedes Florida to United States.

• 1824 U S Army establishes Fort Brooke (later to become Tampa, Florida.)

• 1834 Territorial Legislature establishes Hillsborough County, Florida.(PCPD, p. 4)

• 1835 - 1842 Second Seminole War.

• 1842 Armed Occupation Act provides for land grants in unsettled parts of Florida.(PCPD, p. 4)

1841 - 1905

• 1843 Three claims filed under the Armed Occupation Act in Largo Area, including that of Charles, George, and Alexander McKay.

• 1844 Surveyor notes Late Tolulu (later Lake Largo). (LBBC, p. 3)
• 1845 Florida Statehood.

• 1848 Great Gale wreaks havoc on local settlements. Gulf of Mexico connects with Tampa Bay.

• 1852 Daniel McMullen homesteads in Largo area. (LBBC, p. 6)

• 1854 Members of McMullen family establish First Free School.

• 1861 - 1865 American Civil War.

• 1882 Anona Methodist Church established. Hamilton Disston purchases vast landholdings in Florida, including portions of mid-Pinellas and with it, Lake Tolulu. Lake Tolulu is renamed "Lake Largo" by Disston's agent. (LBBC, p. 24)

• 1888 Orange Blossom Railroad arrives. Largo receives its name. September 4 M. Joel McMullen becomes Largo's first postmaster. (LBBC, p. 25) First post office opens in home of Gideon Bisch.

• 1897 Mrs A K Meigs donates Meigs cemetery to become Largo Cemetery. (LAHS, p. 3)

• 1905 Town of Largo incorporated.(LAHS, p. 33)

1907 - 1945

• 1907 Pinellas "Declaration of Independence" marks major milestone on the road to creating Pinellas County. (LBBC, p. 34) Largo hosts rally in favor of independence from Hillsborough County.

• 1909 Pinellas Groves, a development company, develops 20,000 acres (80 km²) of farms in and beyond present day Largo. (LBBC, p. 36)

• 1910 Largo's population is 291.(LBBC, p. 38) Work begins on rock road from Clearwater to Largo.(LBBC, p. 37)

• 1912 Pinellas County created. Largo's first public water system begins operations. (LAHS, p. 41)

• 1913 Largo becomes first town in Pinellas to adopt council-manager form of government. New charter establishes town limits at 9/16th's of a square mile. New charter authorizes city manager to act as police chief. (LBBC, p. 119)

• 1914 Largo Women's Club establishes Largo Public Library. (LBBC, p. 116)

• 1915 Largo votes bond issue to build paved roads, town-owned water system and sewers. (LBBC, p. 43)

• 1916 Lake Largo - Cross Bayou drainage project drains Lake Largo and land to the east and south of town. Largo votes bond issue to build paved roads, town-owned water system and sewers. Largo Public Library officially opens with 560 books. (LAHS, p. 47) Largo becomes bird sanctuary.

• 1920 Largo's population is 599. (PCPD, p. 12) Cattle indusrty thrives. (LBBC, p. 51)

• 1921 Citrus City Grower's association organized. (LAHS, p. 53)

• 1924 C E Donegan's certified diary farm. Largo hires police chief and one other officer. (LBBC, p. 119)

• 1925- May 25 Legislature creates City of Largo. Largo's boundaries extended three miles westward into the Gulf. (LAHS, p. 54) Citrus and turpentine production are important industries. (LAHS, p. 19)

• 1927 City continues to undertake bond obligations to fund improvements as local economic growth begins to slow. First Largo Fire Station built. (LBBC, pp. 53, 55)

• 1928 Cities accountant recommends refinancing of $1,000,000 in bond debt. (LBBC, p. 55)

• 1930 Largo's population is 1,429. (PCPD, p. 12)

• 1929 - 1939 Great Depression. Legislative Act of 1925 nullified. Largo reverts to 1913 boundaries and charter. WPA projects create Taylor Lake and Lake Walsingham as well as Auditorium at 4th Street NW and West Bay Drive. John S Taylor builds citrus packing plant at corner of East Bay Drive and Missouri Avenue. (LAHS, p. 3)

• 1940 Largo's population is 1,031. (PCPD, p. 12)

• 1941- 1945 World War II

1946 - 1970

• 1946 Largo Public Library has more than 3,000 books. Supreme Court orders Largo to pay bond debts resulting in 37 mil ad valorem tax rate. (LBBC, p. 65)

• 1948 Largo Theater on West Bay Drive. Largo gets its first police car. Police department begins to expand. (LBBC, p. 119)

• 1950 Cigarette tax eases financial burden. Population 1,547.(PCPD, p. 12) Police operate out of one room police station. (LBBC, pp. 67, 119)

• 1952 Pinellas Central Bank (later, Southeast First Bank of Largo) opens-- Largo's first bank since the Great Depression. Mildred Helms Elementary opens. (LBBC, pp. 67)

• 1954 Pinellas Shopping Center opens.

• 1955 Annexation referendum results in tripling of Largo's area and population. (LBBC, pp. 67)

• 1957 Largo High School opens a new campus on Missouri Avenue.

• 1958 Largo Public Library has 1450 patrons and a circulation of 14,000. (LBBC, p. 116)

• 1959 Largo Police crisis. In a closed session,the Commission votes 3-2 to allow the City Manager to fire the Police Chief. Public uproar results in the recall of those commissioners who voted to fire the Police Chief. The new Commission fires the City Manager and rehires the Police Chief. Citizen's committee builds new police station and donates it to the City. (LBBC, pp. 120, 128)

• 1960 Largo's population is 5,302. (PCPD, p. 12) Largo begins construction on new Library building. Largo Recreation Department formed. (LBBC, p. 116)

• 1962- December - 1963- January Worst freeze in over 100 years, combined with urbanization and rising property tax assessments, severely stresses citrus industry. Largo Library building opens. (LBBC, pp. 71 116)

• 1965 Largo proclaimed "Clean Air Capital" by Chamber of Commerce. (LBBC, pp. 75)

• 1966 Largo Police Department has 22 officers. (LBBC, p. 120)

• 1968 Last year ad valorem taxes levied until 1972. Largo Recreation department has two facilities-- the Largo Club Center and the Auditorium built during the Depression by the WPA.

• 1969 Largo Public Library's circulation is ~125,000. (LBBC, p. 116) February 11* Greater Largo Recreation Complex and Park Develpment Board appointed.

• 1970 Largo's population is 24,230.(PCPD, p. 12) Largo Fire Department begins phase out of volunteer fire fighters.

1971 - present

• 1972 Highland Recreation Complex dedicated.

• 1974- May 7 Largo adopts a new charter creating City of Largo. Ad valorem tax rate is 1.29 mils. John A Jenkins donates land on East Bay Drive and east of Third Street SE for new library building. Largo Public Library circulation is about 180,000. (LBBC, p. 118)

• 1975 Largo Recreation Department grows to 211 activities with 267,00 participants. (LBBC, p. 128)

• 1976 Largo Fire Department grows to 60 employees. (LBBC, p. 122) Police administratiion building at 100 mEast Bay dedicated.(LAHS, p. 78)

• 1977 The Library moves to the site at 351 East Bay Drive donated by John A Jenkins with 30,000 books. (LHP 2005)

• 1980 Largo's population is 58,977. (PCPD, p. 12)

• 1995 Largo Central Park opens on site of former John S Taylor packing plant. (Coughlin)

• 2002 The 1977 library building is deemed inadequate for forecast growth. Construction of 90,000 square foot library becomes campaign issue.

• 

  Gerard and Woods

  2004 Florida is struck by four hurricanes that largely miss Largo. Minor damage slightly delays construction of new library.

• 2005 The new 90,000 square foot library opens at 120 Central Park Drive with more than 200,000 items. The Largo Fire Department has 140 employees and operates five fire stations.

• 2006 Charter amendments pass. First female mayor elected. First commissioner of African-American descent elected. (Helfand 2006)

References

• About Largo Page. December 18, 2005.

• About Pinellas County. Online. December 18, 2005.

• City of Largo Staff. Citizen's Academy Handbook. Largo. 2003.

• Coughlin, Leo. Around Here Clearwater Gazette. Online. June 23, 2005.

• Helfand, Lorri (2006). "Largo gets new mayor, black commissioner" (HTML). Saint Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2006-05-27.

• de Quesada Jr, A.M. and Luisi, Vincent. Images of America Pinellas County. Tempus Publishing. Charleston, SC. 1998.

• Largo Bicentennial Book Committee. (LBBC1979)Largo, then till . . . . Largo Area Historical Society. 1979.

• Largo History Page(LHP) Online. December 18, 2005.

• Largo Area Historical Society. (LAHS From Pines and Palmettos-- A portrait of Largo. The Donning Company Publishers. Virginia Beach, Va. 2005.

• Milanich, Jerald T., Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe. University Press of Florida: Gainesville. 1995. in Who Were the Tocobago Indians? Online. December 20, 2005.

• Pinellas County Planning Department as staff for the Pinellas County Planning Council. (PCPD) Pinellas County Historical Background. No city. No date.

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