Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

1928: Joyland promises public free attractions

By THERESA BLACKWELL
Published July 8, 2007

JULY 5, 1928

CLEARWATER - Encouraged by the successful opening day, E.M. Brennan of St. Petersburg, president of the Southern Amusements Corp., operators of Joyland, the new park on Clearwater Beach, has promised to install many attractions that will be offered free to the public.

The greatest free attraction at the park, when completed, will be an elevated boardwalk extending from the southern boundary of the amusement company's holdings northward to the dome building, which is used as a dancing floor.

This boardwalk will connect with the municipal boardwalk, already nearly completed, and will make a long promenade along the beach. City authorities have committed themselves to a project that would add another section to the present boardwalk to connect with a similar structure to be built by the amusement park company.

A large free picnic room, sufficiently commodious to accommodate scores of picnickers, has already been provided. This building faces the gulf and is to be secured by reservation only, being reserved for parties upon application.

A start will soon be made on a zoological garden at the park, Mr. Brennan states. A cage of monkeys and several wild animals have already been ordered, it is reported, and a section of the park will be dedicated to this zoo, to afford pleasure to the children and those of larger growth as well.

Plans have also been made to install shuffleboard courts, lanes for pitching horseshoes, and several similar devices, to be operated without charge to park patrons. Attorney Arthur Jordan of the amusement corporation is enthusiastic about the park.

JULY 8, 1949

Tariff denounced by Rotary speaker

TARPON SPRINGS - Robert Mann was guest speaker at the Rotary Club at noon on Thursday, which met at the Stratford Hotel. Mann spoke against imposing a tariff on foreign sponge. He stated that a few in Tarpon Springs would benefit at the expense of many others all over the world. The tariff would cut down foreign trade, which the United States needs and preaches at peace tables, he declared.

Guests were Lloyd Wyngarden, Ben Skinner and Gordon Bennett of Dunedin; John Chesnut Sr., John Chesnut Jr. and J.O. House of Clearwater; Dr. Herbert Williams of St. Petersburg; Warner Grable of Tampa; and Gene Vinson of Tarpon Springs.

JULY 11, 1949

Lake Butler changes name to Lake Tarpon

CLEARWATER - One of this area's most popular fishing spots has had its name changed by an official act of the state Legislature. In the future, it will be known as Lake Tarpon instead of Lake Butler. The Legislature changed the name in order to avoid confusion with another lake by the same name located elsewhere in the state.

Since Lake Tarpon is in the vicinity of Tarpon Springs, some informed sources also consider the new name appropriate for that reason. A number of residents in Clearwater, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs and other Pinellas communities own cottages there and go to the lake on weekends and holidays to try their luck at freshwater fishing. It is also a popular spot for fishing parties. Since the lake is within easy driving distance of any Pinellas community, some cottage owners stay there during the summer, driving to and from work.

Looking back

Headlines through the years

A look back at the events, people and places that made North Pinellas the unique place that it is. The information is compiled from past editions of the St. Petersburg Times.

[Last modified July 7, 2007, 21:56:10]