St. Petersburg and the Florida Dream, 1888-1950

Book excerpt: St Petersburg and the Florida Dream, 1888-1950 chronicles the early history of St Petersburg and the lower Pinellas Peninsula. From the pre-Columbian culture of the Tocobanga mound-builders to the arrival of the railroad, from the St Petersburg-Havana yacht races to the tin-can tourists of the first stirrings of the Sunbelt phenomenon following World War II, this text presents a tapestry of the area. mixed southern and northern cultures and used vigorous public relations to promote itself. By the mid-20th century, the Sunshine City had developed into one of the most important resort communities in the United States, a self-styled subtropical playground that stood tantalisingly apart from the main-stream of urban America. suburban shopping malls, local life revolved around institutions and traditions long associated with the Florida Dream - the centuries-old promise of perpetual warmth, health, comfort, and leisure. Arsenault describes these institutions and many of the personalities that enlivened them - Doc Webb, William Straub, Al Lang, Frank Davis, Handsome Jack Taylor, Katherine Bell Tippetts, and others, whose activities contributed to the distinctive and colourful history of St Petersburg.