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CONTACT:
Dean Dixon
Historical Resources Assistant
(941) 749-1800 ext. 4070
January 2003 Article
Introduction: The Manatee
County Historical Records Library is a wealth
of information about our local past. Documents from
as early as the 1850's describe the life and times
of Manatee County residents and weave many an interesting
tale. Each month, we will post a new story for you
based on documents in our library. We invite all of
you to come to the library, located
at 1405 4th Avenue West, to see these documents
for yourself and to touch, feel and experience our
heritage.
Fire on the Dock!
Click here to
see a picture of Corwin's dock before it burned
The Historical Records Library has received a wonderful
collection of postcards from Rev. Herb Loomis. Reverend Loomis
is a member of the Manatee County Historical Commission and
has spent years collecting postcards from Manatee County's
past. The post card of Corwin's dock is a great example of
the treasures that can be found in this collection.
At the foot of old Main Street in "Braidentown,"
where the Memorial Pier is now, once stood Corwin's Dock.
Built in 1890 by S.C. Corwin, this dock was the backdrop to
much of the lore and legend of early Braidentown. From the
legendary 493 pound Goliath Grouper (Jew Fish) that was landed
there to Braidentown's first automobile, (Whitney Curry's
1902 Cadillac), which was unloaded there with a crowd of townspeople
watching, the dock was an important part of local history.
Many citizens' first memories of Braidentown were when they
stepped off the boat onto Corwin's Dock.
The dock was a business district of its own due to the many
ships that loaded and unloaded there and the number businesses
located there. Businesses like S.A. Hawker's fish market or
the packinghouse stood at the end of the dock and there was
even an early example of a gas station operated on the dock.
Off to the side of the main walkway was a building where the
citizens of Braidentown could roller skate. After a few years,
the rink was turned into the Sea Breeze Inn, where visitors
could sleep as the river flowed beneath them. A long forgotten
soft drink, Cherocola was bottled on S.C. Corwin's dock. The
dock had a long history of service to the Braidentown-Manatee
area.
The darkest day for the dock came on November 29, 1915. The
winter of 1915 was cold and a brutal North Western wind was
bearing down on the area that night. A dozen guests were sleeping
in the Sea Breeze Inn. Then, early in the morning, the word
went out on the dock, "Fire". People were awakened
in terror and found that the fire was consuming the front
of the Inn. They had not the time to gather their things and
their only avenue of escape was to jump into the cold river
in their nightclothes. A few boats were launched and they
worked as quick as they could to pluck the refugees out of
the water before they began to suffer from exposure. The fire
fighters arrived within minutes after hearing the alarm and
had to wade into four feet deep waters to try and douse the
flames. The men had extra motivation to put out the fire,
for greater peril was looming only a few feet away. Close
by the burning structures were two tanks owned by the Gulf
refining company. One tank was filled with 5,000 gallons of
gasoline and the other was filled with 5,000 gallons of kerosene.
They worked furiously to prevent the fire from turning into
a greater disaster, even as the "flames licked the sides
of the tanks."
By morning, the fire was out but the damage to the dock was
extensive. The Sea Breeze Inn was a total loss and the front
of the building had fallen into the water. There was one man
missing from the Inn and he was later found in the water among
the inn's wreckage. He had never made it out of the fire,
even though his roommate claimed to have roused him right
before he himself jumped into the river. Burned beyond recognition'
he had to be identified by his teeth as J.H. Gray, an unemployed
civil engineer who had come to the area earlier while taking
a geodesic survey for the government. Other businesses were
also wiped out including the fish market and 150 feet of the
dock itself was gone.
S.C. Corwin did not rebuild the dock to its original condition
but repaired it to a state smaller than it had been. It would
later be destroyed and after the Great War, World War I, the
memorial pier was put in its place.
There are many post cards of S.C. Corwin's dock now on display
at the Records Library, thanks to Rev. Loomis' generous donation.
There also postcards from all over the county including many
landmarks that no longer exist. If you get a chance, come
by and see the collection.
Sources
Manatee River Journal Dec. 2nd 1915
Evening Journal Dec. 1st 1915
The Singing River, by Joe and Libby Warner.
Dean Dixon, Historical Resources Assistant, Manatee County
Clerk of Courts
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