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CONTACT:
Dean Dixon
Historical Resources Assistant
(941) 749-1800 ext. 4070
May 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.
Manatee Waterways
1940 Aerial
Photo over Memorial Pier
Rivers, lakes, creeks and an ocean grace our lives, though
relatively few of us make our living off of them. Most of
us enjoy the occasional trip to the beach or to the various
waterfront parks and businesses, but there was a time when
waterways were far more vital to the average citizen. Waterways
were once the highways and life lines to this area.
To pioneers eager to make their mark, the Manatee River offered
access to miles and miles of fertile land as well as access
to the Braden River and various creeks. To claim their land,
the would-be settler had little more to do than board a boat
in Tampa and make the short sail across the bay to the awaiting
wilderness in Manatee County. After building a homestead and
planting crops, the settlers built docks from which they loaded
their harvest on board a ship and sent it all over the world.
The waterways were indispensable to the plans that the settlers
made. Joseph Braden, the namesake of Bradenton, after planting
his crops where the Manatee and Braden Rivers meet, found
that a large sandbar in the river prevented any large boats
from getting to his dock. He had to build another dock closer
to the mouth of the river in what is now downtown Bradenton
to ship his goods from.
The waterways were not just for large cargo ships. Because
wind and water made for easier navigation than muddy roads
and thick hammocks, people built stores next to the rivers
and bays to ensnare their customers. On Sunday mornings, they
might have loaded the family into the boat to sail to the
local village and go to church. Towns grew up on both the
north and south side of the Manatee River. Before the resources
were available to build bridges, interaction between the opposite
sides was possible only by sailing across the river. Some
enterprising folks created ferry services. One local legend
was "Sinbad the Sailor" who lived in a shack by
the river where the Central Library is now. He would give
people a ride across the river in a catboat for 10 cents.
Waterways have been responsible for many land booms in this
area and it has always been a central feature to the area's
tourism. For example, the Manatee River Hotel was a glorious
destination where vacationers could stay in a world-class
hotel right on the Manatee River. The Pink Palace, as it has
been called, no longer sits on the water and no longer hosts
Presidents and movie stars, but it was once South Florida's
most exotic destination. Today, homes line the gulf coast
and our beaches are a destination for people from all over
the world.
Today, the desire to be near the waterways is no less important.
People who buy property on the water pay a premium price for
their land. A large portion of the visitors to the Historical
Records Library are people who are involved in disputes over
water rights and water front property. They research their
deeds in an effort to find proof of access to the nearby body
of water. They also look at aerial photographs from the '40s
and '50s to see how the waterfronts have changed over the
years.
The Historical Records Library plays a vital part in helping
the public preserve the history and records of our local waterways.
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