- Timeline of Largo history
This is a timeline of
Largo, Florida history.1513 - 1841
*
1513 - March 27 Ponce de Leon discovers Florida.
* 1835 - 1842 Second Seminole War.
*1842 Armed Occupation Act provides for land grants in unsettled parts of Florida.*
1852 Daniel McMullen homesteads in Largo area.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.*
1897 Mrs A K Meigs donates Meigs cemetery to become Largo Cemetery. M. Joel McMullen Becomes Larg's first mayor.Largo hosts rally in favor of independence from Hillsborough County. Louis Johnson becomes mayor. Seth Brown Mayor till 1911.*
1911 John Stansel Taylor is mayor and is succeeded by S. E. Smith. (1911 - 1913)*
1914 Largo Women's Club establishes Largo Public Library. S. E. Smith mayor. Cattle indusrty thrives. William F. Belcher mayor.*
1923 Robert L. Youngblood mayor.*
1925 - May 25 Legislature creates City of Largo. Largo's boundaries extended three miles westward into the Gulf.*
1928 Cities accountant recommends refinancing of $1,000,000 in bond debt. 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.*
1948 Largo Theater on West Bay Drive. Largo gets its first police car. Police department begins to expand.*
1952 Pinellas Central Bank (later, Southeast First Bank of Largo) opens-- Largo's first bank since the Great Depression. Mildred Helms Elementary opens.*
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.*
1962 Town Hall built at 296 1st Avenue SW.*
1966 Largo Police Department has 22 officers. February 11* Greater Largo Recreation Complex and Park Development Board appointed.*
1970 Largo's population is 24,230.*
1976 Largo Fire Department grows to 60 employees.*
1978 Largo High School's Band of Gold, under the guidance of band director Robert R. Cotter, wins gold medals at World Music Competition in Kerkrade, Holland.*
2000 Charter amendment adopted to end annexation wars among municipalities and county. (Annexation).*
2002 The 1977 library building is deemed inadequate for forecast growth. Construction of 90,000 square foot library becomes campaign issue.*
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. Pat Gerard, Largo's first female mayor, elected.Rodney J. Woods , Largo's first commissioner of African-American descent, elected. Harvard citation| Helfand|2006|p= Largo wins legal victory when court rulesPinellas County acted wrongly in limiting the annexation authority of municipalities. (Lindberg)*
2007 City demolishes 1977 library building because refurbishment would cost more than building something else. City managerSteve Stanton announces his intention to undergosex reassignment therapy , [http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/21/news_pf/Northpinellas/Largo_official_prepar.shtml] and is consequently dismissed.References
* [http://www.largo.com/index.cfm?action=about About Largo Page.] December 18, 2005.
* [http://www.geckomedia.com/largoFiles/agendas/agenda1547.pdf Annexation, May 23, 2006 Largo City Council work session agenda.]
* [http://www.co.pinellas.fl.us/bcc/about_pinellas.htm About Pinellas County.] Online. December 18, 2005.
* City of Largo Staff. "Citizen's Academy Handbook". Largo. 2003.
* Coughlin, Leo. [http://www.clearwatergazette.com/20050623/around.html Around Here] Clearwater Gazette. Online. June 23, 2005.
* Fuller, Walter P. "St. Petersburg and its People". Great Outdoors Publishing. St. Petersburg. 1972.
* cite web | author=Helfand, Lorri | year=2006| title= Largo gets new mayor, black commissioner | format=HTML | work=Saint Petersburg Times | url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/999501461.html?dids=999501461:999501461&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+8%2C+2006&author=LORRI+HELFAND&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.B&desc=Largo+gets+new+mayor%2C+black+commissioner | accessdate=2006-05-27
* Largo Bicentennial Book Committee. (LBBC1979)"Largo, then till . . . ." [http://www.largohistory.org/ Largo Area Historical Society] . 1979.
* [http://www.largo.com/index.cfm?action=about&drill=history Largo History Page] (LHP) Online. December 18, 2005.
* [http://www.largohistory.org/ Largo Area Historical Society] . (LAHS "From Pines and Palmettos-- A portrait of Largo." The Donning Company Publishers. Virginia Beach, Va. 2005.
* [http://www.tbnweekly.com/pubs/largo_leader/content_articles/060806_lle-01.txt Largo Leader Rumors surface about downtown development.] June 9, 2006.
* Lindberg, Anne. [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/1126893571.html?dids=1126893571:1126893571&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+13%2C+2006&author=ANNE+LINDBERG&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.B&desc=Ruling+may+rekindle+turf+wars Ruling may rekindle turf wars] (HTML) "Saint Petersburg Times." Retrieved on 2006-9-14.
* Milanich, Jerald T., Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe. University Press of Florida: Gainesville. 1995. in [http://pelotes.jea.com/Tocob.htm Who Were the Tocobago Indians?] Online. December 20, 2005.
* [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/953620661.html?dids=953620661:953620661&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jan+2%2C+2006&author=LORRI+HELFAND&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=6&desc=New+hotel+brings+hope+for+progress+to+Largo New hotel brings hope for progress to Largo]
* Pinellas County Planning Department as staff for the Pinellas County Planning Council. (PCPD) "Pinellas County Historical Background". No city. No date.
* de Quesada Jr, A.M. and Luisi, Vincent. Images of America Pinellas County. Tempus Publishing. Charleston, SC. 1998.
* Straub, W. L. "History of Pinellas County". (Straub) The Record Company. St. Augustine, Florida. 1929.
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