Tampa Bay History Center

Spies, Traitors, Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America

2012-02-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

Anarchist Globe Bomb, c. 1886.

Black Tom. Haymarket. The Palmer Raids. These names may not evoke a strong response today, but each represents a decisive - and sometimes deadly - chapter in U.S. history. The Tampa Bay History Center invites you to revisit these sometimes-overlooked events during Spies, Traitors, Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America, on exhibit Sat., Feb. 4 through June 24.

How did the government respond after German saboteurs detonated a bomb in New York Harbor in 1916? How did the public feel about the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII? Was the FBI's monitoring of celebrities and writers such as Marilyn Monroe and John Steinbeck justified?

Spies presents more than 100 acts of terror, treason and civil disobedience in American history, allowing viewers to consider how they might have responded, the motivations of the participants, and whether the government's response was adequate or a violation of our basic rights and liberties.

For more information about the exhibit, visit our website or, listen to an interview with History Center Curator Rodney Kite-Powell. To see more images from the exhibit, visit our facebook page.

My Doll and Me

2012-01-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the popular American Girl Book series, the History Center invites girls ages 7-12 to travel through time with their favorite historic dolls. Peek into the past with crafts, games, snacks and a very special tea party on the last day of the series. All activities reflect the time period presented each week. American Girl dolls and books are not required for participation.

WHEN: Saturdays, Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25 from 10-11:30 a.m.

WHO: Ages 7-12
COST: $55/child, members $60/child, non-members
REGISTER: Contact Jen Tyson at (813) 675-8960 or jtyson@tampabayhistorycenter.org.

Pre-registration required; fee includes child's admission to galleries. This is a "drop-off" program. Parents are not required to attend. For more information about the History Center's Children's programs, visit our website.

American Girl is a trademark of Mattel, Inc.

International Spy Museum’s Spies, Traitors & Saboteurs Opens at Tampa Bay History Center

2012-01-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

A new traveling exhibition at the History Center explores the history of domestic terrorism and espionage from 1776 to Sept. 11, 2001.

Wall Street. Sept. 16, 1920. 12:01 p.m. A horse-drawn carriage loaded with dynamite detonates in front of the J.P. Morgan Bank, killing 38 people and shutting down New York’s Financial District.

The bombing of Wall Street more than 90 years ago is one of many episodes in America’s long history of domestic terrorism, espionage and civil disobedience uncovered in Spies Traitors and Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America, a new exhibition opening at the Tampa Bay History Center on Sat., Feb. 4.

On loan from the world-famous International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., Spies, Traitors and Saboteurs revisits long-forgotten events in our nation’s history, from the capture of the White House in 1814, to the bombing of the U.S. Capitol building in 1971 to recent events such as the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11 attacks of 2001.

The exhibition dramatically illustrates the challenges of securing our nation against internal threats without compromising the civil liberties upon which it was founded, and reflects on how responses to domestic attacks continue to affect our everyday lives.

Timeline of Events

• The City of Washington captured and the White House burned – August 24, 1814

• Manhattan hit by massive explosions in New York Harbor – July 30, 1916

• Anarchist bombings target American leaders – June 2, 1919

• 30,000 Ku Klux Klan members parade down Pennsylvania Avenue – August 8, 1925

• American helps Japanese pilot terrorize Hawaiian island after Pearl Harbor attack – December 7, 1941

• Kremlin launches one of the first Cold War attacks against the United States – April 1945

• Radical group detonates a bomb in the U.S. Capitol – March 1, 1971

• Massive bomb destroys the Federal Building in Oklahoma City – April 19, 1995

• Beyond September 11th – Terrorism Today

Artifacts include:

• More than 145 historic photographs and documents

• Timeline tracing more than 170 different events

• Anarchist Globe Bomb (replica, ca. 1886) presented as evidence in the trial of the men tried in connection with the Chicago Haymarket riot.

• APL Badge and ID Card (1917) carried by operatives of the American Protective League (APL) who spied on their fellow Americans on behalf of the U.S. Justice Department during World War I.

• Ritual Klan Red Robe (c. 1965) worn by the Klan “Kladd,” the elected Klan officer who presided over the secret rituals and ceremonies of the Ku Klux Klan.

• Fragments of the Planes that Hit the World Trade Center (2001), recovered after the attacks on September 11, 2001, and used as evidence by the FBI in their ensuing investigation.

• Visitor Polling Stations, unique computer interactive that allow visitors to express their opinions on questions raised in the exhibition about how the nation has responded to the historical events presented. Poll questions were developed in consultation with The Gallup Organization. Visitors also can see how Americans responded to similar questions posed by the Gallup Poll throughout history.

Spies, Traitors and Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America will make its only scheduled stop in Florida at the History Center Feb. 4 - June 24. The exhibition is recommended for ages 12 and up. For more information on related programming, visit our website or call (813) 228-0097.

History Center Hosts 'Passport to Cuba'

2012-01-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Tampa and Cuba have a storied past dating back hundreds of years. In fact, at the center of Tampa's city seal lies the Mascotte, Henry Plant's steamship that travelled twice a week between Tampa and Havana.

Explore this Tampa-Cuba connection during Passport to Cuba, a new six-week course beginning Jan. 18 at the History Center. Drawing on expertise from USF faculty in a number of disciplines, the class will examine major historical themes, people, and events, including an overview U.S.-Cuba relations and the origins of the Cuban Revolution, as well as Cuban art, architecture and literature.

Lead by Dr. Paul Dosal, Professor of Latin American History at USF and a 3rd-generation Cuban-American born and raised in Tampa, this course is not to be missed.

WHEN: Jan. 18, 25, Feb. 1, 8, 15 and 22, 10 a.m.- noon
WHERE: TBHC/TECO Hall
COST: $50 (6-week series)
REGISTER: Contact OLLI/USF at 813-974-2403 or www.usfseniors.org

Award-winning Author Lu Vickers to Visit the History Center for FL Conversations

2012-01-09T08:08:00.000-08:00

Children across the state may be lining up to experience LegoLand, Central Florida’s latest mega-amusement park, but long-time Florida residents remember when the sprawling tourist attraction now located off of Interstate 75 was known by a different name: Cypress Gardens.

Billed as a tropical paradise nestled under a canopy of exotic foliage, Florida’s first theme park is the subject of author Lu Vickers’ award-winning new book, Cypress Gardens, America's Tropical Wonderland. Filled with archival photos, vintage postcards and family snapshots, Cypress Gardens wanders through the 60-year history of the park, opened in 1936 by “The Man Who Invented Florida,” Dick Pope.

Vickers will discuss her book and the history of Cypress Gardens during the Florida Conversations Lecture Series on Thurs., Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Tampa Bay History Center.

Florida Conversations is co-sponsored by the USF Libraries Florida Studies Center and supported by WUSF Public Media and features authors and presenters covering a variety of Florida topics, from politics to fiction, history to environmental issues.

Public parking is available at the Tampa Bay Times Forum East Lot, the Channelside garage and other city-owned lots. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay Center at (813) 228-0097 or online at www.tampabayhistorycenter.org.

City of Tampa is Dissolved

2011-12-15T06:58:00.000-08:00

1855 Map of Tampa (TBHC Collection)

Following the end of the Civil War, Tampa’s leaders attempted to return their shattered city to some level of normalcy. Not surprisingly, Federal authorities had their own plans for bringing the South back into the United States. The era that would come to be called Reconstruction was highlighted by the national government’s attempts to bring what they considered equality to the Southern states. Those attempts were met with resistance and even open hostility throughout the South.

John T. Lesley (TBHC Collection)

Though involved with Tampa’s resurgence in the 1880s, John T. Lesley is perhaps best-known for his political actions during the initial post-war period. In his return to civilian life, he played an instrumental role in how Tampa received the concept of Reconstruction.

Florida’s Reconstruction legislature passed a law in 1869 calling for the reorganization of municipal governments. Lesley and other former Confederates felt that this would lead to Republican and African American control of city government. In an effort to eliminate that threat, Lesley ran for mayor on the platform that if was elected he would abolish Tampa’s city government. He won in a landslide and, true to his word, he saw that the city’s charter lapsed, therefore ensuring that it would not fall into the hands of Carpetbaggers (Northerners) and Scalawags (Southerners aiding the Carpetbaggers). Tampa would not become a city again until July 1887.

Rodney Kite-Powell
Saunders Foundation Curator of History
Tampa Bay History Center

History Center Holiday Festivities

2011-12-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

In celebration of the holiday season, choral ensembles from several local schools will perform in the Lykes Atrium at the History Center on select Sundays in December.

Dec. 4 - Riverview High School Choral Ensemble

Dec. 11 - Gulf Coast Children's Choir

Dec. 18 - Cambridge Christian School

Drama Ensemble

All choirs will perform from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

There will also be holiday-themed children's crafts available for children and parents on December 17, 18, 19, 22, 26, 27, and 28, and Jan. 1. Children's crafts are included with admission and free to members. Please join us in celebrating the holidays at the History Center.

History Center Welcomes Jerald Milanich to Florida Conversations

2011-11-29T12:17:00.000-08:00

Discover the “hidden lives” of Florida’s Seminoles when the History Center welcomes renowned author and anthropologist Jerald Milanich to Florida Conversations, this Thursday, December 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Milanich will discuss his new book, co-authored with Nina J. Root, Hidden Seminoles: Julian Dimock’s Historic Florida Photographs, which chronicles Dimock’s exploration of the Florida Everglades in 1905. The book features photographs culled from Dimock’s more than 6,000 glass negatives, which are housed at the American Museum of Natural History. These rare images document the lives of Seminoles in the Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp at a time when the tribe was largely unknown to the outside world.

Jerald Milanich is curator emeritus of the Florida Museum of Natural History and the author of many books and articles on Florida anthropology including Laboring in the Fields of the Lord: Spanish Missions and Southeastern Indians.

Florida Conversations is co-sponsored by the USF Libraries Florida Studies Center and supported by WUSF Public Media and features authors and presenters covering a variety of Florida topics, from politics to fiction, history to environmental issues.

Public parking is available at St. Pete Times Forum East Lot, the Channelside garage and other city-owned lots. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay Center at (813) 228-0097 or online at www.tampabayhistorycenter.org.

History Center Re-creates WWII Radio Broadcast

2011-11-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

Step back in time and tune in to December 8, 1941, a Studio@620/WMNF Radio Theater Project production written and directed by Emmy Award winning PBS documentary film director Larry Elliston and performed live at the Tampa Bay History Center on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.

The classic 1940s-era syndicated radio show Lum & Abner sets the stage, preceding the live broadcast of MacDill Field Radio News, as it might have been heard on WDAE in 1941. Staged 70 years and one day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 8, 1941 recreates the tension and anxiety that gripped Tampa on that dark day in American history.

Dr. Gary Mormino will introduce the program, leading a short panel discussion featuring Tampa residents who grew up in Tampa during WWII.

December 8, 1941 is presented by Tampa Bay History Center, the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, Studio@620, WMNF 88.5 FM and the Florida Humanities Council. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.tampabayhistorycenter.org or call (813) 228-0097.

Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television

2011-11-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

Cydi Edwards and our friends at WFLA Channel 8 visit the Tampa Bay History Center to check out Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television.

History Center Leads Kids on a Great Caper

2011-11-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's super family! On Saturday, November 19, you can experience the History Center’s newest exhibit, Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television, by dressing your family team in your craziest hero or villain outfits and exploring Tampa’s historic neighborhoods.

This caper takes your crew on a scavenger hunt through our galleries, then on to some of Tampa's historic urban treasures. We provide the clues as you hop on and off the TECO streetcar line through Channelside and Ybor City in search of storied landmarks. Return to the History Center to create a scrapbook of your adventure!

The Great Caper takes place from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and is recommended for ages 4 and up with an adult companion. $12 per child; $18 per adult. Price includes streetcar fare and TBHC admission for the day. TBHC members $10/child, $15/adult. Pre-registration is required.

For more information, contact Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or jtyson@tampabayhistorycenter.org.

History Center Welcomes Veterans

2011-11-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

Col. Lenny J. Richoux

All veterans and active-duty service members will receive buy-one-get-one-free admission to the Tampa Bay History Center on Veteran’s Day weekend, beginning Friday, November 11 through Sunday, November 13.

To mark the weekend-long celebration, the History Center will welcome Col. Lenny J. Richoux, Commander of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, who will discuss the history of Veteran’s Day. Richoux’s talk, “Veteran's Day-Honoring a Legacy of Service,” is scheduled for Saturday, November 12 at 2 p.m.

Veteran’s Day weekend at the History Center is sponsored by the TECO Energy Foundation. All veterans and active-duty service members with military I.D. will receive buy-one-get-one-free admission.

The History Center is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Public parking is available at the St. Pete Times Forum East Lot, the Channelside garage and other city-owned lots. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay Center at (813) 228-0097 or online at www.tampabayhistorycenter.org.

History Center Comes Alive During Night at the Museum

2011-10-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

As the museum winds down, the exhibits come alive! Catch Darth Vader, the “Real” Tampa Bay Ghostbusters and more sneaking around the galleries after hours during A Night at the Museum, Sunday, Oct. 30 from 5-7 p.m. at the Tampa Bay History Center.

Families are invited to haunt the History Center while kids trick-or-treat through the new exhibition Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television.

Wear your coolest costumes, play ghoulish games, make creepy crafts, and go on a scavenger hunt–all while snagging candy from movie characters come to life!

A Night at the Museum is open to children of all ages with adult companion. TBHC members $6/child; $8/adult. Non-members $9/child; $14/adult. Children should bring thier own treat holders. For more information, give us a call at (813) 228-0097.

Kids Explore ‘Museum Mysteries’ at the History Center

2011-09-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay History Center continues its children's program, A Little History, on Thursday, October 13 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. with Museum Mysteries.

Dress up in your favorite costume and enjoy a spooky (not scary!) adventure as you solve the case of the missing artifact. Fingerprints will be taken as we search behind the scenes and through the galleries to find the culprit! Make a spooky craft with your thumbprints and enjoy a silly sing-a-long.

A Little History is open to children ages 3-5 with an adult companion. Programs are held the second Thursday of each month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Each program is $10 per child and $6 per adult. Members of the Tampa Bay History Center receive a $2 discount for children and adults. One adult must accompany every two children. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.

For more information on A Little History, contact Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or jtyson@tampabayhistorycenter.org.

Political insiders gather at the History Center to discuss history of Tampa Politics

2011-09-22T13:12:00.001-07:00

Tampa politics is filled with tales of corruption, scandals and labor disputes - and that’s just the 19th century.

A new course at the Tampa Bay History Center will assemble politicians, journalists, historians, lobbyists and activists for a five-week exploration of Tampa Bay’s fascinating – and sometimes wild – political past.

Each session will cover a different aspect of local politics, including women in politics, corruption and mafia influence, the news media, voter participation and more. Panelists include USF historian Gary Mormino, former Tampa mayor Sandra Freedman, former County Commissioner Jan Platt, journalists Rob Lorei, Dan Ruth, Keith Kate and Kelly Ring, along with a host of local political activists, lobbyists and other experts.

Tampa History Highlights is organized by the Tampa Bay History Center and USF’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Classes are held each Wednesday from 10 a.m.-noon, beginning Oct. 5th at the History Center. Cost is $50 for the five-week series Pre-registration is required. To register, call USF at (813) 974-2403. For more information about the course or the exhibition and related programming, visit http://www.tampabayhistorycenter.org/.

Course Schedule:

Oct. 5
Gary Mormino: Florida Politics Since 1900
Mafia and Corruption featuring Bob Kerstein, John A. Jones, Paul Game, Suzanne Willett

Oct. 12
Darryl Paulson: Shifts in Political Parties in Florida
Politics and Civil Rights in 20th Century Tampa with Fred Hearns, Helen G. Davis, Sandy Freedman, Delano Stewart

Oct. 19
Betty Castor: Changing Role of Women in Politics
Women Making a Difference featuring Jan Platt, Mary Figg, Pat Frank, Gwen Miller

Oct. 26
Changing Media Landscape featuring Patrick Manteiga, Dan Ruth, William March , Kelly Ring, and Keith Cate. Moderated by Rob Lorei
How Voter Participation Affects Politics featuring Mickey Castor, Joseph Citro, Stacy Feiler, Chuck Smith

Nov. 5
Political Influences of Lobbyist and Consultants featuring Kathy Betancourt, Ron Weaver, Jan Gorrie April Schiff, Adam Goodman , Mitch Kates
Susan MacManus: Political Changes of Today and Tomorrow

History Center Exhibit is 'Out of This World'

2011-09-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

There’s the Gasparilla Parade of Pirates, the Sant Yago Night Parade, and the Mama Guava Stumble -- but downtown Tampa will experience its first out-of-this-world invasion when the Tampa Bay History Center opens Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Just in time for Halloween, Out of This World will feature more than 30 costumes and related objects from science fiction films and television programs such as, Star Wars, Blade Runner, Terminator, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and Batman.

The exhibit kicks off on Oct. 1 with an inter-galactic invasion led by Florida’s 501st Rebel Legion and the Real Tampa Ghostbusters. Costumed characters will begin their march to the History Center along downtown Tampa’s Riverwalk in Cotanchobee-Ft. Brooke Park at 1 p.m. The procession begins at the Marriott Waterside, traveling east to the History Center.

The exhibition will allow visitors to examine how costume design incorporates color, style, scale, materials, historical traditions and cultural cues to help performers and audiences engage, in new or accepted ways, with the characters being portrayed.

“The costumes and characters depicted in Out of This World are part of American culture, part of our shared cultural history,” said Rodney Kite-Powell, Saunders Foundation Curator at the History Center.

On exhibit through January 7, 2012 in the History Center’s Wayne Thomas Gallery, Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television is organized by the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle and is presented by Bright House Networks, the St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Digital and the Kimmins Foundation.

For more information on the exhibit and related programming, visit our website.

Author Shares Stories of Young Explorer at History Center

2011-09-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Follow in the footsteps of one of Florida’s youngest explorers when the Tampa Bay History Center welcomes Harvey E. Oyer III, author of the children’s book series The Adventures of Charlie Pierce, to Florida Conversations on Saturday, September 24 at 2 p.m.

The Pierce family was among the first to settle in South Florida in the late 1800s and young Charlie grew up exploring the Florida wilderness, populated at the time by Seminole Indians, alligators and the remnants of Spanish shipwrecks.

Oyer will discuss the stories featured in his Adventures of Charlie Pierce series, which are drawn from the diaries and journals Pierce kept throughout his life.

Admission to the History Center is free on Saturday, part of Museum Day, which is organized by Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Day at the History Center is made possible by Dex Imaging.

Florida Conversations is co-sponsored by the USF Libraries Florida Studies Center and supported by WUSF Public Media and features authors and presenters covering a variety of Florida topics, from politics to fiction, history to environmental issues.

Public parking is available at St. Pete Times Forum East Lot, the Channelside garage and other city-owned lots. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay Center at (813) 228-0097 or online at http://www.tampabayhistorycenter.org/.

Archaeology: Classes at the Tampa Bay History Center Unlock the Secrets of Human Bones

2011-09-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

You won’t find them on CSI, but archaeologists from USF and the Florida Public Archaeology Network know a thing or two about dead people. Secrets of Human Bones, a new class series, will be held on September 27th, October 4th & 11th from 6:30-8 p.m. at the History Center. The series will dig down deep to find out how Florida's first people lived and died by investigating human remains uncovered in Florida's mortuary ponds and burial mounds. Find out what these well-preserved bones tell today's archaelogists about early life in Florida.

The classes will be held in the classroom at the Tampa Bay History Center and the cost is $30 for the 3-week series. To find out more information or to register for the series, call TBHC at 813-228-0097, ext. 0.

Ybor City Photo History Safari presented by the Tampa Bay History Center and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts

2011-09-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Put on your walking shoes and prepare to capture some historic sights on this three-hour photo safari. Camera and history enthusiasts alike will enjoy this enjoyable and educational photo safari through Ybor City. Participants will discover the colorful history and heritage of Ybor, while learning from a professional photographer how to get the best shots of local historic landmarks. Co-presented by the Tampa Bay History Center and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMOPA).

The tours will be held on two Saturdays, September 17th & November 12th and will go from 1-4 P.M.

Participants will meet at La Tropicana Café, located at 1822 E 7th Ave. in Ybor City and leave from there. The cost is $50 for members of the Tampa Bay History Center and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts; the cost for non-members is $60. Since each tour is limited to a maximum of 15 participants, you may secure your spot in a class by calling FMOPA at 813-221-2222. For more information, please visit http://www.fmopa.org/.

HISTeria Returns to the Tampa Bay History Center

2011-09-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

Grab your superhero tights and get ready for HISTeria, returning to the History Center from 8 p.m. till midnight on Saturday, October 22. Presented by Cigar City Brewing, downtown Tampa's premier adult costume party promises to be even bigger and better than last year, featuring beers from Cigar City brewing and food from Datz Delicatessen, Café Dufrain, the Columbia Café, Pizza Fusion, Splitsville and more.

Drawing on the History Center’s newest exhibit Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television, HISTeria attendees are encouraged to wear costumes inspired by classic movies and kitschy television shows from the past.

Tickets are $50 in advance. History Center members recieve a $10 discount before October 1. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.histeriaevent.org/.

Seeking New Volunteer Docents

2011-09-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

Do you have a passion for history? Want to learn more about Florida and the Tampa Bay region, and share your knowledge and enthusiasm with others? If so, apply to become a volunteer docent at the History Center. Docents are the History Center's welcoming faces and informed voices, leading thousands of school children through the galleries for lively and interactive lessons.

We are currently recruiting applicants for our 2011 training class. No experience is necessary-the only prerequisites are enthusiasm, commitment and a willingness to learn. For more information, contact Julie Henry Matus at 813-675-8981 or matus@tampabayhistorycenter.org.

History Center Announces Partnership with Smithsonian Institution

2011-09-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

The Smithsonian Institution has selected the Tampa Bay History Center to participate in its Smithsonian Affiliations Program. The History Center joins a prestigious national list of affiliates and is one of only 12 in Florida.

This partnership between the History Center, which opened its new facility in downtown Tampa’s Channelside District in 2009, and the Smithsonian provides a broad range of benefits including access to technical support for programs and collections, professional development opportunities for History Center staff, and increased marketing and awareness through the Smithsonian Affiliations website and newsletter.

Perhaps most significantly, this relationship allows the History Center access to the Smithsonian’s collection of more than 130 million artifacts, offering extended loans for temporary and permanent exhibits.

“We are proud of this partnership and we are excited about the opportunities available to us through the affiliation agreement,” said the History Center’s Frank E. Duckwall Foundation President and CEO, C.J. Roberts.

“We are delighted to begin our affiliation with the Tampa Bay History Center,” said Harold A. Closter, director of Smithsonian Affiliations. “The History Center has a distinguished record of serving the public through exhibitions, educational outreach and public programming. Working together, we look forward to bringing the Smithsonian to Tampa, while we bring Tampa’s story to larger national audiences.”

Visitors will have the opportunity to visit the History Center free of charge as part of Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day, on Saturday, September 24. Museum Day at the History Center is made possible locally by Dex Imaging.

For more information about the Tampa Bay History Center, visit http://www.tampabayhistorycenter.org/. For more information about Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day, visit www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday.

History Center Celebrates Grandparent’s Day

2011-08-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

Celebrate Grandparent’s Day at the History Center with a special party and a “sleepover” just for stuffed animals. Kids ages 4-8 are invited to bring their grandparents and favorite stuffed animal to enjoy treats, crafts and story time on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Let Grammy or Grandpa help you make a one-of-kind blanket for your furry pal before leaving him or her with us to spend the night at the museum. Come back the next day to pick up your stuffed friend along with photos of their fun adventures!

Stuffed Animal Sleep Over is $8 /adult, $12 / child. History Center members receive a $2 discount for both adults and children. One stuffed animal per child, pre-registration required.

For more information on A Little History, contact Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or jtyson@tampabayhistorycenter.org.

Make Time for 'A Little History'

2011-08-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay History Center continues its children's program, A Little History, on Thursday, September 8th from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. with Child’s Play!

Celebrate our new Tampa Sports exhibit by playing timeless Tampa games like bocce ball and jai alai, old time favorites like relay races and target toss, and crafting your very own game to play at home! Seek more fun with a scavenger hunt through our new exhibit to find the Lightning's Stanley Cup and more!

A Little History is open to children ages 3 to 5 with an adult companion. Programs are once each month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Each program is $10 per child and $6 per adult. Members of the Tampa Bay History Center receive a $2 discount for children and adults. One adult must accompany every two children. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.

For more information on A Little History, contact Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or jtyson@tampabayhistorycenter.org.

Visit Northern Spain with the History Center

2011-08-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

Santiago De Compostella, Oviedo, Covadonga, Comillas, Santander. These are just a few of the places you'll explore during this exclusive tour of northern Spain presented by the History Center and AAA.

On May 2 - 12, 2012, travel abroad with former History Center Trustee E.J. Salcines and trace Tampa Bay's and Florida's Spanish roots through the picturesque towns and cities of northern Spain.

To receive more detailed information or to reserve your place on the trip, visit the AAA website.

Tampa Bay Lightning and the History Center Encourage Kids to ‘Play it Forward’

2011-08-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

Bolt into one last summer adventure with the History Center and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, August 20 from 10-3 p.m.

Join Lightning mascot Thunderbug and get your hands on real hockey equipment, play street hockey in Cotanchobee Park, or go on a scavenger hunt through the History Center's galleries.

Plus, receive one free admission per family with a donation of new school supplies. Donations benefit the Salvation Army.

Activities are free with admission to the History Center.

Play it Forward is part of Sports in Tampa Bay: Through the Eyes of Lamar Sparkman, currently on exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center through September 12.

Play it Forward is presented by the Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine. Regular admission rates apply. For more information, visit www.tampabayhistorycenter.org or call (813) 228-0097.

Summer Camp Celebrates Tampa's Latin Heritage

2011-08-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

¿Habla Español? Begining August 8, children 8-11 can learn to speak Spanish while they make a Tampa-style Cuban sandwich and pick up some Latin dance moves during Viva Tampa!, our last History Adventure Camp of the season. For one week, campers will celebrate the food, music, and festivals of Tampa's rich Hispanic and Latin cultures.

Viva Tampa! is $150 for non-members and $135 for TBHC members. Camp begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. Extended care is available for an additional fee. Pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, visit our website.

History Center Welcomes Sports Legends

2011-08-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

Remember when the Bucs wore orange, soccer was a “Kick in the Grass” and Steve Spurrier was head coach…of the Bandits? Relive Tampa Bay’s early sports glory during the Tampa Sports Reunion at the Tampa Bay History Center on Saturday, August 13 from 3-6 p.m.

Hosted by 970 WFLA’s Jack Harris, visitors can mingle with former pros from the Bucs, Bandits, Lighting and Rowdies as more than 30 former athletes will be on hand to sign autographs, take photographs and chat with museum patrons. Harris will be joined by announcers from 620 WDAE The Sports Animal broadcasting live from the History Center.

Confirmed players include*:

BUCS
Tyji Armstrong, Ian Beckles, Aaron Brown, Jeff Carlson, Brian Gant, Dave Green, David Greenwood, Harold Hart, David Lewis, Ricky Reynolds, Council Rudolph, Rob Taylor, Richard “Batman” Wood, Nathan Wonsley, Jerry Wunsch, Steve Young (not the QB).

BANDITS
Mike Butler, Jim Fitzpatrick, John Reaves, Chuck Pitcock, Bruce Vaughan, Walter Carter, Mike Clark, Zenon Andrusyshyn

ROWDIES
Mike Connell, Dave Power, Francisco Marcos, Arnie Mausser, Winston Dubose, Rodney Marsh, Peter Roe, Ed Austin, Steve Wegerle

LIGHTNING
Dave Andreychuk

Tampa Sports Legends is part of Sports in Tampa Bay: Through the Eyes of Lamar Sparkman, currently on exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center.

Best known as the creator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ original swashbuckling logo, Lamar Sparkman’s drawings of professional and amateur athletes span more than 40 years. Those drawings, along with trophies and memorabilia from Tampa’s Bay’s professional, collegiate and amateur teams are on exhibit through September 12.

Admission to Tampa Sports Legends includes full gallery access.

The Tampa Sports Reunion is presented by 620 WDAE The Sports Animal and sponsored by the Tampa Tribune. Regular admission rates apply. For more information, visit www.tampabayhistorycenter.org or call (813) 228-0097.

* Player appearances are not guaranteed. The History Center is not responsible for cancellations or players' personal schedules.

Why Do They Call it Curtis Hixon Park? History of Downtown Tampa's Waterfront

2011-07-27T07:33:00.001-07:00

Watch the Tampa Bay Rays Battle the Kansas City Royals at the History Center

2011-07-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Rays Head to History Center

2011-07-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

Watch the Tampa Bay Rays battle the Kansas City Royals in Cotanchobee Park in front of the History Center on Friday evening, July 22.

View the game on a huge 16-foot screen in the park or relax with a glass of sangria on the Columbia Cafe's outdoor patio while watching the action on two flat screen TVs. Also, check out the pre- and post-game radio show featuring Rays broadcaster Rich Herrera.

Plus, if you haven't seen the History Center’s latest exhibit Sports in Tampa Bay, featuring the Rays’ 2008 ALCS Trophy and other items from the Bucs and the Lightning, now's your chance. The History Center is staying open late, with extended gallery hours and half-price admission from 5-7:30 p.m.

Enjoy Rays activities and giveaways throughout the evening, plus an appearance by the Rays’ mascot, Raymond. The pre-game radio show starts at 7:30 p.m., and the game’s first pitch is at 8:10 p.m.

Parking will be available at the St. Pete Times Forum East Lot, Channelside Parking Garage or the Channelside Surface Lot.

For more information, visit www.tampabayhistorycenter.org or call 813-228-0097.

Rays, Pirates and Thunderbugs at the Tampa Bay History Center

2011-07-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

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Sports in Tampa Bay: Through the Eyes of Lamar Sparkman - Behind the Scenes

2011-06-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

We're just a few short days away from the opening of our sports exhibit here at the History Center. Opening Father's Day weekend, Sports in Tampa Bay: Through the Eyes of Lamar Sparkman covers more than 70 years of competitive play in the Tampa Bay area.

The exhibit features artifacts from high school stand-outs to home-grown pros and includes the Buccaneers' Vince Lombardi Trophy, the Lightning's Stanley Cup replica and the Rays' ALCS trophy.

Here are a few behind-the-scenes shots as our curatorial team puts the finishing touches on the exhibit.

Sports in Tampa Bay opens this Saturday, June 18 with free admission for Dads all weekend courtesy of Verizon.

All images courtesy of Tampa Bay History Center and may not be reproduced without permission.

Tampa Sports Remembered Recalls Area's Sports Legacy

2011-06-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

WFLA 970's Jack Harris

Phil Esposito. Tino Martinez. Don Zimmer. These are just a few of the people who, beginning June 15 at the Tampa Bay History Center, will gather to discuss the history of sports in Tampa Bay.

With sessions moderated by News Radio 970’s Jack Harris, WTSP-TV reporter Grayson Kamm, and former WFLA-TV sports anchor Dick Crippen, Tampa Sports Remembered is a new four-week course covering everything from the Tampa Bay Bandits and Rowdies of the early 1980s, to the 1990s efforts to bring professional hockey and other big-league franchises to Tampa Bay.

The course is part of Sports in Tampa Bay: Through the Eyes of Lamar Sparkman, a new exhibition opening June 18 at the Tampa Bay History Center.

Best known as the creator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ original swashbuckling logo, Lamar Sparkman’s drawings of professional and amateur athletes span more than 40 years. Those drawings, along with trophies, jerseys and memorabilia from Tampa’s professional, collegiate and amateur teams will be on exhibit at the History Center through September 12.

Tampa Sports Remembered is organized by the Tampa Bay History Center and USF’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Classes are held each Wednesday at 10 a.m. beginning June 15 through July 6 at the History Center. Cost is $40 for the series. To register, call (813) 974-2403. For more information about the course or the exhibition and related programming, our website or call (813) 228-0097.

History Center Welcomes New York Times Bestseller Tim Dorsey

2011-06-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

The History Center welcomes New York Times bestselling author Tim Dorsey to the Florida Conversations Lecture Series on Thursday, June 16th at 6:30 p.m.

A former Tampa Tribune reporter and long-time Tampa resident, Dorsey has authored 13 novels including Florida Roadkill (1999) Stingray Shuffle (2003), and The Big Bamboo (2006).

Florida’s quirky and diverse landscape serves as the backdrop for Dorsey’s crime capers as his main character, Surge Storms, traverses the state from Lake Okeechobee to the panhandle in search of scam artists, fugitives and corrupt politicians.

Dorsey’s talk at the History Center, “Florida: A Target-Rich Environment for Writers,” will offer a Florida travelogue as only Tim Dorsey could present it.

Co-sponsored by the USF Libraries Florida Studies Center and supported by WUSF Public Media, Florida Conversations features authors and presenters covering a variety of Florida topics, from politics to fiction, history to environmental issues.

Florida Conversations is free and open to the public. Public parking is available at St. Pete Times Forum East Lot, the Channelside garage and other city-owned lots. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay History Center at (813) 228-0097 or online at http://www.tampabayhistorycenter.org./

Sports in Tampa Bay Draws on Area's Sports History

2011-06-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

The NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, MLB’s American League Championship Trophy, and a replica of the NHL’s Stanley Cup will be on display to the public during a new exhibit opening Father’s Day weekend at the Tampa Bay History Center.

Bring dad to the Tampa Bay History Center and experience 70 years of competitive play during Sports in Tampa Bay: Through the Eyes of Lamar Sparkman, a new exhibition opening Saturday, June 18. All dads will receive free admission on both Saturday and Sunday, courtesy of Verizon.

Sports in Tampa Bay recounts teams and players from Tampa’s past, highlighting spring training stars, Super Bowl champions and college stand-outs. Tampa Bay’s modern sports franchises are also celebrated, with memorabilia from the Tampa Bay Rays, Lightning and Buccaneers, as well as personal items from some of Tampa’s home-grown sports heroes.

In addition to the Buc’s Vince Lombardi trophy and the Rays’ ALCS trophy, the exhibit will include Lou Piniella’s World Series trophy, Tino Martinez’s Silver Slugger award, and line up-cards from the Rays’ 2008 World Series run.

Perhaps best known as the creator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ original swashbuckling logo, which fans labeled “Bucco Bruce,” Lamar Sparkman’s drawings of professional and amateur athletes span more than 40 years. In 2010, the Sparkman family donated more than 200 original drawings by the late cartoonist to the Tampa Bay History Center. Those drawings, along with objects from Tampa’s professional, collegiate and amateur teams, tell the story of Sports in Tampa Bay: Through the Eyes of Lamar Sparkman.

Sports in Tampa Bay is made possible with support from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, USF, Kimmins Foundation and Clear Channel Communications and is on exhibit June 18 through September 12, 2011 in the History Center’s Wayne Thomas gallery. For more information about the exhibition and related programming, visit www.tampabayhistorycenter.org or call (813) 228-0097.

Culinary Workshop Series Features Columbia Restaurant Signature Dishes

2011-05-31T06:42:00.000-07:00

Artifact Spotlight

2011-05-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

“Welcome President Carter” political button, ca. 1979

2011.012.014

Courtesy of J. Thomas Touchton

On August 30, 1979, President Jimmy Carter visited Thomas Jefferson High School in Tampa for a town hall meeting to discuss his energy policies. Buttons to commemorate the presidential visit – such as the one now in our collection - could be purchased at the event for $2.

Carter’s trip to Tampa came during the height of the second major energy crisis of the 1970s, this one sparked by the Iranian Revolution. A month earlier, on July 15, Carter delivered his “Crisis of Confidence” speech to the American public. In the speech, Carter touched on the major issues of the day: unemployment, soaring gas prices, dependence on foreign oil, energy conservation, and the need to develop alternative sources of energy.

For more than an hour during his visit to Tampa, Carter fielded questions from the audience on the issue of energy. He urged everyone to go home and figure out how to save on gas and electricity. Saving energy, Carter said, “is the cheapest, easiest, most pleasant way to be a patriotic American.”

Just a few months after his visit to Tampa, new developments around the world joined the energy crisis as priorities for Carter. The Iranian Hostage Crisis, the Soviet invasion of

Afghanistan

, and a challenge by Sen. Edward Kennedy for the Democratic nomination in 1980 would consume the remainder of his presidency.

Carter’s visit to Jefferson High School marked his last public appearance in Tampa as President, though he would return to the Tampa Bay area for a campaign stop in St. Petersburg on October 10, 1980.

Shipwrecked!

2011-05-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

The sidewheel steamship Isis caught fire and sank near Tampa in 1836. The Kate Dale and the Scottish Chief, two Confederate blockade runners, lie at the bottom of the Hillsborough River. The Evening Star went down at Clearwater in 1872.

Shipwrecked!, a new course offered by the Tampa Bay History Center, dives beneath the surface to uncover thousands of years of maritime history in West Central Florida.

Beginning with Florida’s first people, who navigated dugout canoes along Florida’s inland lakes and streams, to Spanish Conquistadores whose grand galleons were the first European sailing vessels to reach the New World, Shipwrecked! maps the schooners and steamers, pirates and legends that lie at the bottom of Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Classes begin Wednesday, June 1 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and continue through June 15. Cost is $30 per person. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, call Lee Leavengood at 813.675.8971 or email her at lleavengood@tampabayhistorycenter.org.

Hillsborough County History: Part Six of a Series

2011-05-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

Buffalo Soldier in Tampa, 1898
TBHC Collection

In 1898, Tampa was one of three port cities selected as the port of embarkation for troops bound for Cuba and the Spanish - American War. During the summer months of June, July and August, Tampa's population swelled by over 40,000 temporary residents. The small city was overwhelmed, but managed. Although local merchants saw increased profits in the summer of 1898, there was no direct, long term, benefit to Tampa. There were some indirect bonuses, not the least of which was the Army Corps of Engineers agreeing to dredge a shipping channel from Tampa Bay into Hillsborough Bay to downtown Tampa.

World War I would not have as drastic affect on Tampa, but World War II certainly would. During the war years of 1939 - 1945, thousands of servicemen and women, and their families, would come to Florida. Tampa sported three military bases: MacDill Army Air Base, Drew Field and Henderson Field. In addition, shipbuilding firms buzzed with activity 24 hours a day. The two largest, Tampa Shipbuilding and Engineering Company and McCloskey Shipbuilding Company, employed hundreds and produced cargo and navy vessels for the war effort.

Franklin and Twiggs Streets,
downtown Tampa.
TBHC Collection

After the war, many of the servicemen and women would return to Hillsborough County, where they once trained, to live and start families. The wartime growth continued, but in different areas. Tampa's port was thriving. MacDill Army Airfield would evolve to MacDill Air Force Base, home to the United States Central Command, while Drew Field became Tampa International Airport. Busch Gardens occupies much of the area formerly covered by Henderson Field.

The county's population increased dramatically after World War II, from 207,844 in 1945 to approximately 958,050 in 1999. Growth occured in all areas, but urban sprawl would dominate some parts of the county, especially those close to the City of Tampa.

Free Admission for Mom This Weekend at the History Center

2011-05-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

New Course Celebrates Tampa Landmarks

2011-05-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

Each of Tampa’s historic neighborhoods tells a story. From the bungalows of Hyde Park and the grand social clubs of Ybor City, to the towering cigar factories of West Tampa, the architecture of each neighborhood reveals its unique personality. Beginning May 4, Tampa’s Landmark Neighborhoods, a new four-week course, offered by the History Center and USF’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, takes you on a virtual tour of Old Tampa.

The course features former Tampa City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena, former City of Tampa Historic Preservation Manager, Del Acosta, and preservation architect Grant Rimby. Each will review the history, development and architectural features of Hillsborough County’s historic neighborhoods from Temple Terrace to Port Tampa. Join these long-time preservation advocates and Tampa natives as they share their knowledge and enthusiasm about Tampa’s landmark neighborhoods.

Tampa’s Landmark Neighborhoods takes place each Wednesday from May 4 through May 25 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Tampa Bay History Center. Cost is $40.00. Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact the History Center's Adult Programs Coordinator, Lee Leavengood, at (813) 675-8971. Or, contact the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at (813) 974-2403 to register.

Hillsborough County History: Part Five of a Series

2011-04-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Captian James McKay

TBHC Collection

The only profitable (legal) ventures [in the Tampa Bay area] were cattle and timber. As early as the 1850s, cattle traders established a route from Florida to Cuba. This trade resumed shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War. Cubans were able to pay in gold for cattle, so area ranchers soon were back on their feet. The trade was pioneered by Tampan James McKay. He shipped his cattle to Cuba from Gadsden Point, at the lower end of the Interbay Peninsula. McKay was joined in this endeavor by other Hillsborough County residents, notably the Lesleys, Lykes and Hookers.

Florida, and Tampa, however, remained destitute for almost two decades. Finally, in 1881, relief was on the northern horizon. Henry Plant was bringing his new railroad south, and he picked Tampa as his railhead.

The railroad arrived in 1884, and the following year construction began on Tampa's first two cigar factories, Sanchez y Haya and V. M. Ybor and Co., in a new suburb -- Ybor City. The railroad and cigars would shape Tampa like nothing else had. Plant improved the fledgling port at the southwestern tip of the Interbay Peninsula, and soon Port Tampa was shipping goods and people throughout ports along the Gulf of Mexico.

Hillsborough County's population grew, as did its prosperity. Immigrants from Cuba, Spain and Italy came to work in the cigar factories of Ybor City and West Tampa.

Ignacio Haya
TBHC Collection

Tens, and later hundreds, of millions of hand rolled cigars were produced in Tampa factories. The industry enjoyed its status as Tampa's biggest money-maker until the 1930s, when the Great Depression, mechanization and cigarette smoking began to take their toll.

Loading phosphate at Port Tampa
TBHC Collection

The same year that Ybor and Haya opened their factories, 1886, pebble phosphate was discovered in the Peace River in Polk County, Florida. Phosphate was later discovered in the Hillsborough River and in the largely undeveloped southern portion of Hillsborough County. Though not mentioned as much as the cigar industry and the railroad, the phosphate industry outlasted both. Daily, trains traverse the tracks through downtown Tampa, as they have done since 1889, carrying their loads of phosphate to the docks at Port Tampa.

Tampa Bay History Center Celebrates Moms

2011-04-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay History Center will celebrate Mother’s Day by offering free admission for moms on Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. To commemorate the day, the History Center will offer arts and crafts for kids in the Lykes Atrium and a 15% discount in the Museum Store on select items.

Complimentary admission to the History Center is made possible by Verizon.

The Mother’s Day celebration will take place during regular business hours at the History Center. Call (813) 228-0097 or check our website for more information.

Hillsborough County History: Part Four of a Series

2011-04-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Two years after Jackson's map was complete, Tampa received a city charter from the State of Florida. Prosperity seemed certain, but national politics held different plans for Tampa and Hillsborough County. On January 10, 1861, Florida became the third state to secede from the Union.

The Confederate Army held Fort Brooke throughout most of the Civil War. It was shelled by Union warships on several occasions and was captured in May 1864. After scouting the area for a day, the victors found nothing of use and abandoned the area. They returned until after the war as occupation troops.

Alfred Beal

Floridians, during Reconstruction, struggled with a wide variety of issues. Most Black Floridians were experiencing freedom for the first time. Freedman from the Hillsborough County settlements of Hopewell, Knights and Springhead founded Bealsville, a community south of Plant City. While the Homestead Act granted the land, it did not guarantee the claimants would become landowners. To retain title, applicants had to construct homes, clear land and procure farming implements. Despite the overwhelming odds, the community succeeded, and still exists to this day.

Freedom, too, held no guarantee. It was tainted with the continued indignities heaped upon by whites, both southern and the new northern "carpetbaggers" who came to Florida to turn a quick profit at the expense of southerners, both white and black. Depression, both emotional and economic, hung over Hillsborough County.

Civil War Sesquicentennial Week Recap

2011-04-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

Florida Volunteer, Library of Congress

The 150th anniversary of the Civil War has recieved quite a bit of attention this week with our own Rodney Kite-Powell appearing on several local broadcasts and many more news stories appearing in the local papers and national media. The New York Times blog DISUNION is a particularly good read.

Of course, if you haven't gotten a chance to see it yet, be sure you check out Blue and Gray in Tampa Bay: The Civil War of Florida's Gulf Coast, on exhibit in the Wayne Thomas Gallery at the History Center through May.

Also, coming up on May 22, Historian Daniel Schafer will be at the History Center to talk about his book, Thunder on the River: The Civil War in Northeast Florida. The free lecture is part of the Florida Conversations Lecture Series.

To round out the week of Civil War coverage, Studio 360 featured a series of Civil War-releated interivews and podcasts marking the sesquicentennial. An interview with historian Adam Goodheart, author of the new book 1861: The Civil War Awakening is embeded below:

Florida Conversations Explores Environmental ‘Insanity’

2011-04-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

The History Center welcomes award-winning St. Petersburg Times environmental reporter Craig Pittman to the Florida Conversations Lecture Series on Sunday, April 17, at 3:00 p.m.

Pittman will discuss his latest book, Manatee Insanity: Inside the War Over Florida's Most Famous Endangered Species

A three-time Waldo Proffitt Award winner for Distinguished Environmental Journalism in Florida, Pittman’s investigative reporting has exposed flaws and corruption in Florida’s regulation of sensitive wetlands and water resources. In a 2004 story for the Times, he uncovered a secret plan by Florida’s business leaders to transfer water from sleepy North Florida to booming South Florida. The stories caused such an uproar that then-Gov. Jeb Bush scuttled the plan.

Pittman’s previous book, Paving Paradise: Florida’s Vanishing Wetlands and the Failure of No Net Loss, was recognized by the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Co-sponsored by the USF Libraries Florida Studies Center and supported by WUSF Public Media, Florida Conversations features authors and presenters covering a variety of Florida topics, from politics to fiction, history to environmental issues.

Florida Conversations is free and open to the public. Public parking is available at St. Pete Times Forum East Lot, the Channelside garage and other city-owned lots. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay History Center at (813) 228-0097 our website.

History Center Curator Discusses 150th Anniversary of the Civil War on Good Day Tampa Bay

2011-04-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

The War Between the States started 150 years ago today and it remains one of the most compelling topics in American history.

In fact, 800 new books are reportedly published on the Civil War each year. The four-year war changed us and the way we see ourselves.

While the issue of slavery, of course, is definitely one of the root causes of the war, there were other reasons that so many young men put on the blue and gray -- and some say those same causes are alive and well today.

Rodney Kite-Powell, curator of the Tampa Bay History Center, discussed the Civil War on Good Day Tampa Bay.

Civil discourse on war's anniversary: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

Hillsborough County History Part 3 of a Series

2011-04-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Within the first two decades of the 1800s, two distinct settlements had grown in present-day Hillsboroough County -- the Cuban settlement of Spanishtown Creek, near today's Hyde Park, and the Seminole village of Thlonotosassa, on the shore of Lake Thonotosassa. These enclaves attracted little attention until after the transfer of Florida to the United States in 1821.

National and international attention shifted to Florida when General Andrew Jackson made an illegal foray into the territory in 1817 to aid Americans living on the Florida/Georgia border who were fighting the Seminoles and to capture runaway slaves. Eventually, the United States would fight three wars against the Seminoles, with the last one (1855-1858) ending with the deportation of all but approximately 300 Seminoles from the state to the Indian Territory in Oklahoma. This last group lived deep in the Everglades of south Florida. From this determined group grew the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida of today.

As a result of early fighting between the Seminoles and white settlers, the American government established a series of forts throughout Florida.

One of these, Fort Brooke, is now the nucleus of modern Tampa. Fort Brooke was established in 1824 by Colonel George Mercer Brooke and Colonel James Gadsden. During the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), the fort served as the United States Army's Southern Headquarters. Future U. S. President Zachery Taylor, a general during the war, served at Fort Brooke.

Within a few years of its founding, a small village sprang from the northern boundary of the fort. The first post office (1831) officially named the village Tampa Bay, but the name was soon shortened to Tampa. The meaning and origin of the name has been debated for years, with no consensus, but a strong theory is it was the name of a native village (sometimes spelled Tanpa) on the bay.

The first town plots were laid out in the 1830s by Judge Augustus Steele, but these were invalidated by the US government because they included Fort Brooke property. In 1847, the government reduced the size of the fort and donated the excess land to Hillsborough County. The land was platted for sale, the proceeds of which would fund the construction of a new county courthouse in Tampa, which by this point was the county seat. John Jackson completed the survey and drew the first official map of Tampa in 1853.

Kids ‘Dig’ Archaeology at the History Center

2011-04-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

Uncover your inner archaeologist when the Tampa Bay History Center continues its children's program, A Little History, on Thursday, April 7^th from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. with Dig This! Archaeology Adventures.

Dig in to Florida’s past, when giant sloths and saber toothed tigers roamed free. Learn how archaeologists study artifacts and discover what life was like for Florida’s first people. Children will play age-appropriate games and dig up a few tasty “artifacts” as they unearth chocolate chip cookies.

A Little History is open to children ages 3 to 5 with an adult companion. Programs are held once each month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Each program is $10.00 per child and $6.00 per adult. Members of the Tampa Bay History Center receive a $2.00 discount for children and adults. One adult must accompany every two children. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.

For more information on A Little History, contact Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or jtyson@tampabayhistorycenter.org.

Tampa Bay's Island History

2011-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

There have probably been islands in Hillsborough Bay for almost as long as the bay has existed. The original delta islands were created as sediment, and other material flowed out of the Hillsborough River and into the bay. Plants eventually took root, and more material accumulated on the growing islands, more on the southerly island than on the one closer to the river's mouth.

Small sandbars extended out from the two islands, further demonstrating the shallow nature of Hillsborough Bay. It was these two islands, and the surrounding tidal area, that formed the nucleus for Seddon Island (now Harbour Island), created in 1904 as part of Tampa's growing port, and Davis Islands, developed by David P. Davis from 1924 to 1926 during Florida's land boom. Read the full Tampa Tribune article here.

A Short History of Hillsborough County: Part 2 of a Series

2011-03-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

1710 Map of Florida, TBHC Collection

Few, if any, of Florida's indigenous people survived beyond the 1700s. Once numbering in the hundreds of thousands, the native population was decimated by European-introduced diseases, slave raids and warfare with both explorers and the Creek and Yamassee Indians from present-day Georgia and Alabama. Handfuls of survivors were probably taken to Cuba by the Spanish when Florida came under English control in 1763. Archaeological evidence discovered at the southern end of the Courtney Campbell Causeway dates from this time and suggests Cuban fishermen and their Tocobaga workers left for Cuba when the Spanish government withdrew from Florida.

In the mid-1700s, Native Americans from the areas north of Florida began entering the Tampa Bay area. These new residents had customs and traditions similar to their extinct southern neighbors, but there were also differences. The newcomers, later dubbed Seminoles, were a composite of a number of groups, including Creek, Yamassee and Apalachee, plus Africans, both freedmen and runaway slaves from colonial (later American) plantations.

Lord Hillsborough

Despite Florida being the first site of European colonization, Americans paid it little attention. When control of the territory transferred from Spain to England in 1763, Florida was divided into East and West Florida, becoming the 14th and 15th British Colonies. It was during this era that Hillsborough Bay and the Hillsborough River were named in honor of Lord Hillsborough, Secretary of State of the British Colonies under King George III. These southernmost colonies remained loyal to the crown during the American Revolution and at the end of the conflict (1783) Spain resumed ownership.

The Second Spanish Period (1783 - 1921) was marked by the growing conflict between the Seminoles and U. S. citizens living on either side of Florida's northern border. Spain was powerless to stop the agressors on either side.

History Center Hosts Collection Shower

2011-03-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Just like a newborn baby, the artifacts in our Collections require a lot of supplies to keep them happy and healthy. Now is your chance to provide a little TLC to our artifacts by attending our Collections Shower.

You will have the opportunity to purchase archival supplies from our registry to help us with much needed items and learn about our Adopt an Artifact program.

Our featured speaker is Hitoshi Kimura from Art Conservation of Central Florida. Kimura will discuss ways to conserve your personal and family treasures such as photos, paintings, letters and other heirlooms.

The Collections Shower is $5 for History Center members and $10 for non-members. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To RSVP, call a Visitor Services representative at 813.228.0097 x. 0.

Why do they call it that? St. Petersburg, Florida

2011-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

See the Unseen at the Tampa Bay History Center

2011-03-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

From Citrus County to the Manatee River, shell mounds left by Florida's Pre-Columbian peoples dot the landscape. Other evidence is harder to find. When did native people arrive? How long did they live in Florida? What tools did they use to hunt and fish?

Find the answers to these questions and more when the History Center and USF's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute present See the Unseen, a new four-week course on Florida archeology beginning April 6th.

Led by USF faculty member and West Central Director of the Florida Public Archaeology Network, Jeff Moates, the class will review Florida's native peoples and how archeologists study them.

See the Unseen will be held each Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., April 6th through April 27th. Cost is $40.00. Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact the History Center's Adult Programs Coordinator, Lee Leavengood, at (813) 675-8971. Or, contact the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at (813) 974-2403 to register.

A Short History of Hillsborough County: Part One of a Series

2011-03-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

The county of Hillsborough was created by an act of the Florida Legislature on January 25, 1834. The original, or historic, Hillsborough County covered approximately 14,600 square miles -- all or part of 24 present-day counties (an area larger than 8 states at the time). By comparison, today's Hillsborough County is 1,072 square miles. Its history is as varied and fascinating as any other place in this country. People have lived in this area of West Central Florida for over 11,000 years, and their story is, in effect, our story.

Florida's indigenous people flourished here thousands of years before the first explorers arrived from Europe. The Timucua and the Calusa were two of the largest and most highly-developed groups who controlled much of the peninsula and its population. Different Timucuan people spoke dialects of the same language and held possession of the northern third of Florida, while the Calusa ruled over southwest Florida. The area now known as Hillsborough County was occupied by smaller groups, notably the Tocobaga, Mocoso and Ucita.

Though probably known to Europeans before, Florida was "officially" located by Spaniard Juan Ponce de Leon in March of 1513. He was followed by a long line of adventurers, including Panfilo de Narvaez (April 1528) and Hernando de Soto (May 1539). Archaeological evidence shows that Narvaez began his explorations from Tampa Bay, while debate continues as to de Soto's actual landing place. The first priest to celebrate mass in Florida -- Fray Luis Cancer de Barbastro on June 20, 1549 -- celebrated it on the shores of Tampa Bay. This exploration and settlement of Florida by Europeans dealt a catastrophic blow to the First Floridians. - RKP

Florida Conversations Highlights Civil War Women

2011-03-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Florida Conversations Lecture Series continues with historian Tracy Jean Revels, author of Grander in Her Daughters: Florida's Women in the Civil War, on Sunday, March 27th at 3:00 p.m.

In Grander in Her Daughters, Revels recounts the experiences of Florida’s wives and widows, Unionists and secessionists, black female slaves, business owners and refugees during the Civil War.

Though the women of Florida suffered Civil War traumas and privations commensurate with women throughout the Confederacy, few of their experiences have become part of the historical record. Revels rescues from neglect these women and the challenges they faced.

Join the Discussion: History Center Book Group

2011-03-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Terrell Sessums, former Speaker
of the Florida House of Representatives,
leads a Book Group discussion in September.

Want to dig deeper into Florida history? Want to debate the importance of Florida’s environmental regulations or delve into women’s roles during the Civil War? Then the History Center Book Group is for you.

Each month, the Book Group convenes for engaging discussions on a variety of Florida-themed books. Topics range from politics to history, Florida fiction to environmental issues, and titles often follow those selected for Florida Conversations.

These informal meetings are held the 3^rd Thursday of the month from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the History Center’s
Publix Supermarkets Classroom on the 2^nd floor and
are free and open to the public.

Book Group Schedule:

March 17 Grander in Her Daughters: Florida’s Women During the Civil War by Tracy Jean Revels

April 21 Manatee Insanity: The War over Florida’s Most Famous Endangered

Species by Craig Pittman

May 19 A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith

June 16 “Florida: A Target-Rich Environment for Writers” with Tim Dorsey

July 21 Hammock Reading: Reviews of several books for light summer reading

Book Group Members receive a 20% discount on book group selections purchased from the Museum Store. For more information about the Book Group, visit www.tampabayhistorycenter.org/bookgroup or call (813) 675- 8971.

Get Set for a Summer of Adventure at the Tampa Bay History Center

2011-03-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

Dig, dance and paint your way through Tampa’s past during the Tampa Bay History Center’s History Adventure Camps beginning June 27^th.

Uncover long-lost artifacts during Archaeology Adventures, brush up on your flamenco moves and practice your Spanish with Viva Tampa, and paint your masterpiece during Art Infusion. Designed for children ages 8 to 11, each week-long History Adventure Camp gives kids a unique opportunity to have fun while learning about Florida’s history.

Summer Camp Schedule:

June 27 - July1 Archaeology Adventures

Dig in to Florida’s past to a time when giant sloths and saber toothed tigers roamed free! Get your hands dirty as real archaeologists show how to study artifacts and discover what life was like for Florida’s first people.

July 11-15 Let’s Play

It’s all fun and games this week! Play games and sports that kids played in the past and create your own Museum Olympics. Get wet and cool off during fountain games at our waterfront park.

July 25-29 Art Infusion

Paint, draw, and sculpt your way through the past! Fill your brush with coffee “ink” and show the world how you see Tampa. Your masterpieces will even hang in our gallery!

August 8-12 Viva Tampa!

Habla Espanol? Learn to speak Spanish as you make a Tampa-style Cuban sandwich or pick up some Latin dance moves! Celebrate the food, music, and festivals of Tampa’s rich cultures.

Each week-long camp is $150 for non-members/ $135 for TBHC members. Campers can register for each individually or sign up for all four. Camps begin at 9:00 a.m. and run until 4:00 p.m. Extended care is available for an additional fee. Pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, email Jennifer Tyson or, call (813) 675-8960.

C.J. Roberts Discusses Tampa's Civil War History on ABC Action News

2011-03-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

Rowdies Artifacts Find Home at the History Center

2011-03-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Tampa Bay Rowdies artifacts, ca. 1975-1984

L2010.080.001, .005

2010.080.070-.073

Courtesy of Mike Connell

This summer, the Tampa Bay Rowdies returned to play as members of the U.S. Soccer Federation Division-2 Pro League. The original Rowdies – founded in 1975 and dissolved in 1993 – were the first local sports team to win a professional championship, defeating the Portland Timbers 2-0 to capture the 1975 Soccer Bowl title.

Mike Connell, an original member of the Rowdies, recently donated and loaned to the Tampa Bay History Center hundreds of artifacts from his playing career. Connell joined the squad as an 18-year-old from South Africa in 1975, and played his entire career as a Tampa Bay Rowdie before retiring in 1984. Nicknamed “Iron Mike,” he is widely regarded as one of the most popular players in franchise history.

The accompanying photograph highlights a few of the items from his collection:

n Commemorative Pepsi-Cola bottle honoring the 1975 NASL Champion Tampa Bay Rowdies

n “Kick” game program from NASL Quarter-Final game at Tampa Stadium on August 13, 1975

n Declaration issued by Tampa Mayor William F. Poe bestowing “Honorary Citizen” status to members of the 1975 Tampa Bay Rowdies

n Official NASL game-used soccer ball

Downtown Tampa Residents Get Buy-One-Get-One Admission to the Tampa Bay History Center

2011-03-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

Live in Downtown Tampa? Now through March, residents of 33605 and 33602 will receive buy-one-get-one-free admission to the Tampa Bay History Center.

Our Neighborhood Appreciation Program will continue throughout the year as we offer special deals and discounts for neighborhoods throughout Hillsborough County.

Proof of downtown residency is required. Cannot be combined with other discounts, coupons or specials. Good through March 31, 2011.

Downtown Tampa Residents Get Buy-One-Get-One Admission to the Tampa Bay History Center

2011-03-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

Voters Approve Dissolution of Tampa?

2011-03-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of election day, we thought it fitting to recall John T. Lesley's post Civil War-effort to dissolve the City of Tampa, which voters overwhelmingly approved. Find out more about Tampa during the Civil War when you visit Blue and Grey in Tampa Bay, on exhibit at the History Center through May.

Tampa Loses Its Charter

John T. Lesley, TBHC Collection

Though involved with Tampa’s resurgence in the 1880s, John T. Lesley is perhaps best-known for his political actions during the initial post-war period. In his return to civilian life following his time in the Confederate army and Florida’s Cow Cavalry, he played an instrumental role in how Tampa received the concept of Reconstruction.

Florida’s Reconstruction legislature passed a law in 1869 calling for the reorganization of municipal governments. Lesley and other former Confederates felt that this would lead to Republican and African American control of city hall. In an effort to eliminate that threat, Lesley ran for mayor on the platform that if was elected he would abolish Tampa’s city government. He won in a landslide and, true to his word, he saw that the city’s charter lapsed, therefore ensuring that it would not fall into the hands of Carpetbaggers (Northerners) and Scalawags (Southerners aiding the Carpetbaggers). Tampa would not become a city again until July 1887. -- RKP

Florida Conversations Continues

2011-02-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

MoBurg Studios

The Tampa Bay History Center continues its Florida Conversations Lecture Series with ”400 Years of Florida Maps”, a talk led by the History Center’s founding board chairman and map collector, Tom Touchton, on Thursday, February 17^th at 6:30 p.m.

Touchton will discuss his 30-year interest in cartography and his expansive collection of rare and antique maps and charts.

In 2009, Touchton, together with his wife, Lavinia, established the J. Thomas and Lavinia Witt Touchton Collection of Florida Cartography at the Tampa Bay History Center. The 25 maps currently on exhibit in the History Center’s Touchton Map Gallery span 400 years of exploration and settlement in Florida. The earliest map dates to 1513.

Celebrate Lincoln's Birthday with $5 admission to the Tampa Bay History Center

2011-02-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

Celebrate Abraham Lincoln's birthday with $5 dollar admission to the History Center from 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 12th.

In addition to reduced admission, the Confederate militia of Fort Brooke will re-appear on the banks of Hillsborough Bay when local re-enactors set up camp in Cotanchobee Park, just steps away from the History Center entrance.

This family-friendly day of activities includes Confederate and Union drill demonstrations, children's activities and historical reenactors throughout the exhibit galleries.

Our latest exhibition, Blue and Gray in Tampa Bay: The Civil War on Florida's Gulf Coast, features Civil War-era maps, weaponry, photographs and reproduction uniforms, located in the Wayne Thomas Gallery. Learn how the War Between the States affected Secessionists, Unionists, slaves and women in the Tampa Bay area. In addition, the History Center is featuring the traveling exhibit Florida in the Civil War, on loan from the Orange County Regional History Center.

The $5.00 admission rate cannot be combined with other discounts or offers and is good for admission on February 12, 2011 only.

Florida Conversations Continues with "Florida and the Civil War"

2011-01-28T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Tampa Bay History Center continues its Florida Conversations Lecture Series with “Florida and the Civil War”, a talk lead by Dr. Robert Taylor on Sunday, Jan. 30 at 3:00 p.m.

Dr. Taylor, a professor of Humanities and Communication at the Florida Institute of Technology, is the author of Rebel Store House: Florida's Contribution to the Confederacy and co-author of Florida in the Civil War.

Dr. Taylor's lecture will focus on Florida's role in the Civil War and will complement the History Center’s new temporary exhibition, Blue and Gray in Tampa Bay: The Civil War on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Co-sponsored by the USF Libraries Florida Studies Center and supported by WUSF Public Media, Florida Conversations features authors and presenters covering a variety of Florida topics, from politics to fiction, history to environmental issues.

Florida Conversations is free and open to the public. Public parking is available at the Channelside garage and other city-owned lots. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay History Center at 228-0097 or visit us online.

Tampa Bay History Center to Host Candidate Forum

2011-01-25T08:20:00.000-08:00

The Tampa Bay Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Tampa Bay History Center are partnering to present Building Tampa’s Future, a mayoral candidate forum with a focus on development, sustainability and job creation. The forum will begin at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Doors open at 6:00pm.

Moderated by WTSP 10 News Senior Reporter Mike Deeson, Building Tampa’s Future will focus on hot topic issues related to Tampa and issues facing our construction industry. Questions from the moderator and the audience will center on jobs, the housing market, in-fill development, historic preservation, green building practices, growth management and sprawl.

“Tampa’s building and construction industry has been hurt by the economic downturn and it’s important for the public to understand how our incoming mayor will approach these issues, especially in Tampa’s urban core neighborhoods,” said USGBC Gulf Coast Chapter Executive Director Colleen Mackin.

Mackin chose the Tampa Bay History Center to host the Feb. 2nd debate because it is the first Hillsborough County-owned LEED certified building.

“We are in the final stages of our application and anticipate a silver rating,” said History Center President and CEO C.J. Roberts. “Plus, the History Center is a great backdrop to discuss Tampa’s past and future.”

The non-partisan candidate forum is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Gulf Coast Chapter of the USGBC at colleen@usgbc-fgc.com, or call (727) 372- 3814.

History Center and Osher Lifelong Learning Institue Host Civil War Class

2011-01-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

From shipwrecked blockade runners to weekend Civil War re-enactors, a new course at the Tampa Bay History Center unlocks Florida’s Civil War past.

Tampa Bay History Center, together with USF’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, will present Civil War: Selections, Collections and Conversations, a new four-week course covering Florida’s role in the Civil War beginning Jan. 19.

The course is presented in conjunction with the History Center’s newest exhibition, Blue and Gray in Tampa Bay: The Civil War on Florida’s Gulf Coast opening at the Tampa Bay History Center on Jan. 10.

Drawing on a wide range of experts, Selections, Collections and Conversations will hone in on Florida’s often-overlooked Civil War legacy. USF historian John Belohlavek will lead a tour of the History Center’s new exhibition while Jeff Moats of the Florida Public Archaeology Network will discuss his work uncovering Civil War-era shipwrecks along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The course will also touch on women’s roles during the War, the African American experience, and modern-day Civil War re-enactors.

The four-week class will be held at the Tampa Bay History Center on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Jan. 19 through Feb. 9. Course fee is $40.00. Pre-registration is required and seating is limited. Register online, or contact the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at (813) 974-2403.

Blue and Gray in Tampa Bay is on exhibit through June 2011 in the History Center’s Wayne Thomas Gallery. For more information about the exhibition and related programming, visit our website or call (813) 228-0097.

Behind-the-Scenes Images from Blue and Gray in Tampa Bay: The Civil War on Florida's Gulf Coast

2011-01-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

Saunders Foundation Curator of History Rodney Kite-Powell
with St. Pete Times Columnist Ernest Hooper

Confederate curency on loan from the
Orange County Regional History Center

Harper's Weekly
Courtesy of the Orange County Regional History Center

Confederate grave marker
Orange County Regional History Center

Blue and Gray in Tampa Bay opens Monday, January 10th.

Children Live A Pirate’s Life at the History Center

2011-01-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

Kids can get ready for Gasparilla when the Tampa Bay History Center presents A Pirate’s Life! on Wednesday, Jan. 12 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Part of the History Center’s preschoolers program A Little History, children will listen to sea chanteys while digging through a pirate’s treasure chest. To round out the revelry, they’ll create their own crafty treasures and participate in other age-appropriate games.

Plus, special guest author Brenda Darnley Martin will read from her underwater adventure book set in the waters of Tampa Bay, Freddie, Hector, and Tish: The Treasure Hunt Fish.

A Little History is open to children ages 3 to 5 with an adult companion. Cost is $10 per child and $6 per adult. Members of the History Center receive a $2 discount for both children and adults. Gallery admission is included. One adult must accompany every two children. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.
For more information contact the History Center’s Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or click here to register.

Blue and Gray in Tampa Bay Opens at the Tampa Bay History Center

2011-01-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

Call it Southern pride but, after the Union Navy launched a cannon ball into the living room of the Ferris home in 1862 - one of several bombardments of Tampa - the family never bothered to repair the hole.

Now, that cannon ball, along with Civil War-era maps, weaponry, photographs and reproduction uniforms will be on exhibit during Blue and Gray in Tampa Bay: The Civil War on Florida’s Gulf Coast opening at the Tampa Bay History Center on January 10th.

In Florida, the third state to secede from the Union in 1861, confrontations between Confederate and Union troops raged along the Gulf Coast. Learn about stealthy Confederate blockade runners and Florida’s “Cow Cavalry,” plus find out how the War Between the States affected Secessionists, Unionists, slaves and women in the Tampa Bay area. In addition, the History Center will feature the traveling exhibit Florida in the Civil War, on loan from the Orange County Regional History Center.

The Union Army fired this cannon ball

into the Ferris home in 1862.

TBHC Collection.

“The opening date of January 10th is significant,” said the History Center’s Saunders Foundation Curator of History, Rodney Kite-Powell. “Florida seceded from the Union exactly 150 years ago, on January 10, 1861.”

Blue and Gray in Tampa Bay will be on exhibit through April 2011 in the History Center’s third floor gallery.

Stay tuned to this blog for more Civil War stories and updates about programs and events related to the exhibit.

For more information about the exhibition and related programming, visit our website or call (813) 228-0097.

Tampa Sports History, Interview with Mark Champion

2011-01-03T08:57:00.001-08:00

Mark Champion, the current radio play-by-play announcer for the Detroit Pistons, is fondly-remembered locally as the radio voice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1979-1988. Since leaving Tampa in 1989, Champion has served in the same capacity for the Detroit Lions from 1989-2004, the Detroit Pistons from 1992-1996, then rejoined the Pistons in 2001. He recently took some time prior to a Pistons-Magic game in Orlando to reflect on his time in Tampa and the special relationship he formed with Buccaneer head coach John McKay.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the December 31 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Soldiers Seminoles and Slavery at the Tampa Bay History Center

2010-12-27T08:17:00.000-08:00

One hundred and seventy five years ago – in 1835 – soldiers stationed at Tampa’s Fort Brooke marched north to Ocala, planning to reinforce units stationed at Fort King. They never made it. On December 28th, they met a force of more than 200 Seminole Indians near present-day Bushnell. Dozens of Seminoles and 120 U.S. Soldiers died in what is now known as the Dade Battle, the first confrontation of the Second Seminole War.

To mark the occasion, the Tampa Bay History Center welcomes preeminent Seminole War historian and author Frank Laumer as part of the Florida Conversations Lecture Series on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 6:30 p.m. Laumer’s talk, entitled Soldiers, Seminoles and Slavery: Florida and the Second Seminole War, will explore the key events, players and legacy of the seven-year confrontation between the U.S. government and Florida’s Seminoles.

Frank Laumer is the author of two histories of the Second Seminole War, Massacre! and Dade’s Last Command. Laumer’s most recent book, Nobody’s Hero, is a fictionalized account of Pvt. Ransom Clark, the only American to survive the Dade Battle.

Laumer was the first recipient of the D. B. McKay award of the Tampa Historical Society “For Distinguished Service in the Cause of Florida History.” He is a past president of both the Seminole Wars Historic Foundation and the Dade Battlefield Society.

Co-sponsored by the USF Libraries Florida Studies Center and supported by WUSF Public Media, Florida Conversations features authors and presenters covering a variety of Florida topics, from politics to fiction, history to environmental issues.

Florida Conversations is free and open to the public. Public parking is available at the Channelside garage, the St. Pete Times Forum East Lot and other city-owned lots. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay History Center at 228-0097 or online at www.tampabayhistorycenter.org.

History Center Volunteer a 'Hometown Hero'

2010-12-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

Watch this at Tampa Bay Online

History Center Director Elected to International Museum Board

2010-12-21T07:08:00.000-08:00

The International Council of Museums Committee for the Collections and Activities of Museums of Cities has elected the Tampa Bay History Center’s President and CEO, C.J. Roberts, to a three year term to serve as a member of the committee’s executive board.

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a non-governmental organization of museums and museum professionals, numbering approximately 30,000 members from 137 countries and territories, whose purpose is to respond to the challenges facing museums world-wide. Based in Paris, the organization has formal relations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and carries out part of UNESCO’s program for museums.

“I’m honored to be selected,” said Roberts of his appointment. “It’s an opportunity for the Tampa Bay History Center to be part of an international conversation on the role of museums in their comminities.”

CAMOC brings museum professionals and scholars together from around the world to explore these opportunities and learn from each other’s experiences. The 12 member board is comprised of museum professionals and scholars from Turkey, China, Brazil, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Russia, Greece, the United States, and France.

Special Holiday Hours at the History Center

2010-12-20T11:08:00.000-08:00

Tampa Snow Show, 1958. Photo courtesy THCPL

The History Center will be closed on Christmas Day and will close at 3:00 p.m. on both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

We will re-open for regular business hours, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on New Years Day.

The staff and Board of Trustees of the History Center wish you a happy holiday and a prosperous new year.

Tampa Sports History, 12/2/1980

2010-12-13T06:28:00.000-08:00

This month 30 years ago, the Sun Dome opened with much fanfare on the University of South Florida campus. After several years of planning, construction, and numerous delays, the Bulls took to the hardwood against national powerhouse Duke in the "dedication game" televised nationally on ESPN.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the December 10 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Children Celebrate ‘Pioneer Holiday’ at History Center

2010-12-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

Children can celebrate the holidays on the Florida frontier when the Tampa Bay History Center continues its preschoolers’ program, A Little History, on Wednesday, December 8th from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. with A Pioneer Holiday.

Kids will make old timey decorations, don pioneer clothing, decorate our Florida Cracker cabin for the season and even make butter the old fashioned way!

A Little History is open to children ages 3 to 5 with an adult companion. Cost is $10 per child and $6 per adult. Members of the History Center receive a $2 discount for both children and adults. Gallery admission is included. One adult must accompany every two children. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.
For more information contact the History Center’s Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or visit our website.

Tampa Sports History, 12/4/70

2010-12-06T06:40:00.000-08:00

This week 40 years ago, the University of South Florida Brahmans played the first official men's basketball game in school history. After a decade-long struggle to bring intercollegiate sports to the university, South Florida students rejoiced at the opportunity to cheer for their school in a meaningful game.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the December 3 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Historic Old Northeast Residents Receive Discount at History Center

2010-12-01T11:45:00.001-08:00

Residents of St. Petersburg’s Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood will receive buy-one-get-one-free admission to the Tampa Bay History Center throughout the month of December.

The special admission rate marks the opening of a new exhibition at the History Center celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Old Northeast Neighborhood, which was founded in 1911.

The exhibit, part of the Wachovia Foundation Community Case, focuses on the history of Old Northeast and the achievements of the Old Northeast Neighborhood Association in preserving the architecture of the historic St. Petersburg neighborhood.

The discounted rate is part of the History Center’s Community Appreciation Program, which will target neighborhoods throughout the Tampa Bay area throughout 2011.

Anyone residing in either the 33701 or 33704 zip codes can take advantage of the discount, which is valid through December 31^st. ID or other proof of residency is required. Discount is applied to admission of equal or lesser value and cannot be combined with other specials or coupons or redeemed for cash value. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay History Center at (813) 228-0097 ext 0.

Historic Burgert Brothers Photographs on Display at History Center

2010-11-30T08:58:00.000-08:00

An exhibit featuring Burgert Brother’s calendar photos will be on display at the Tampa Bay History Center’s Annis Children’s Gallery until the end of the year. Featuring photos from this year’s Burgert Brothers Calendar as well as covers from previous years, the exhibit is located in the atrium just outside of the Witt Research Center. It is free and open to the public.

For the past 12 years, the History Center and the Friends of the Library have partnered to produce an annual Burgert Brothers calendar. This year's theme, One Hundred Years in Tampa, features images of business and place from Tampa in 1911.

The 2011 Burgert Brothers calendar can also be purchased from the Tampa Bay History Center store.

Tampa Sports History, 11/26/70

2010-11-29T06:41:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving 1970, the Florida State Seminoles came to Tampa Stadium for a showdown with the Houston Cougars. With a potential bowl berth on the line, would the Seminoles give thanks for their fortune or just deliver a big turkey?

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the November 26 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Artifact Spotlight: Ayres Diners Menu, ca. 1956-1964

2010-11-18T06:55:00.000-08:00

TBHC 2010.043.001
Gift of Jessica Miller

Long-time Tampa residents will certainly remember, and may have enjoyed dining at, one of the three Ayres Diners located around Tampa. The original Ayres Diner, located at 603 W. Lafayette Street, opened in 1948 and featured a neon sign designed by Tampa’s John Cinchett that boasted the diner was “Always Open.” The diner proved popular among University of Tampa students for its proximity to campus and around-the-clock service, before closing for good in the early 1990s.

Owned and operated by Millard Ayres, the business grew in the 1950s to include locations on South Dale Mabry Highway and Florida Avenue. Built in a prefabricated, “rail-car” style, the diner on Dale Mabry eventually moved to the corner of Himes and Cypress, under new management and a different name, before closing around 2003. The location on Florida Avenue remains open to this day under the name Nicko’s Diner, perhaps best known as the site of a meal eaten by Elvis Presley following his 1956 concert in Tampa.

Highlights of this menu include a $2.00 broiled or grilled filet mignon wrapped in bacon, a $1.00 fried shrimp dinner, a 95-cent sliced chicken club sandwich, an 85-cent tender and juicy grilled steak sandwich, a 45-cent cheeseburger and three hot cakes with bacon or sausage for 50 cents. Assuming this menu was printed in 1956, the year the third Ayres location on Dale Mabry opened, this order totaling $5.75 would cost – prior to tax and tip -- $44.88 in today’s dollars.

Tampa Bay History Center Welcomes Buddy MacKay

2010-11-17T06:56:00.000-08:00

The Tampa Bay History Center welcomes former Florida Lt. Governor, Buddy MacKay, on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. as part of the Florida Conversations Lecture Series. Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio will introduce MacKay, who will discuss his recently-published autobiography, How Florida Happened: The Political Education of Buddy MacKay.

How Florida Happened, MacKay's first book, chronicles his time as an officeholder in the Florida Legislature, the United States Congress, and in Florida’s executive branch. His keen eye for the ironies and absurdities of politics as well as his brutal honesty come through in this memoir.

Buddy MacKay was born in 1933 in Ocala. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1968, where he served for nearly a decade and won a number of awards as most effective legislator. From 1983 to1989, he served three terms in the United States House of Representatives.

MacKay received the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in 1988, only to lose to his Republication opponent by less than one percentage point. He convinced his political ally and friend Lawton Chiles to run for governor in 1990 and served as Chiles’ Lt. Governor for eight years.

MacKay will recount his three decades of public life in Florida, a time which saw Florida grow from semi-rural to a mega-state, where political dominance shifted from the left to the right.
Co-sponsored by the USF Libraries Florida Studies Center and supported by WUSF Public Media, Florida Conversations features authors and presenters covering a variety of Florida topics, from politics to fiction, history to environmental issues.

Florida Conversations is free and open to the public. Public parking is available at the Channelside garage and other city-owned lots. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay History Center at 228-0097 or visit us online.

Kids Learn the Real Thanksgiving Story at History Center

2010-11-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

First Catholic Mass, St. Augustine, Fl, 1565

The first Thanksgiving happened in Florida? And they ate…alligator? That’s just the beginning of the real first Thanksgiving story kids will learn about when the Tampa Bay History Center presents The Real First Thanksgiving, on Monday, November 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Kids can spend their day off from school unearthing a Timucuan kitchen mound like a true archaeologist and learning about the special meal shared between Spanish explorers and Florida’s first people. You’ll never look at Turkey Day the same way!

Presented by the Tampa Bay History Center and the Florida Public Archaeology Network, The First Real Thanksgiving is part of Discovery Days and open to children in 3rd through 5th grades. Registration is $30 per child for History Center members and $35 for non- members. Early drop-off and extended pick-up is available for an additional charge. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.

For more information contact the History Center’s Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or jtyson@tampabayhistorycenter.org or visit http://www.tampabayhistorycenter.org/.

Tampa Sports History, 11/14/70

2010-11-15T06:23:00.000-08:00

In 1969, the Florida Gators and University of Tampa Spartans shared Tampa Stadium on the same day in an event dubbed "Super Saturday." It proved to be such a success that event organizers did it again in 1970, this time bringing in the Kentucky Wildcats and Idaho State Bengals for competition.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the November 12 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Big Movers Set for ‘A Little History’ at Tampa Bay History Center

2010-11-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

The Tampa Bay History Center continues its preschoolers’ program, A Little History, on Monday, Nov. 15 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. with Big Movers: Planes, Trains and Ships.

See how many “Big Movers” you can spot in our galleries and get a glimpse of a real cruise ship from just a few feet away. Check out our new train exhibition and enjoy games, songs and crafts.

A Little History is open to children ages 3 to 5 with an adult companion. Programs are held one weekday per month from 10:30 -11:30 a.m. Each program is $10 per child and $6 per adult. Members of the History Center receive a $2 discount for both children and adults. Gallery admission is included. One adult must accompany every two children. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.

For more information contact the History Center’s Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or send her an email.

Tampa Sports History, 11/10/85

2010-11-08T06:23:00.000-08:00

Minus the biggest names in women's tennis -- Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert Lloyd, Steffi Graf, Hana Mandlikova, and Pam Shriver -- organizers of the Florida Federal Tennis Open in Largo had to rely on up-and-coming young talent to provide an entertaining tournament. Some of the best young players on the women's tour did that and more during a memorable week at the Bardmoor Country Club.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the November 5 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Tampa Sports History, 10/31/75

2010-11-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

On October 31, 1975, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers delivered local football fans a rather large treat. The announcement that University of Southern California head coach John McKay would become the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sent shock waves through the football world. One of the most successful coaches in college football history was about to take the helm of the expansion Buccaneers.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the October 29 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Tampa Bay History Center Hosts Pecha Kucha 7

2010-10-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

Join the History Center on Friday, November 5th at 7:00 p.m. for Pecha Kucha 7.

Pecha Kucha, Japanese for "chit chat" or the sound of conversation, has taken over the creative world. What started in Tokyo in 2003 and has spread virally to over 200 cities across the world, is now coming to the Tampa Bay History Center.

Featured on NPR, a recent issue of Wired Magazine described it this way:

Creators Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein, two Tokyo-based architects have turned PowerPoint, that fixture of cubicle life, into both art form and competitive sport. Say what you need to say in six minutes and 40 seconds of exquisitely matched words and images and then sit the hell down. The result, in the hands of masters of the form, combines business meeting and poetry slam to transform corporate cliché into surprisingly compelling beat-the-clock performance art.

Part open mike, part happy hour, Pecha Kuch is a forum for new ideas. The History Center is the perfect backdrop for the seventh instalment of Pecha Kucha, which will focus on ideas for Tampa's future. Friday's panelists, including Mayoral candidate Ed Turanchik, arts entrepreneur Hampton T. Dohrman, Janet Pantaleo of Metropolitan Minestries, and others will each present 20 slides, shown for just 20 seconds each. The idea is to keep presentations concise and interest levels up.

Pecha Kucha 7 begins at 7:00 p.m. Presentations begin at 8:00 p.m. $5.00 donation is requested. The Columbia Cafe will be open for dinner/full bar.

For more information, visit Pecha Kucha Tampa Bay or call the History Center at (813) 228-0097.

Mosaic Donates $25,000 to the Tampa Bay History Center

2010-10-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Mosaic, a Fortune 250 company and leading employer in Central Florida, surprised the management and trustees of the Tampa Bay History Center on October 5th with a donation of $25,000 during a community reception with the company’s board of directors at the museum.

The funds will be used for educational programs about one of the region’s oldest industries – phosphate. Mosaic and its predecessor companies have been operating in Central Florida for more than a century and have played a key role in the development of the Port of Tampa as well as countless small businesses that support the phosphate industry. The company is the world's leading producer and marketer of phosphate-based crop nutrients vital to farmers throughout the U.S. and the world.

“Mosaic was pleased to underwrite the Port City exhibit when the History Center was built, and now this gift is focused on helping with its education mission,” said David Townsend, assistant vice president of public affairs for Mosaic and a member of the History Center’s board of trustees. “Our industry has a rich history that is closely tied to this region’s economic development, and there’s no better place to tell that story than the Tampa Bay History Center.”

According to C.J. Roberts, the Frank E. Duckwall President & CEO of the History Center, “As part of our mission to preserve and interpret the Tampa Bay region’s heritage, we welcome the opportunity to highlight the phosphate industry’s importance to the region.”

Tampa Sports History, Interview with The Fabulous Sports Babe

2010-10-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

Radio personality Nanci Donnellan, better known to her legions of fans as “The Fabulous Sports Babe,” began her career here in the Tampa Bay area in 1982. After moves that took her to Seattle, Bristol, Conn., and New York City, the Babe took several years off from broadcasting earlier in the decade, but she is once again a fixture on the local airwaves. Always opinionated and willing to tell it like it is, the Babe can be heard weekdays on WHBO 1040-AM from 12-3 p.m. She recently took some time to talk about the changes in sports radio, the issue of local baseball attendance, and some fond memories involving the late George Steinbrenner.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the October 22 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Tampa Bay History Center Hosts Home School Day

2010-10-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

Learn about Florida’s Indians, how they lived and what happened to them during Home School History Day, Thursday, Nov. 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Tampa Bay History Center.

Meet archaeologists from the Florida Public Archeology Network and the Central Gulf Coast Archaeology Society and find out how they unlock clues to life in the past, all while exploring the world of Florida’s first people. Children ages 4 to 17 and their parents will meet representatives from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, participate in hands-on activities, and experience interactive exhibits and demonstrations. Parents will receive educational materials to take home.

Home School History Day is $10.00 per person, ages four to adult, and includes admission into the History Center galleries. Members of the Tampa Bay History Center receive a $3.00 discount for both children and adults. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.

For more information on Home School History Day, contact the History Center’s Curator of Education, Julie Matus at (813) 675-8981 or visit our website.

Tampa Sports History, 10/13/85

2010-10-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

25 years ago this week, the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcomed into town the undefeated Los Angeles Rams. Having just traded their All-Pro linebacker Hugh Green to the Miami Dolphins, the Buccaneers figured to be vulnerable to a Rams' attack led by star running back Eric Dickerson. Would the defense falter or play well enough for an upset?

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the October 15 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Why do they call it that? Fowler Avenue and Dobyville

2010-10-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

Tampa Sports History, 10/13/85

2010-10-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

This week 25 years ago, Tampa lost a true legend when former University of Tampa football coach Marcelino "Chelo" Huerta died of a heart attack. His contributions to the community, however, extended far beyond the football field.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the October 8 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

From the Orange Blossom Special to High-Speed Rail: Train Travel in Tampa Bay

2010-10-08T04:54:00.000-07:00

Orange Blossom Special, ca. 1930s
Tampa Bay History Center Collection

The Tampa Bay History Center's latest exhibition, From the Orange Blossom Special to High Speed Rail: Train Travel in Tampa Bay, opens today, Friday, October 8 at 10:00 a.m.

This exhibition focuses on the history of trains and rail travel in Tampa Bay and Florida, including the development in the 1800s of various rail lines throughout the state, the influence of Henry Plant and Tampa’s streetcar system. The exhibition will also touch on current rail usages, developments and initiatives.

From the Orange Blossom Special to High Speed Rail will be on exhibit through December 31st in the History Center’s Third Floor Gallery and is included with regular gallery admission. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay History Center at 228-0097 or online.

Check out these great images from the exhibit:

Tampa's Union Station, ca. 1920- Courtesy of Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library

Hauling timber, ca. 1920s. Courtesy of Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library

Seaboard Air Line, ca. 1950s. Courtesy of Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library

Why do they call it that? Charlie Creek & West Tampa

2010-10-08T04:40:00.001-07:00

Tampa Bay History Center Uncovers ‘Museum Mysteries’ During "A Little History"

2010-10-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay History Center continues its preschoolers’ program, A Little History, on Wednesday, October 13 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. with Museum Mysteries.

Enjoy a spooky (not scary!) adventure as you solve the case of the missing artifact. Fingerprints may be taken as we search behind-the-scenes and through the galleries to find the culprit. Age appropriate crafts and games add to the mystery.

A Little History is open to children ages 3 to 5 with an adult companion. Programs are held one weekday per month from 10:30 -11:30 a.m. Each program is $10 per child and $6 per adult. Members of the History Center receive a $2 discount for both children and adults. Gallery admission is included. One adult must accompany every two children. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.

For more information contact the History Center’s Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or visit our website.