Home/ Web Design/ Graphic Design / Site Optimization/ Brochures/ Postcard Design/ Layout/ Newspaper Design-
Pre-Press Layout/ Freelance Writing/ Links/ Tips, Tools, Resources

 

Website Design - Website Re-designs Website Maintenance, Search Engine Optimization  Content Management, Hosting Tampa, Florida Includes surrounding Pinellas, Pasco County Lutz, Land O' Lakes, Temple Terrace, Clearwater

Contact Us: Telephone: (813) 948-1062  Pricing      Memory Videos      Family      Weddings      Kids It's All About You! Although our bottom line is as important as yours, we care about people and the quality of our business relationships. Taking your website business to the next level, doesn't have to be a scary experience! Save time and money by using a company that makes the most comprehensive project "painless" for our clients. Always willing to work within your budget, Bay Area Graphics & Marketing offers payment options on select services and we'll consider matching any reasonable written quote presented to us. Tips.... Don't just sit there... Find out what it takes to rev up your business. Read Our Newsletter! No subscription required. Issue 01- January 2008 Tools... Google Webmaster Central Work It! It's free!

The West Coast's First Beach Community Historical Pass-a-Grille By LA Fiore Published/Print 2006 Copyright 2006-2008 All Rights Reserved   The West Coast’s First Beach Community Historical Pass-a-Grille By LA Fiore Located at 27.695 N and longitude 82.737 W is nautical Long Key, or Pass-a-Grille, St. Pete Beach. Some call this community a throwback destination, with bohemian charm, and others simply call it “home.” The West Coast’s first beach community, Pass-a-Grille, is two blocks wide and 31 blocks long, and is located at the southernmost tip of St. Pete Beach. It is one of the small municipalities on a group of outlying barrier islands that run from the inlet to Tampa Bay, northward to Honeymoon Island State Park. It is thought to have gotten its name from the Cuban fisherman, known as "Grillers." While camping along the waters’ edge of the island, the fishermen would dig wells to smoke their fish in, before returning home. Those who traveled thru the pass could see the campfires on the beach, now known as Pass-a-Grille. In 1957, Pass-a-Grille, Belle Vista, The Don Cesar and St. Petersburg Beach merged together as one -- St. Petersburg Beach. In 1994, the name was changed to St. Pete Beach. Keeping aligned with its rich history, Pass-a-Grille has its own unique charm and warmth. Residents call living on the island “a way of life.” If “laid back” had its own town, this would be it. Looking North along the bay, Pass-a-Grille, Florida State Library and Archives of Florida Fishermen, homesteaders, and lumber men, such as Zephaniah Phillips, called the island home in the late 1700s to the early 1800s. The island opened up to change in the 1880s when Roy S. Hanna and Tampa cigar magnate, Selwyn Morey, started to develop lots for houses and hotels. James H. Forquer, the manager of St. Petersburg's Detroit Hotel, set up a floating hotel for pleasure excursions. And in 1898, the first permanent hotel was opened by George Henri Lizotte,a French travel agent for the Thomas Cook Company. Detroit Hotel, St. Petersburg, Florida M. C. Bob Leonard, Professor of History, Hillsborough Community College In 1902, the first store was built on Long Key Island, and in 1905, Pass-a-Grille opened a post office. State Legislation declared Pass-a-Grille a town in 1911, and twenty -one residents voted at the first election. In 1914, electricity came to Long Key Island (St. Pete Beach), and in 1922, the island's first fire station was established--Pass-a-Grille Engine Company Number One. Sixth Avenue, Pass-a-Grille State Library and Archives of Florida Many people still associate Pass-a-Grille with The Don Cesar Hotel, which in the late 1920s and the 1930s was a renowned, luxury resort that entertained many distinctive guests, as it does today. Thomas J. Rowe, a land developer, conceived of the establishment in the mid-20s. Land sales boomed, as tourists and investors congregated to the area. This boom quickly diminished before the Don CeSar was completed in 1928. The Don remained open throughout the depression of the 1930s and World War II created suffering for many Florida hotels, some being forced to convert for wartime uses. In 1942, the Don was purchased by the U.S. Government for use as a rest and rehabilitation center. The Don served as a federal office building from 1945 to 1967 until it was vacated. In 1972, the efforts of a committee of local citizens, along with hotel developer, William Bowman, Jr., who purchased the property, began to work towards its restoration. The Don Cesar reopened in all of its elegance in 1973, and restoration was completed in 1975. It is listed on the National Register of Historic places. The Don CeSar M. C. Bob Leonard, Professor of History, Hillsborough Community College In fact, much of Pass-a-Grille is listed as a National Registered Historic District. Victorian architecture and beautiful gardens encompass the two-block-wide district, which includes two city parks and twenty eight designated historic structures. Visitors can enjoy the antiques stores, boutiques, and award winning art galleries. Downtown Pass-a-Grille Today M. C. Bob Leonard, Professor of History, Hillsborough Community College Many people believe that the real charm of this town comes from the less apparent rituals, which occur daily at sunset. Those who live on Pass-a-Grille truly appreciate the serenity, memories, and history of days long past. Since 1977, many residents, snowbirds and vacationers gather each day to give thanks for the day by the ringing of “the bell.” If you have never experienced it, I highly suggest it. Maybe there’s a lesson we can all learn from this sweet ceremony and the folks that keep the tradition alive--Give thanks for the day and the history behind us. If you find yourself in need of a small reminder, you surely will find one on this barrier island…Historic Pass-a-Grille (St. Pete Beach). Much of the history of Pass-a-Grille has been preserved, and can be visited at The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, located in the heart of St. Pete Beach’s National Historic District at 115-10th Avenue. The Museum is located in what was the first church built on Pinellas County’s barrier islands. Copyright © 2009 Graphics & Marketing All Rights Reserved Contact Webmaster We're a featured Lutz web design services firm in Florida web design directory at Finders Web Design Directory

Portfolio /  Request A Quote / Tampa Bay Links Historical Pass-a-Grille  The Sun Stands Still  Back to Nature  Canine Cancer  An American Picnic