64-587: The Ream Wilson Clearwater Trail , also known as Clearwater East West Trail , is a 13-mile bicycling and pedestrian trail corridor under development in Clearwater, Florida . It connects areas near the Gulf of Mexico at Clearwater Beach to areas near Tampa Bay at Safety Harbor . Parking is available where the trail runs by the Long Center, Coachman Ridge Park, Northeast Coachman Park, Cliff Stephens Park ,
128-553: A "paramilitary operation by a terrorist group". The Church of Scientology targeted Cazares, attempting to entrap him in a sex scandal. Scientology also staged a phony hit-and-run accident with Cazares in an attempt to discredit him. Cazares and his wife sued the Church of Scientology for $ 1.5 million. The church settled with Cazares in 1986. Clearwater has city partnerships with the following cities: Henry B. Plant Henry Bradley Plant (October 27, 1819 – June 23, 1899),
192-548: A bandstand stood at 405 Cleveland Street in Downtown Clearwater, where the community gathered to listen to music. The names of locals serving in World War I were etched on the wall of the adjacent Clearwater Sun building; this "Panel of Honor" was obscured when the original Capitol Theatre was built but uncovered when the newspaper building was torn down in 2013. The Capitol Theatre opened March 21, 1921. It
256-406: A crab trap. The aquarium is also home to other dolphins, otters, pelicans, nurse sharks, and turtles among several species of fish and other marine life. CMA also assists in animal strandings and other emergencies regarding sea life. Animals that have stranded are rehabilitated, and if possible, released back into the wild once they have made a full recovery. It has been featured as the main setting of
320-651: A four-year term. The council is responsible for setting policies and making decisions on local government issues including tax rates, annexations, property code variances and large contract awards. The city manager and city council are supported by the various city departments. Tampa International Airport serves Clearwater and the rest of the Tampa Bay Area as the primary means of air travel. St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport has also seen its usage increase. The city owns Clearwater Air Park . The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) bus service
384-543: A lavish resort built right across the Hillsborough River from Tampa. Built at a cost of $ 3 million, it was said to be an attempt to compete with fellow industrialist Henry M. Flagler , who was developing Florida's east coast. Plant died from heart disease in New York City on June 23, 1899. In his will he attempted to prevent the partition of his properties to the value of about $ 10,000,000 by forming
448-744: A position with Beecher and Company, an express company located in New Haven which was taken over by the Adams Express Company . Plant was transferred from steamboats to railroads. After a few years he was put in charge of the old York office of the company. In 1853 his wife, Ellen Elizabeth (Blackstone) Plant was ordered South for her health. After a journey of eight days, the Plants arrived in Jacksonville in March and spent several months at
512-651: A private home near Jacksonville, Florida , then a tiny hamlet. Plant was impressed with the possibilities of the future development of Florida. The next year, after it became necessary for his wife to again travel south for her health, he requested and obtained the responsibility for all Adams Express Company's interests in the territory south of the Potomac and Ohio rivers. In the face of great difficulties, he successfully organized and extended express service across this region, where transportation facilities, although rapidly growing, were still deficient and uncoordinated. At
576-517: A private school. His grandmother, Betsy Plant, who hoped to make a clergyman of him, offered him an education at Yale College , but, impatient to begin an active career, he got a job as captain's boy, deck hand, and man-of-all-work on a steamboat, The New York, plying between New Haven and New York City. Among his various duties was the care of express parcels . This line of business, hitherto neglected, he organized effectively. After marrying Ellen Blackstone in 1843, Plant decided to stay ashore and took
640-566: A trust for the benefit of his grandson, Henry Plant II (born 1895), but the will was contested by his widow and son and declared invalid under the laws of the state of New York. This decision made possible the consolidation of his railroads with other properties to form the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad , today a key portion of the Florida operations of CSX Transportation . Plant's son, Morton Freeman Plant (1852–1918),
704-401: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city and the county seat of Pinellas County, Florida , United States, west of Tampa and north of St. Petersburg . To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay . As of the 2020 census , the city had a population of 117,292. It is the smallest of
SECTION 10
#1732772288958768-597: Is currently Pinellas County's only general public transit. The service offers approximately 35 local routes, two express routes which cross Tampa Bay to the east, and a beach trolley that runs north and south along the county's roughly 25-mile-long (40 km) chain of barrier islands . The city was formerly served by Amtrak at Clearwater station . The Church of Scientology 's "spiritual headquarters" are located in downtown Clearwater. The Church refers to Clearwater as its "Flag Land Base". The Church of Scientology owns several historical landmark buildings including
832-545: Is part of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative which seeks to provide patrons with access to information and programs to benefit the community. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a small non-profit aquarium . Opening in 1972 on Clearwater Beach, the aquarium is most famous for Winter the dolphin. Rescued as a calf in 2005, Winter was one of the first dolphins to have been fitted with a prosthetic tail after losing it due to entanglement in
896-703: The Belleview Biltmore near Clearwater, Florida . The subsequent growth in wealth and population of Florida and other states tributary to the Plant System made its founder one of the richest and most powerful men in the South. A good physical inheritance, preserved by temperate habits, made it possible for Henry Plant to keep working until almost eighty years of age. His first wife died in February 1861, and in 1873 he married Margaret Josephine Loughman,
960-568: The Belleview Hotel . Groundbreaking was December 6, 1920. The "New Capitol Theatre" was damaged in a storm on October 26, 1921 (so it had been completed). A theatre organ was installed in 1922, to accompany silent films with music. The organ was made and installed by the Robert Morton Organ Company . Donald Roebling was a frequent patron, having his own double seat installed at the theatre. The theatre
1024-621: The Fort Harrison Hotel and the Clearwater Bank Building. As of 2019, Scientology had purchased so much property in downtown Clearwater that it owned most of the commercial buildings in the downtown core, many of which remained vacant. According to an investigation by the Tampa Bay Times , "The [Church of Scientology], its members and companies they control now own 185 properties that cover 101 acres in
1088-664: The PICO Hotel in Sanford for the accommodation of his railroad and steamship passengers to Central Florida. Subsequently, he either built or purchased the Inn at Port Tampa (1888), Hotel Kissimmee (1890), Seminole Hotel (1891), Hotel Punta Gorda (1894), The Ocala House (1895), and the Fort Myers Hotel (1898). Tampa , then a village of a few hundred inhabitants, was made the terminus of his southern Florida railroad and also
1152-527: The Plant Investment Company , a holding company for the joint management of the various properties under his control. He reconstructed and extended several small railroads so as to provide continuous service across the state, and by providing better connections with through lines to the North he gave Florida orange growers quicker and cheaper access to Northern markets. In 1887, Plant built
1216-537: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 39.2 square miles (101.6 km ), of which 25.6 square miles (66.2 km ) is land and 13.7 square miles (35.4 km ) (34.86%) is water. Clearwater's downtown has been undergoing major redevelopment in recent years. General beautification has been done along with completion of several high-rise condos and a large marina. New bars, restaurants, and other amenities are coming to
1280-530: The 1970s under the code-name Project Normandy , the Church of Scientology began targeting Clearwater in order to "establish area control" of the city and county. The operations were exposed in a Pulitzer Prize winning series of articles in the Clearwater Sun . Gabe Cazares , who was the mayor of Clearwater at the time, went so far as to call it "the occupation of Clearwater" and later characterized it as
1344-703: The American family movie series Dolphin Tale . BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater is the spring training home of Major League Baseball 's Philadelphia Phillies , as well as their Low-A affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers . Moccasin Lake Nature Park is a 51-acre nature preserve (21 ha) with a 5-acre lake (2.0 ha) owned and operated by the city. The preserve also features
SECTION 20
#17327722889581408-632: The City Commission for additional space. As a result of segregation , the Clearwater Public Library was for White patrons only from its founding in 1911 to the mid-twentieth century. In 1950, the City Commission agreed to the building of the North Greenwood library. Designed by Architect Eugene Beach, the new library allowed access for the city's African American population to many information sources. This library
1472-639: The Clearwater Library Association opened a subscription library on the second floor of the local People's Bank. Its popularity and support led to the request of $ 10,000 from the Carnegie Foundation to build a public library . The building was designed by Tampa architect F.J. Kennard. In its first year, the library had over 1,277 visitors and 2,792 books borrowed. As a vacation town, the library provided free access to materials for all residents and winter visitors. During
1536-631: The Depression, the Clearwater Public Library faced many of the same threats seen at other libraries seen throughout the United States. This includes increased patron usage and dwindling budget. In the 1940s, the Clearwater library increased its staff from three assistants to five assistants. The library's collection also grew from 18,047 to over 100,000. To account for this increase, the Librarian and Board President Traver Bayly made an appeal to
1600-583: The Eddie C. Moore Recreation Complex, Del Oro Park, and Cooper's Bayou Park. The trail also connects to north–south trails including the Pinellas Trail and the Duke Energy Trail (along Duke Energy's right of way. Connecting many parks the trail offers opportunities to access nature walks, photography, picnics, and fishing. This United States trail or long-distance path–related article
1664-526: The Moccasin Lake Environmental Education Center, which offers environmental education classes, programs and camps. The Center features live rehabilitated birds of prey, reptiles, amphibians and aquatic wildlife. It opened in 1982. The City of Clearwater contains five pools: Ross Norton, North Greenwood, Morningside, the Long Center, and Clearwater Beach. Swim lessons are offered throughout the year to patrons, and
1728-643: The Savannah and Charleston Railroad, now Charleston and Savannah. Not long after this he organized the Plant Investment Co., to control these railroads and advance their interests generally, and later established a steamboat line on the St. John's river, in Florida. From 1853 until 1860 he was general superintendent of the southern division of the Adams Express Co., and in 1867 became president of
1792-595: The Southern Express. The railroads of the South had been practically ruined and many railroads went bankrupt in the depression of 1873 . In this situation, he found his opportunity. Convinced of the eventual economic revival of the South, he bought at foreclosure sales in 1879 and 1880 the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad and the Charleston and Savannah Railroad . With these as a nucleus he began building along
1856-604: The Texas Express Co. In the 1880s, most of his accumulated railroad and steamship lines were combined into the Plant System , which later became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad . Plant is particularly known for connecting the previously isolated Tampa Bay area and southwest Florida to the nation's railroad system and establishing regular steamship service between Tampa, Cuba, and Key West , helping to spark significant population and economic growth in
1920-554: The approach of the Civil War the directors of Adams Express, fearing the confiscation of their Southern properties, decided to sell them to Plant for his promissory note of $ 500,000. With Southern stockholders of the company he organized in 1861 the Southern Express Company , a Georgia corporation, and named himself president. Because he had built a reputation for providing reliable and efficient express service,
1984-410: The area was known as Clear Water Harbor. The name "Clear Water" is thought to have come from a fresh water spring flowing from near where the old City Hall building was located. There were many other freshwater springs that dotted the bluff, many in the bay or harbor itself. Originally part of Hillsborough County , the first road joining Clearwater and Tampa was built in 1849, which dramatically reduced
Ream Wilson Clearwater Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue
2048-459: The area, renamed the "Cleveland Street District". Royalty Theatre is also slated to be renovated. Clearwater has a humid subtropical climate . Clearwater is far enough south that it lies in the broad transition zone from subtropical to tropical climates. As such, Clearwater is mostly warm to hot year round, with few nights of frost. Most of the annual rainfall comes in the wet season (June through September), when daily thundershowers erupt due to
2112-533: The bay, replacing the former drawbridge ; the connecting road is part of State Road 60 and is called Clearwater Memorial Causeway . During World War II , Clearwater became a major training base for US troops destined for Europe and the Pacific. Virtually every hotel in the area, including the Belleview Biltmore and the Fort Harrison Hotel , was used as a barracks for new recruits. Vehicle traffic
2176-570: The cabinet of Confederate president Jefferson Davis made Plant's company the agent for the Confederacy in collecting tariffs and transferring funds. In 1863, claiming a serious illness, he left his home in Augusta with a safe passage document signed by Jefferson Davis and sailed to Bermuda. After spending a month there, he traveled to Canada, Connecticut, and then England. When in France, he
2240-427: The center of downtown. Half the properties were bought since January 2017. ...Seventy-three percent of the property is [now] tax-exempt for religious purposes." By 2024, the count was up to 210 parcels purchased since 2017, including the office tower where city government offices were located, and leaving only seven remaining commercial property owners who are not associated with Scientology or government. Beginning in
2304-709: The daughter of Martin Loughman of New York City, who with one of his two sons survived him. He was honored at the Cotton States and International Exhibition in 1895 in Atlanta, GA with his own, Henry Plant Day. Henry Plant built or bought eight hotels, including several in Tampa, Florida and the new town of Port Tampa , which he built at the end of his rail line. His most prized hotel was the Tampa Bay Hotel ,
2368-472: The express business of that road. He went south in 1853 and established express lines on various southern railways, and in 1861 organized the Southern Express Co., and became its president. In 1879 he purchased, with others, the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad of Georgia, and later reorganized the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad, of which he became president. He purchased and rebuilt, in 1880,
2432-438: The first mayor. The area's popularity as a vacation destination grew after railroad magnate Henry B. Plant built a sprawling Victorian resort hotel named Belleview Biltmore just south of Clearwater in 1897. By the early 1900s, Clearwater's population had grown to around 400, ballooning to nearly 1,000 in the winter. Clearwater's oldest existing newspaper, the Clearwater Sun , was first published on March 14, 1914. Clearwater
2496-527: The home port for a new line of steamships to Havana . For the accommodation of winter visitors he built in Tampa, in the style of a Moorish palace, an enormous hotel costing over $ 3,000,000 and covering 6 acres situated on 150 acres. Opened on February 5, 1891, it was the first hotel in Florida to have an elevator, electric lights, and a telephone in each room. The hotel was called the Tampa Bay Hotel and
2560-697: The majority of property in the Clearwater downtown core district. Present-day Clearwater was originally the home of the Tocobaga people. Around 1835, the United States Army began construction of Fort Harrison , named after William Henry Harrison , as an outpost during the Seminole Wars . The fort was located on a bluff overlooking Clearwater Harbor, which later became part of an early 20th-century residential development called Harbor Oaks. University of South Florida archaeologists excavated
2624-517: The median household income for Clearwater was $ 50,335, which is below the average for both the United States as well as the state of Florida. In 2012, the city was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the U.S. by CBS Money Watch. The Clearwater Public Art and Design Program, adopted by City Council in 2005, is funded through a 1% allocation on all city capital improvement projects valued at more than $ 500,000. The program commissions an average of 2–3 new projects per year. Pre-Capitol Theatre,
Ream Wilson Clearwater Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-409: The median income for a household in the city was $ 47,070, and the median income for a family was $ 46,228. 15.9% of the population fell below the poverty line. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 107,685 people, 46,264 households, and 26,317 families residing in the city. As of 2000, speakers of English as their first language were 84.43% of residents, Spanish as a mother tongue
2752-554: The pools have both a recreation summer pool league and the Clearwater Aquatics Team. These pools have participated in the World's Largest Swim Lesson. The City of Clearwater is administered by a council-manager form of government, and the city manager serves as the chief executive and administrative officer of the city. The Clearwater City Council comprises the mayor and four council members, each of whom serves
2816-580: The prior day-long commute between the cities. During the American Civil War , Union gunboats repeatedly raided the community's supplies, as most of the able-bodied men were away fighting for the Confederate Army . The town began developing in the late nineteenth century, prompted by Peter Demens ' completion of the first passenger railroad line into the city in 1888. Clearwater was incorporated in 1891, with James E. Crane becoming
2880-493: The region. To promote passenger traffic, Plant built the large Tampa Bay Hotel resort along his rail line through Tampa and several smaller hotels further south, starting the area's tourist industry. His semi-friendly rival, Henry Flagler , similarly sparked growth along Florida's opposite coast by building the Florida East Coast Railroad along with several resorts along its route. Henry Bradley Plant
2944-555: The site in 1962 after Mark Wyllie discovered an underground ammunition bunker while planting a tree in his yard. The area's population grew after the Federal Armed Occupation Act of 1842 offered 160 acres (0.65 km ) to anyone who would bear arms and cultivate the land. Early settlers included the Stevens, Stevenson, Sever and McMullen families, who claimed and farmed large tracts of land. Prior to 1906,
3008-421: The southern Atlantic seaboard a transportation system that twenty years later included fourteen railway companies with 2,100 miles of track, several steamship lines, and a number of important hotels. In 1882 he organized, with the assistance of Northern capitalists (among whom were M. K. Jesup, W. T. Walters, and Henry Morrison Flagler , who himself would be instrumental in the development of Florida's east coast)
3072-540: The strong solar heating. The dry season starts in October and runs through May, at which time the weather is sunny, dry, and there is little change in daily weather. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 117,292 people, 48,211 households, and 27,233 families residing in the city. In 2019, the city's population was spread out, with 18.7% under the age of 18, 59.4% between the age of 18 and 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. Between 2014 and 2018,
3136-555: The theatre with film classics and reduced prices. However, the theatre closed its doors on October 28, 1980. Royalty Theater Company signed leases with the Taylor family in February 1981, when it then became known as the Royalty Theater (Clearwater, Florida). The building was renovated with Ron Winter of Winter Associates as the contractor and Scott Musheff as the architect. During the renovations, Bill Neville's murdered body
3200-579: The three principal cities in the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater metropolitan area, most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay area . Clearwater Beach is part of the city of Clearwater, but is separated from it by the Intracoastal Waterway . Cleveland Street is one of the city's historic avenues, and the city includes BayCare Ballpark and Coachman Park. The Church of Scientology owns
3264-477: Was 8.55%, Greek accounted for 1.16%, French made up 1.00% of speakers, German at 0.97%, and Italian speakers comprised 0.85% of the population. Clearwater's economy employs nearly 50,400 people. Major employers include Morton Plant Hospital , Tech Data , and Honeywell . Employment in Clearwater grew 1.84% from 2015 to 2016 with 50,345 people in the workforce. The most common job groups include Service, Sales & Office, Science, and Business. As of 2020,
SECTION 50
#17327722889583328-545: Was a businessman, entrepreneur, and investor involved with many transportation interests and projects, mostly railroads, in the southeastern United States . He was founder of the Plant System of railroads and steamboats . Born in 1819 in Branford, Connecticut, Plant entered the railroad service in 1844, serving as express messenger on the Hartford and New Haven Railroad until 1853, during which time he had entire charge of
3392-520: Was born in Branford, Connecticut , to Betsey ( née Bradley) and Anderson Plant, a farmer in good circumstances. He was the descendant of John Plant who probably emigrated from England and settled at Hartford, Connecticut , about 1639. When the boy was six, his father and younger sister died of typhus. Several years later his mother married again and took him to live first at Martinsburg, New York , and later at New Haven, Connecticut , where he attended
3456-818: Was built by Senator-elect John Stansel Taylor . The theater's architect was Lester Avery and the contractor was John D. Phillipoff. Avery is known for his architecture in Miami . Philipoff also built the Coachman Building (1916), the Donald Roebling Estate in Belleair (added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979), the old Pinellas County Courthouse (added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992), other historical homes which have been saved, and did work at
3520-399: Was famous for its fanciful Moorish and Victorian architecture. In 1898, this hotel gained international fame as the stateside military headquarters for the U.S. invasion force during the Spanish–American War. The hotel now serves as the main building for the University of Tampa and houses the Henry B. Plant Museum . Another large, Victorian-style hotel established by Plant was opened in 1897,
3584-444: Was found in the balcony. The theatre remained in the Taylor family estate until it was sold in 1996. In July 2008, the building went into foreclosure. In January 2009, the City of Clearwater and Ruth Eckerd Hall joined forces to purchase the theatre (renamed Capitol Theatre) as well as the neighboring Pat Lokey building as part of a renovation and revitalization of the historic Capitol Theater . Fowler Associates Architects, Inc.
3648-470: Was informed that his Confederate passport was not valid. After some discussion with French authorities, an unusual resolution was reached as he was issued a French passport declaring him a U.S. citizen residing in Georgia which allowed him to travel extensively across Europe and later re-enter the United States when he returned to New York by way of Canada . After the war, Plant returned to the South in February, 1865 to reclaim his business interests, primarily
3712-419: Was made possible by the Greater Clearwater Public Library Foundation, Inc. which formed in 1984. As a part of the library's Centennial Celebration, a project is commencing to add makerspaces to the libraries. The Main library's makerspace is the "Studios at Main" and targets creative arts making. The Clearwater Public Library System is a contributor to the Pinellas Memory Project. This system of libraries
3776-532: Was managed by various movie companies (EJ Sparks, Paramount, ABC-Southeastern Theatres, and Plitt Southern) and played the most recent movies of the day. The theatre also offered vaudeville on Friday nights in the 1930s. Headliners included Sally Rand , Fred Stone and his daughter, and Lum and Abner (of radio). The theatre was renovated in 1962. The Morton theatre organ was most likely removed during this renovation. When Plitt Southern did not renew their contract in 1979, Bill Neville and Jerry Strain tried to save
3840-482: Was regularly stopped for companies of soldiers marching through downtown, and nighttime blackouts to confuse potential enemy bombers were common practice. Pre-development Sand Key was used as a target by U.S. Army Air Corps fighter-bombers for strafing and bombing practice. The approximate coordinate for the City of Clearwater is located at 27°58′25″N 82°45′51″W / 27.973644°N 82.764271°W / 27.973644; -82.764271 . According to
3904-437: Was reincorporated, this time as a city, on May 27, 1915, and was designated the county seat for Pinellas County, which broke from Hillsborough County in 1912. In 1915, a bridge was built across Clearwater Harbor, joining the city with Clearwater Beach to the west. Clearwater Beach, although located on a separate barrier island, belongs to the city of Clearwater and fronts the Gulf of Mexico. A new, much higher bridge now arcs over
SECTION 60
#17327722889583968-532: Was renovated in 1984. The new Main library was rebuilt beginning in 2000. It opened in May 2004. As the population continued to increase throughout the late twentieth century, the library system continued to grow. The Clearwater Public Library System now includes five libraries: Clearwater Main, Countryside, North Greenwood, Beach, and East. In recent years, the Clearwater Public Library System has become increasingly digital, providing patrons with access to computers, online databases, and an online library catalog. This
4032-420: Was selected for the renovation of the Capitol Theatre. The $ 10 million renovation and expansion began in 2012 and was completed in 2013. In 2019, a $ 2.5 million donation renamed the building the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre. In 1911, the city of Clearwater witnessed a vast population increase as well as acquiring telephones, electricity, paved streets and an ice factory. It is during this time that
4096-411: Was vice-president of the Plant Investment Company from 1884 to 1902 and attained distinction as a yachtsman. He was part owner of the Philadelphia baseball club in the National League , and sole owner of the New London club in the Eastern League . Of the younger Plant's many gifts to hospitals and other institutions the most notable were the three dormitories and the unrestricted gift of $ 1,000,000 to
#957042