Timeline of Tampa, Florida

19th century

1821 – Spain transfers control of Florida to the United States per the Adams-Onis Treaty
1824 – Fort Brooke established by U.S. Army on Tampa Bay in the Territory of Florida.^[1]
1831 – Tampa Bay post office established.^[2]

1845 – Tampa Bay becomes part of the new U.S. state of Florida.^[1]
1848 – 1848 Tampa Bay hurricane.
1849 – Village of Tampa incorporated.
1850 – Oaklawn Cemetery established.^[3]
1855 – Town of Tampa incorporated.^[4]
1856 – Joseph B. Lancaster becomes mayor.
1859 – First Baptist Church established.^[3]
1861 – Florida secedes the US and joins the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War
1862 – June 30-July 1: Battle of Tampa.
1863 – October 16–18: Battle of Fort Brooke.
1873
- Yellow fever outbreak.^[2]
- Tampa Guardian newspaper in publication.^[5]
1877 – Gainesville-Tampa stagecoach begins operating.^[2]
1882 – Hillsborough High School opens.
1884 – Henry Plant's South Florida Railroad begins operating.^[2]
1885 – Board of Trade established.^[6]
1886 - Ybor City established by Vicente Martinez Ybor; first cigar factories open^[7]
1887
- Ybor City annexed by city of Tampa.^[6]
- Tampa Electric Company established.^[8]
1888 – Plant Park laid out.^[2]
1889 – Florida Railway begins operating.^[2]
1890
- Tampa Business College established.^[9]
- Telephone service established.^[8]
1891
- Tampa Bay Hotel built.^[2]
- Cuban José Martí speaks in Ybor City in support of Cuban independence.^[10]
1893 – Tampa Daily Times newspaper begins publication.^[5]
1895 – Tampa Fire Department established.
1899
- Burgert Brothers photo studio established.^[11]
- Circulo Cubano founded.^[8]
1900 – Tampa Woman's Club formed.^[12]

Remove ads

20th century

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2014)

1904 – South Florida Fair and Gasparilla Parade begin.
1905
- Columbia Restaurant in business.
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church^[2] and United States Courthouse Building constructed.
1907
- St. Andrew's Episcopal Church built.
- Havatampa Cigar Company in business.^[13]
1908 – YMCA built.^[14]
1912
- Union Station opens.
- El Centro Español de Tampa building constructed.^[2]
- El Comercio Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.^[15]
- Union Hotel in business.
1913 – Centro Asturiano de Tampa building constructed.^[2]
1914 – St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line begins operating.^[1]^[16]

1915 – Tampa City Hall built.
1916 – Heraldo Dominical Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.^[15]
1917
- Tampa Public Library opens.^[17]
- Circulo Cubano de Tampa rebuilt.
1918 – Unione Italiana building constructed.^[2]
1920 – Population: 51,608.
1922
- WDAE radio begins broadcasting.^[18]^[19]
- La Gaceta trilingual newspaper begins publication.^[7]
1924 – Gandy Bridge to St. Petersburg built.^[2]
1925
- West Tampa annexed by City of Tampa.
- Municipal Auditorium built.^[2]
- WFLA radio begins broadcasting.^[18]
1926
- Junior League of Tampa founded.^[20]
- Tampa Theatre opens.
1927
- Sulphur Springs Water Tower erected.
- Floridan Hotel in business.
1930 – Population: 101,161.^[21]
1931
- Labor strike of cigar workers.^[22]
- Tampa Junior College established.
1934 – Davis Causeway opens.^[2]
1938 – Janus Administration Building constructed.^[2]
1939 – U.S. Army Southeast Air Base established.
1940 – Population: 108,391.^[21]
1950 – Population: 124,681.^[21]
1955 - WFLA-TV and WTVT (television) begin broadcasting.^[23]
1956 – Britton Plaza Shopping Center in business.
1957 – Lowry Park Zoo opens.
1959 – Busch Gardens theme park in business.^[24]

1960 – Population: 274,970.^[21]
1962 – Museum of Science and Industry founded.^[25]
1965 - Curtis Hixon Hall opens
1966 – Franklin Exchange Building constructed.
1970 – Population: 277,767.^[21]
1972 - Sant'Yago Knight Parade begins.
1977
- New Florida State Fairgrounds hosts first fair
- Floriland Cinema in business.^[26]
1978 – Cracker Country (museum) established.
1979
- May 8: Storm.^[27]
- Tampa Museum of Art founded.
1980
- Hillsborough Area Regional Transit established.
- Population: 271,523.^[21]
1981 – Feeding America Tampa Bay active (approximate date).^[28]
1982 – Foreign trade zone^[29]^[30] and Ybor City Museum Society^[25] established.
1984 – Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System established.^[17]
1986 – Barnett Plaza (hi-rise) built.
1987
- Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center opens.
- Children's Museum founded.
1988 – Rivergate Tower built.
1989 – Tampa Bay History Center founded.^[25]
1990
- Tampa Convention Center opens
- Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival begins.
- Population: 280,015.^[21]
1992 – AmSouth Building and SunTrust Financial Centre constructed.
1995 – Florida Aquarium opens.^[24]

Remove ads

19th century