Timeline of St. Petersburg, Florida

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, Florida, United States.

Late 19th century[]

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• 1875 – John C. Williams purchases land.^[1]
• 1884 – The St. Petersburg Times was established.^[2]
• 1888
  • Peter Demens brings railroad into St. Petersburg.^[1]
  • The first hotel is built, named the Detroit Hotel.^[3]
• 1892
  • Town of St. Petersburg incorporated.^[4]
  • becomes first mayor of St. Petersburg.^[5]
• 1897 – Electrical service established.^[1]
• 1899
  • Orange Belt Railway constructs the Railroad Pier.^[6]
  • introduces major fishing business.^[7]
• 1900 – Population: 1,575

20th century[]

• 1903 – City of St. Petersburg incorporated.^[1]
• 1904 – Trolley services enter St. Petersburg by F. A. Davis.^[8]
• 1906
  • The Electric Pier is built, replacing the Railroad Pier.^[9]
  • Shipping channel dredging begins.
• 1910 – Population: 4,127
• 1913 – The Municipal Pier is built, replacing the Electric Pier.^[10]
• 1914
  • St. Louis Browns invited to use St. Petersburg for spring training at Coffee Pot Park.^[11]
  • The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line perform the first commercial flight with a Benoist XIV flying boat.^{[citation needed]}
• 1915 – Mirror Lake Library opens.^[12]
• 1916 – Al Lang becomes mayor.^[13]
• 1920 – Population: 14,237
• 1921
  • St. Petersburg Museum of History is founded.^[14]
  • 1921 Tampa Bay hurricane.
• 1924
  • The United States Coast Guard opens base.^[15]
  • Gandy Bridge opens.^[16]
• 1925 – The Vinoy Park Hotel is built.^[17]
• 1926 – Millions Dollar Pier is constructed, replacing the Municipal Pier.^[18]
• 1928 – WSUN radio begins broadcasting.^[19]
• 1930 – Population: 40,425
• 1940 – Population: 60,812
• 1942 – St. Petersburg used a training facility for the Army Air Force.^[20]
• 1947 – Original Al Lang Stadium is built.^[21][22]
• 1950 – Population: 96,738
• 1953 – WSUN-TV (television) begins broadcasting.^[23]
• 1954 – The original Sunshine Skyway Bridge opens.^[24]
• 1960
  • Population: 181,298.^[25]
  • Howard Frankland Bridge is constructed.^[26]
• 1965
  • Museum of Fine Arts is established.^[27]
  • Bayfront Center is constructed.^[28]
• 1968 – Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg established.^[29]
• 1970 – Population: 216,159.^[25]
• 1973 – The St. Petersburg Pier is built.^[30]
• 1976 – Al Lang Stadium is rebuilt.^[31]
• 1980
  • Population: 238,647.^[25]
  • The south bound span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapses due to the MV Summit Venture striking a pier.^[32]
• 1982 – Salvador Dalí Museum is established.^[33]
• 1987 – The new Sunshine Skyway Bridge is constructed.^[34][35]
• 1990
  • Population: 238,629.^[25]
  • Tropicana Field is constructed.^[36]
  • One Progress Plaza is constructed.
• 1992 – Florida Holocaust Museum is established.^[33]
• 1993 – Original Sunshine Skyway Bridge is demolished.^[37]
• 1998 – Tampa Bay Rays established as Tampa Bay Devil Rays.^[38]
• 2000 – Population: 248,232

21st century[]

• 2001 – Rick Baker becomes mayor.
• 2003 – Wikimedia Foundation established.
• 2003 – First ever St. Pete Pride celebration and declaration of June being Pride month ^[39]
• 2004 – Bayfront Center is demolished.
• 2010
  • Population: 244,769
  • Bill Foster becomes mayor.
• 2009 – Signature Place is constructed.
• 2011 – Salvador Dalí Museum is established in current building.^[40]
• 2014 – Rick Kriseman becomes mayor.
• 2015 – The St. Petersburg Pier is demolished.
• 2015 – The History Council of St. Petersburg is formed. ^[41]
• 2017 – Rick Kriseman is re-elected as mayor.^[42]
• 2020 – St. Pete Pier opens.^[43]

See also[]

• List of mayors of St. Petersburg, Florida
• History of St. Petersburg, Florida
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Pinellas County, Florida
• Timelines of other cities in the Central Florida area of Florida: Clearwater, Lakeland, Largo, Orlando, Tampa

References[]

Bibliography[]

• St. Petersburg, Florida. Black America. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia. 2003.