Timeline of Tampa, Florida

The following is a of the history of the city of Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States.

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.
• 1831 – Tampa Bay post office established.

• 1845 – Tampa Bay becomes part of the new U.S. state of Florida.
• 1848 – 1848 Tampa Bay hurricane.
• 1849 – Village of Tampa incorporated.
• 1850 – Oaklawn Cemetery established.
• 1855 – Town of Tampa incorporated.
• 1856 – Joseph B. Lancaster becomes mayor.
• 1859 – First Baptist Church established.
• 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.
• Tampa Guardian newspaper in publication.
• 1877 – Gainesville-Tampa stagecoach begins operating.
• 1882 – Hillsborough High School opens.
• 1884 – Henry Plant's South Florida Railroad begins operating.
• 1885 – Board of Trade established.
• 1886 - Ybor City established by Vicente Martinez Ybor; first cigar factories open
• 1887
• Ybor City annexed by city of Tampa.
• Tampa Electric Company established.
• 1888 – Plant Park laid out.
• 1889 – Florida Railway begins operating.
• 1890
• Tampa Business College established.
• Telephone service established.
• 1891
• Tampa Bay Hotel built.
• Cuban José Martí speaks in Ybor City in support of Cuban independence.
• 1893 – Tampa Daily Times newspaper begins publication.
• 1895 – Tampa Fire Department established.
• 1899
• Burgert Brothers photo studio established.
• Circulo Cubano founded.
• 1900 – Tampa Woman's Club formed.

20th century

1900s-1950s

• 1901 – Jackson Rooming House in business.

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

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

1960s-1990s

• 1960 – Population: 274,970.
• 1962 – Museum of Science and Industry founded.
• 1965 - Curtis Hixon Hall opens
• 1966 – Franklin Exchange Building constructed.
• 1970 – Population: 277,767.
• 1972 - Sant'Yago Knight Parade begins.
• 1977
• New Florida State Fairgrounds hosts first fair
• Floriland Cinema in business.
• 1978 – Cracker Country (museum) established.
• 1979
• May 8: Storm.
• Tampa Museum of Art founded.
• 1980
• Hillsborough Area Regional Transit established.
• Population: 271,523.
• 1981 – Feeding America Tampa Bay active (approximate date).
• 1982 – Foreign trade zone and Ybor City Museum Society established.
• 1984 – Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System established.
• 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.
• 1990
• Tampa Convention Center opens
• Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival begins.
• Population: 280,015.
• 1992 – AmSouth Building and SunTrust Financial Centre constructed.
• 1995 – Florida Aquarium opens.

• 1996
• City website online.
• Ice Palace arena opens.
• 1997 - Tampa Police Museum founded.
• 2000 - Channelside 9 Cinemas in business.

21st century

• 2001
• Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts opens.
• Ruby (programming language) conference held in city.
• 2002
• January 5: 2002 Tampa plane crash.
• TECO Line Streetcar begins operating; Centennial Park Station and Tampa Bay Federal Credit Union Station open.
• 2003 – Whiting Station opens.
• 2004
• Ford Amphitheatre opens.
• First segments of Tampa Riverwalk open
• 2007
• SkyPoint built.
• Kathy Castor becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 11th congressional district.
• 2009 – Tampa Bay History Center opens.
• 2010
• Population: city 335,709; metro 2,783,243.
• Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park opens
• 2011
• Florida Voices begins publication.
• Bob Buckhorn becomes mayor.
• Population: 346,037; metro 2,824,724.
• 2012 – 2012 Republican National Convention held in Tampa
• 2014 – Tampa Baseball Museum opens.
• 2018-21 – First phase of Water Street district construction

See also

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

References

Bibliography

• + part 2
• (also via Open Library)
• Gary R. Mormino, "Tampa: From Hell Hole to the Good Life", in Richard M. Bernard and Bradley R. Rice, eds., Sunbelt Cities: Politics and Growth Since World War II (Austin, 1983)

External links

• (short film)
• Items related to Tampa, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)