A soft spot for St. Pete and a weakness for a good story. Local history belongs to the place; the ridiculous gator stories belong to us.
REAL LOCAL HISTORY · WEEDON ISLANDBefore the bar stools, there were shell mounds.
Weedon Island’s story begins long before modern St. Petersburg. Indigenous communities built lives around Tampa Bay’s fish, shellfish, plants, and wildlife. Archaeological evidence—including shell deposits and elaborate pottery—records a rich coastal world.
The name has two spellings worth knowing: Weedon Island is the place; Weeden Island is the name used for the archaeological culture and traditions associated with it. Its history deserves more than a punchline.
Then came an improbable second act.
Homesteaders, speakeasies, a movie studio, and a 1930s airport all became part of the island’s later history. That remarkable mix is exactly why old St. Pete rewards a second look.
Today the preserve’s trails and Cultural & Natural History Center invite visitors to explore the relationship between the landscape and the people who lived here.
Read the preserve’s history & archaeology →
Explore the archaeology with AWIARE →REAL LOCAL HISTORY · 1914The bay became a runway.
On January 1, 1914, Tony Jannus piloted a Benoist flying boat from St. Petersburg to Tampa, opening the world’s first regularly scheduled airline. Long before boarding groups and overhead bins, a trip across this bay helped launch an industry.
Visit the Museum of History’s Flight One story →REAL LOCAL HISTORY · 1924Six players. A very lasting club.
In January 1924, six enthusiasts organized the Mirror Lake Park Shuffleboard Club. A game brought people together, and a St. Pete institution took root. That mix of friendly competition and community still feels like the city’s signature move.
Read the Shuffleboard Club’s history → A FICTIONAL HOUSE LEGENDThe gator with a tab.
He arrived wearing sunglasses and carrying a library card. Claimed it counted as ID because he was “very well read.” We offered him water. He asked whether it was local.
By closing time he had lost at pinball, won at shuffleboard, and convinced three tourists he used to own the pier. His tab remains a matter of folklore.
A FICTIONAL HOUSE LEGENDFlorida Man discovers shade.
In a breakthrough described by one witness as “a chair under a palm,” a local man announced he had solved summer. He celebrated by ordering a koozie for his koozie.
The city declined to comment. The pelican took the chair.