In celebration of Clearwater’s centennial and as part of the Speaking of History lecture series, Jim Schnur, president of the Pinellas County Historical Society, will examine important moments in the history of the Clearwater area since the mid-1800s.

PINELLAS COUNTY – The city of Clearwater will celebrate its centennial May 27. Throughout the spring, a variety of events will take place throughout Clearwater to commemorate this important milestone.

Now Heritage Village has joined the activities with a lecture, “Celebrating Clearwater’s Centennial,” at 2 p.m. Sunday (April 19) in the Pinellas Room at Heritage Village.The lecture has been designated as an official centennial event by the city of Clearwater.

Jim Schnur, president of the Pinellas County Historical Society, will take a look at Clearwater’s history through the decades. This program incorporates historical images from local archival collections with a talk that focuses on life in the pioneer settlement, the arrival of the railroad, the expansion of agriculture and citrus farming, early battles over the creation of Pinellas County and subsequent battles over the location of the county seat. Additional topics include the boom era in Clearwater, the city during World War II and at mid-century and post-war developments and expansion that led to the transformation of Sand Key and Clearwater Beach as well as the eastward extension of the city limits into the Countryside area and other communities. The lecture compares the present skyline with earlier days, when Clear Water Harbor—as it was once known—served as an early and important docking spot for ships bringing supplies from Cedar Key and Key West to the few families who lived on the sparsely settled peninsula in the mid-1800s.

A native and lifelong resident of Pinellas County, Schnur also serves as a member of the Pinellas County Historical Commission, as the special collections librarian at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, and as an adjunct instructor of history at Eckerd College. This program is offered in partnership with the Clearwater Historical Society.

Heritage Village is located at 11909 125^th St. N in Largo. This living history museum brings more than 150 years of local history to life. Tour 29 authentic buildings and structures and experience historical Pinellas County through hands-on exploration. Among the collection at Heritage Village are photographs, such as the one attached here. This photo from the Heritage Village collection shows a view of downtown Clearwater in 1910 before the “Big Fire of 1910” destroyed many of the buildings. Heritage Village has WiFi availability.

Heritage Village is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. It is closed all Pinellas County holidays. For information about Heritage Village visit pinellascounty.org, or call (727) 582-2123.

Clearwater Centennial | Heritage Village | Jim Schnur | Events

#ClearwaterCentennial #HeritageVillage #JimSchnur #Events #TBReporter