Timeline of Largo history
Encyclopedia
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was...
history.
1513–1841
- 1513 – March 27 Ponce de LeonPonce de León-People:* Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer of the Americas and first Governor of Puerto Rico* Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the son of Juan Ponce de León II, and early settler of Ponce, Puerto Rico...
discovers Florida.FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
- 1515–1519 Spanish explorers visit Pinellas barrier islands while trading with TocobagaTocobagaTocobaga was the name of a chiefdom, its chief and its principal town during the 16th century in the area of Tampa Bay. The town was at the northern end of what is now called Old Tampa Bay, an arm of Tampa Bay that extends northward between the present-day city of Tampa and Pinellas County...
.
- 1528 Panfilo de NarvaezPánfilo de NarváezPánfilo de Narváez was a Spanish conqueror and soldier in the Americas. He is most remembered as the leader of two expeditions, one to Mexico in 1520 to oppose Hernán Cortés, and the disastrous Narváez expedition to Florida in 1527....
expedition explores the PinellasPinellasPinellas is the name of a peninsula located roughly half-way down the west coast of Florida. It forms the western boundary of Tampa Bay and comprises the bulk of Pinellas County. There is a city named Pinellas Park in south Pinellas. The peninsula is bounded on the north by Pasco County, Florida,...
Peninsula.
- 1539 Hernando de SotoHernando de Soto (explorer)Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River....
expedition names present Tampa Bay "La Bahia de Espiritu Santo."
- 1702–1713 Queen Anne's WarQueen Anne's WarQueen Anne's War , as the North American theater of the War of the Spanish Succession was known in the British colonies, was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought between France and England, later Great Britain, in North America for control of the continent. The War of the...
. TocobagaTocobagaTocobaga was the name of a chiefdom, its chief and its principal town during the 16th century in the area of Tampa Bay. The town was at the northern end of what is now called Old Tampa Bay, an arm of Tampa Bay that extends northward between the present-day city of Tampa and Pinellas County...
virtually annihilated. English raids reach Tampa BayTampa BayTampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
. Pinellas largely deserted.
- 1739–1748 War of Jenkins' EarWar of Jenkins' EarThe War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
. English mapping expeditions visit Pinellas Peninsula.
- 1757 Spanish expedition renames Tampa Bay "La Bahia de San Fernando", after the Spanish king. Names entrance to Tampa Bay "La Punta de Pinal de Jimenez" (Point of Pines).
- 1763 Spain cedes Florida to England at end of the French and Indian War.French and Indian WarThe French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
- 1783 Treaty of Paris (1783)Treaty of Paris (1783)The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
ends American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. England cedes Florida to Spain.SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- 1817–1818 First Seminole War.
- 1821 Spain cedes Florida to United States.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- 1824 U S Army establishes Fort BrookeFort BrookeFort Brooke was a historical military post situated on the east bank of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Convention Center currently stands at the site.-Fort Brooke as a military outpost:...
(later to become Tampa, Florida.Tampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
)
- 1834 Territorial Legislature establishes Hillsborough County, Florida.Hillsborough County, FloridaAs of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
- 1835–1842 Second Seminole War.
- 1842 Armed Occupation ActArmed Occupation ActThe Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 was passed as an incentive to populate Florida. The Act granted 160 acres of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South....
provides for land grants in unsettled parts of Florida.
1841–1902
- 1843 Three claims filed under the Armed Occupation Act in Largo Area, including that of Charles, George, and Alexander McKay.
- 1844 Surveyor notes Late Tolulu (later Lake Largo).
- 1845 Florida Statehood.
- 1848 Great Gale of 1848Great Gale of 1848The Great Gale of 1848, also known as the Tampa Bay hurricane of 1848 and originally as the Great Gale of '48, was a tropical cyclone that struck Florida in September 1848. It affected the Tampa Bay Area September 23–25, 1848. It crossed the Florida Peninsula to cause damage on the east coast on or...
wreaks havoc on local settlements. Water rises high enough to connect Gulf with Tampa Bay across Pinellas Peninsula.
- 1852 Daniel McMullen homesteads in Largo area.
- 1854 Members of McMullen family establish First Free School.
- 1861–1865 American Civil War.American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Many Largo residents leave area. Some join the Cow Cavalry.
- 1874 Anona Elementary founded (oldest school in Pinellas County).
- 1882 Anona Methodist Church established. Hamilton DisstonHamilton DisstonHamilton Disston , was an industrialist and real-estate developer who purchased four million acres of Florida land in 1881, an area larger than the state of Connecticut, and reportedly the most land ever purchased by a single person in world history...
purchases vast landholdings in Florida, including portions of mid-Pinellas and with it, Lake Tolulu. Lake Tolulu is renamed "Lake Largo" by Disston's agent.
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was...
history.
1513–1841
- 1513 – March 27 Ponce de LeonPonce de León-People:* Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer of the Americas and first Governor of Puerto Rico* Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the son of Juan Ponce de León II, and early settler of Ponce, Puerto Rico...
discovers Florida.FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
- 1515–1519 Spanish explorers visit Pinellas barrier islands while trading with TocobagaTocobagaTocobaga was the name of a chiefdom, its chief and its principal town during the 16th century in the area of Tampa Bay. The town was at the northern end of what is now called Old Tampa Bay, an arm of Tampa Bay that extends northward between the present-day city of Tampa and Pinellas County...
.
- 1528 Panfilo de NarvaezPánfilo de NarváezPánfilo de Narváez was a Spanish conqueror and soldier in the Americas. He is most remembered as the leader of two expeditions, one to Mexico in 1520 to oppose Hernán Cortés, and the disastrous Narváez expedition to Florida in 1527....
expedition explores the PinellasPinellasPinellas is the name of a peninsula located roughly half-way down the west coast of Florida. It forms the western boundary of Tampa Bay and comprises the bulk of Pinellas County. There is a city named Pinellas Park in south Pinellas. The peninsula is bounded on the north by Pasco County, Florida,...
Peninsula.
- 1539 Hernando de SotoHernando de Soto (explorer)Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River....
expedition names present Tampa Bay "La Bahia de Espiritu Santo."
- 1702–1713 Queen Anne's WarQueen Anne's WarQueen Anne's War , as the North American theater of the War of the Spanish Succession was known in the British colonies, was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought between France and England, later Great Britain, in North America for control of the continent. The War of the...
. TocobagaTocobagaTocobaga was the name of a chiefdom, its chief and its principal town during the 16th century in the area of Tampa Bay. The town was at the northern end of what is now called Old Tampa Bay, an arm of Tampa Bay that extends northward between the present-day city of Tampa and Pinellas County...
virtually annihilated. English raids reach Tampa BayTampa BayTampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
. Pinellas largely deserted.
- 1739–1748 War of Jenkins' EarWar of Jenkins' EarThe War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
. English mapping expeditions visit Pinellas Peninsula.
- 1757 Spanish expedition renames Tampa Bay "La Bahia de San Fernando", after the Spanish king. Names entrance to Tampa Bay "La Punta de Pinal de Jimenez" (Point of Pines).
- 1763 Spain cedes Florida to England at end of the French and Indian War.French and Indian WarThe French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
- 1783 Treaty of Paris (1783)Treaty of Paris (1783)The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
ends American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. England cedes Florida to Spain.SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- 1817–1818 First Seminole War.
- 1821 Spain cedes Florida to United States.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- 1824 U S Army establishes Fort BrookeFort BrookeFort Brooke was a historical military post situated on the east bank of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Convention Center currently stands at the site.-Fort Brooke as a military outpost:...
(later to become Tampa, Florida.Tampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
)
- 1834 Territorial Legislature establishes Hillsborough County, Florida.Hillsborough County, FloridaAs of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
- 1835–1842 Second Seminole War.
- 1842 Armed Occupation ActArmed Occupation ActThe Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 was passed as an incentive to populate Florida. The Act granted 160 acres of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South....
provides for land grants in unsettled parts of Florida.
1841–1902
- 1843 Three claims filed under the Armed Occupation Act in Largo Area, including that of Charles, George, and Alexander McKay.
- 1844 Surveyor notes Late Tolulu (later Lake Largo).
- 1845 Florida Statehood.
- 1848 Great Gale of 1848Great Gale of 1848The Great Gale of 1848, also known as the Tampa Bay hurricane of 1848 and originally as the Great Gale of '48, was a tropical cyclone that struck Florida in September 1848. It affected the Tampa Bay Area September 23–25, 1848. It crossed the Florida Peninsula to cause damage on the east coast on or...
wreaks havoc on local settlements. Water rises high enough to connect Gulf with Tampa Bay across Pinellas Peninsula.
- 1852 Daniel McMullen homesteads in Largo area.
- 1854 Members of McMullen family establish First Free School.
- 1861–1865 American Civil War.American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Many Largo residents leave area. Some join the Cow Cavalry.
- 1874 Anona Elementary founded (oldest school in Pinellas County).
- 1882 Anona Methodist Church established. Hamilton DisstonHamilton DisstonHamilton Disston , was an industrialist and real-estate developer who purchased four million acres of Florida land in 1881, an area larger than the state of Connecticut, and reportedly the most land ever purchased by a single person in world history...
purchases vast landholdings in Florida, including portions of mid-Pinellas and with it, Lake Tolulu. Lake Tolulu is renamed "Lake Largo" by Disston's agent.
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was...
history.
1513–1841
- 1513 – March 27 Ponce de LeonPonce de León-People:* Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer of the Americas and first Governor of Puerto Rico* Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the son of Juan Ponce de León II, and early settler of Ponce, Puerto Rico...
discovers Florida.FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
- 1515–1519 Spanish explorers visit Pinellas barrier islands while trading with TocobagaTocobagaTocobaga was the name of a chiefdom, its chief and its principal town during the 16th century in the area of Tampa Bay. The town was at the northern end of what is now called Old Tampa Bay, an arm of Tampa Bay that extends northward between the present-day city of Tampa and Pinellas County...
.
- 1528 Panfilo de NarvaezPánfilo de NarváezPánfilo de Narváez was a Spanish conqueror and soldier in the Americas. He is most remembered as the leader of two expeditions, one to Mexico in 1520 to oppose Hernán Cortés, and the disastrous Narváez expedition to Florida in 1527....
expedition explores the PinellasPinellasPinellas is the name of a peninsula located roughly half-way down the west coast of Florida. It forms the western boundary of Tampa Bay and comprises the bulk of Pinellas County. There is a city named Pinellas Park in south Pinellas. The peninsula is bounded on the north by Pasco County, Florida,...
Peninsula.
- 1539 Hernando de SotoHernando de Soto (explorer)Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River....
expedition names present Tampa Bay "La Bahia de Espiritu Santo."
- 1702–1713 Queen Anne's WarQueen Anne's WarQueen Anne's War , as the North American theater of the War of the Spanish Succession was known in the British colonies, was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought between France and England, later Great Britain, in North America for control of the continent. The War of the...
. TocobagaTocobagaTocobaga was the name of a chiefdom, its chief and its principal town during the 16th century in the area of Tampa Bay. The town was at the northern end of what is now called Old Tampa Bay, an arm of Tampa Bay that extends northward between the present-day city of Tampa and Pinellas County...
virtually annihilated. English raids reach Tampa BayTampa BayTampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
. Pinellas largely deserted.
- 1739–1748 War of Jenkins' EarWar of Jenkins' EarThe War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
. English mapping expeditions visit Pinellas Peninsula.
- 1757 Spanish expedition renames Tampa Bay "La Bahia de San Fernando", after the Spanish king. Names entrance to Tampa Bay "La Punta de Pinal de Jimenez" (Point of Pines).
- 1763 Spain cedes Florida to England at end of the French and Indian War.French and Indian WarThe French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
- 1783 Treaty of Paris (1783)Treaty of Paris (1783)The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
ends American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. England cedes Florida to Spain.SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- 1817–1818 First Seminole War.
- 1821 Spain cedes Florida to United States.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- 1824 U S Army establishes Fort BrookeFort BrookeFort Brooke was a historical military post situated on the east bank of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Convention Center currently stands at the site.-Fort Brooke as a military outpost:...
(later to become Tampa, Florida.Tampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
)
- 1834 Territorial Legislature establishes Hillsborough County, Florida.Hillsborough County, FloridaAs of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
- 1835–1842 Second Seminole War.
- 1842 Armed Occupation ActArmed Occupation ActThe Florida Armed Occupation Act of 1842 was passed as an incentive to populate Florida. The Act granted 160 acres of unsettled land south of the line separating townships 9 and 10 South....
provides for land grants in unsettled parts of Florida.
1841–1902
- 1843 Three claims filed under the Armed Occupation Act in Largo Area, including that of Charles, George, and Alexander McKay.
- 1844 Surveyor notes Late Tolulu (later Lake Largo).
- 1845 Florida Statehood.
- 1848 Great Gale of 1848Great Gale of 1848The Great Gale of 1848, also known as the Tampa Bay hurricane of 1848 and originally as the Great Gale of '48, was a tropical cyclone that struck Florida in September 1848. It affected the Tampa Bay Area September 23–25, 1848. It crossed the Florida Peninsula to cause damage on the east coast on or...
wreaks havoc on local settlements. Water rises high enough to connect Gulf with Tampa Bay across Pinellas Peninsula.
- 1852 Daniel McMullen homesteads in Largo area.
- 1854 Members of McMullen family establish First Free School.
- 1861–1865 American Civil War.American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Many Largo residents leave area. Some join the Cow Cavalry.
- 1874 Anona Elementary founded (oldest school in Pinellas County).
- 1882 Anona Methodist Church established. Hamilton DisstonHamilton DisstonHamilton Disston , was an industrialist and real-estate developer who purchased four million acres of Florida land in 1881, an area larger than the state of Connecticut, and reportedly the most land ever purchased by a single person in world history...
purchases vast landholdings in Florida, including portions of mid-Pinellas and with it, Lake Tolulu. Lake Tolulu is renamed "Lake Largo" by Disston's agent.
- 1888 Orange Blossom Railroad arrives. Largo receives its name. September 4 M. Joel McMullen becomes Largo's first postmasterPostmasterA postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
. First post office opens in home of Gideon Blitch.
- 1897 Mrs A K Meigs donates Meigs cemetery to become Largo Cemetery.
- 1902 John Stansell Taylor builds his first citrus packing house, foreshadowing the importance citrus will have for Largo.
1905–1945
- 1905 Town of Largo incorporated. M. Joel McMullen Becomes Largo's first mayor.
- 1907 Pinellas "Declaration of Independence" marks major milestone on the road to creating Pinellas County. Largo's first bank opens. Largo hosts rally in favor of independence from Hillsborough County. Louis Johnson becomes mayor.
- 1908 Largo Hotel, Largo's first hotel is built.
- 1909 Pinellas Groves, a development company, develops 20,000 acres (80 km²) of farms in and beyond present day Largo. Seth Brown Mayor till 1911.
- 1910 Largo's population is 291. Work begins on rock road from Clearwater to Largo.
- 1911 John Stansel TaylorJohn Stansel TaylorJohn Stansel Taylor was a Largo, Florida politician, citrus grower, and businessman who served as the first State Senator from Pinellas County, Florida. He was born "six miles south of Largo" on March 21, 1871, before Largo became a municipality and when Pinellas County was still Western...
is mayor and is succeeded by S. E. Smith. (1911–1913)
- 1912 Pinellas CountyPinellas County, FloridaPinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...
created. Largo's first public water system begins operations.
- 1913 Largo becomes first town in Pinellas to adopt council-manager form of government. New charterCharterA charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
establishes town limits at 9/16th's of a square mile. New charter authorizes city manager to act as police chief.
- 1914 Largo Women's Club establishes Largo Public Library. Turner A. Duren mayor.
- 1915 Largo votes bond issue to build paved roads, town-owned water system and sewers. S. E. Smith mayor.
- 1916 Lake Largo – Cross Bayou drainage project drains Lake Largo and land to the east and south of town. Largo votes bond issue to build paved roads, town-owned water system and sewers. Largo Public Library officially opens with 560 books. Largo becomes bird sanctuary.
- 1920 Largo's population is 599. Cattle industry thrives. B. H. Allen mayor.
- 1921 Citrus City Grower's association organized. William F. Belcher mayor.
- 1923 Robert L. Youngblood mayor.
- 1924 C E Donegan's certified dairy farm. Largo hires police chief and one other officer. Largo High School built on site of what is now the County School Administration Building.
- 1925- May 25 Legislature creates City of Largo. Largo's boundaries extended three miles (5 km) westward into the Gulf. Citrus and turpentine production are important industries.
- 1927 City continues to undertake bondBond (finance)In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
obligations to fund improvements as local economic growth begins to slow. First Largo Fire Station built.
- 1928 Cities accountant recommends refinancing of $1,000,000 in bond debt.
- 1930 Largo's population is 1,429.
- 1929–1939 Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Legislative Act of 1925 nullified. Largo reverts to 1913 boundaries and charterCharterA charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
. WPA projects create Taylor Lake and Lake Walsingham as well as Auditorium at 4th Street NW and West Bay Drive. John S Taylor builds citrus packing plant at corner of East Bay Drive and Missouri Avenue.
- 1940 Largo's population is 1,031.
- 1941–1945 World War II.
1946–1970
- 1946 Largo Public Library has more than 3,000 books. Supreme Court orders Largo to pay bondBond (finance)In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
debts resulting in 37 mil ad valorem tax rate.
- 1948 Largo Theater on West Bay Drive. Largo gets its first police car. Police department begins to expand.
- 1950 CigaretteCigaretteA cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
tax eases financial burden. Population 1,547. Police operate out of one room police station.
- 1952 Pinellas Central Bank (later, Southeast First Bank of Largo) opens—Largo's first bank since the Great Depression. Mildred Helms Elementary opens.
- 1954 Pinellas Shopping Center opens.
- 1955 AnnexationAnnexationAnnexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
referendumReferendumA referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
results in tripling of Largo's area and population.
- 1957 Largo High School opens new campus on Missouri Avenue.
- 1958 Largo Public Library has 1450 patrons and a circulation of 14,000.
- 1959 Largo Police crisis. In a closed session, the Commission votes 3–2 to allow the City Manager to fire the Police Chief. Public uproar results in the recall of those commissioners who voted to fire the Police Chief. The new Commission fires the City Manager and rehires the Police Chief. Citizen's committee builds new police station and donates it to the City.
- 1960 Largo's population is 5,302. Largo begins construction on new Library building. Largo Recreation Department formed.
- 1962 Town Hall built at 296 1st Avenue SW. Largo Library building opens.
- 1962- December – 1963- January Worst freeze in over 100 years, combined with urbanizationUrbanizationUrbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
and rising property tax assessments, severely stresses citrusCitrusCitrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
industry.
- 1965 Largo proclaimed "Clean Air Capital" by Chamber of Commerce.
- 1966 Largo Police Department has 22 officers.
- 1968 Last year ad valorem taxes levied until 1972. Largo Recreation department has two facilities—the Largo Club Center and the Auditorium built during the Depression by the WPA.
- 1969 Largo Public Library's circulation is ~125,000. February 11* Greater Largo Recreation Complex and Park Development Board appointed.
- 1970 Largo's population is 24,230. Largo Fire Department begins phase out of volunteer fire fighters.
1971 – present
- 1972 Highland Recreation Complex dedicated.
- 1974- May 7 Largo adopts a new charterCharterA charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
creating City of Largo. Ad valorem tax rate is 1.29 mils. John A Jenkins donates land on East Bay Drive and east of Third Street SE for new library building. Largo Public Library circulation is about 180,000.
- 1974 Largo High School's Band of Gold and former members form a community Band of Gold and, under the guidance of band director Robert R. Cotter, wins two gold medals at the World Music Competition in Kerkrade, Holland. Town of Largo comes out to greet the band upon their return with a motorcade from Tampa Airport and celebration back at Largo HS.
- 1975 Largo Recreation Department grows to 211 activities with 267,00 participants.
- 1976 Largo Fire Department grows to 60 employees. Police administration building at 100 East Bay dedicated.
- 1977 The Library moves to the site at 351 East Bay Drive donated by John A Jenkins with 30,000 books.
- 1978 Largo High School's Band of Gold, under the guidance of band director Robert R. Cotter, wins gold medals at World Music Competition in Kerkrade, Holland.
- 1980 Largo's population is 58,977.
- 1984 Southwest Recreation Complex dedicated.
- 1995 Largo Central Park opens on site of former John S Taylor packing plant.
- 2000 Charter amendment adopted to end annexation wars among municipalities and county. (Annexation).
- 2002 The 1977 library building is deemed inadequate for forecast growth. Construction of 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²) library becomes campaign issue.
- 2004 Florida is struck by four hurricanes that largely miss Largo. Minor damage slightly delays construction of new library.
- 2005 The new 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²) library opens at 120 Central Park Drive with more than 200,000 items. The Largo Fire Department has 140 employees and operates five fire stations.
- 2006 Charter amendments pass. Pat GerardPatricia GerardPatricia "Pat" Gerard is a politician the first woman mayor for the city of Largo, Florida. Gerard was born in Paterson, New Jersey, she is married to Eric and has one child....
, Largo's first female mayor, elected. Rodney J. WoodsRodney J. WoodsRodney J. Woods was a commissioner for the city of Largo, Florida. He is the first African American person to hold this position.Woods has one child, daughter Tara L. Woods....
, Largo's first commissioner of African-American descent, elected. Largo wins legal victory when court rules Pinellas County acted wrongly in limiting the annexation authority of municipalities. (Lindberg)
- 2007 City demolishes 1977 library building because refurbishment would cost more than building something else. City manager Steve StantonSteve StantonSteven David Stanton, is a Canadian author, editor and publisher.He founded Skysong Press in 1988 and published the Christian fanzine Dreams & Visions for twenty years, as well as the Sky Songs anthology series, 2002-2005...
announces his intention to undergo sex reassignment therapySex reassignment therapySex reassignment therapy is an umbrella term for all medical procedures regarding sex reassignment of both transgender and intersexual people...
, http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/21/news_pf/Northpinellas/Largo_official_prepar.shtml and is consequently dismissed.
- 2009 Former Mayor Bob Jackson won't sue Largo to get name on ballot
, http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/former-mayor-bob-jackson-wont-sue-largo-to-get-name-on-ballot/1032993 and Mayor Pat Gerard 'will be automatically re-elected for another three-year term with Jackson's disqualification.'