Here's what's NEW at Tampapix

DAVID PAUL DAVIS AND HIS ISLANDS

The development of Davis Islands by David Paul Davis made him nationally famous.  Read about his visionary quest, his struggles and mysterious death, here at Tampapix contained on 4 pages at D.P. Davis and his Islands.

Also new:  The George Guida, Sr. house at Macfarlane Park, West Tampa

George Sheppard "Dad" Gandy was one of those fellows who laughed at the word “impossible.” He has a long list of achievements to his credit and many of those achievements represent the completion of ideas which once were branded as absurd. The original Gandy Bridge was the work of a dreamer--unquestionably. Only a dreamer of the most pronounced type could have conceived such a project and only a dreamer could have believed that it would some day be completed.  But there was nothing dream-like about the struggle which Gandy had to make his dream materialize. Only by keeping wide awake, ready at all times to get down and plug, was he able to see the solid structure take form before his eyes. Only through sheer perseverance was he able to convince others of the feasibility of his idea and get the assistance needed to assure its completion.

Read about the amazing perseverance of George "Dad" Gandy and his 22 year quest to be the first to bridge Old Tampa Bay.  Learn about "colorful" promoter Eugene Elliott who raised $2 million for the project, in just 110 days...in 1922!  The Gandy Bridge - First to Span Tampa Bay

The First Scheduled Airline Passenger Service, Jan 1, 1914
In November of 1913, Percival E. Fansler arrived in the bay area to sell an airline - either to Tampa or St. Petersburg. He first made a spirited presentation to City of Tampa officials with his business proposition--to be the headquarters and financers of his proposed airboat passenger service between Tampa and St. Pete.  They turned him down...learn about the REAL reason.  Fansler took his proposition to St. Pete officials and businessmen in December of 1913 and in less than a month, history was made when the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line made its inaugural flight across the bay from St. Pete to Tampa in 23 minutes.   Read all about Tony Jannus (he was no rookie when he made his flight), his brother Roger, P.E. Fansler, the driving force behind the airline, Abram Pheil, the first passenger and the cost of his ticket, Tom Benoist, owner of the company who built the airboat, and many others involved.

Three Franklin St businesses in 1924 bit the dust to make way for the South's most beautiful theatre.  See photos of these businesses, the clearing of the property and construction of the Tampa Theatre from 1924 to 1926 at Tampa Theatre.

New video of Bay Area Renaissance Festival

Watch orphan beggars Seymour P. Freely and his sister Penelope host an action-packed pie eating contest.

Bay Area Renaissance Festival Page 7

In the 1940s, the Centro Español Club in West Tampa was home to the Royal Theatre. 

It was THE place in West Tampa to go to see movies and live shows.  Also, read about two popular entertainers that frequently performed there; Mary Cintra "the Cuban Bombshell" and "Tongolele."

Army Navy Surplus Market on Tampa Street downtown, has been a Tampa landmark for over 60 years.

Snow Park - Who was Maj. Henry E. Snow?  Why this park is in the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley's..Believe it or Not? Learn about the numerous names of Kennedy Blvd: Lafayette, Grand Central Ave & Memorial Hwy.  Where did they start and end?

Fort Homer Hesterly Armory 
Home of the 116th Field Artillery Brigade of the National Guard

Homer Wynne Hesterly was a prominent Tampa citizen, recognized for his long and distinguished military career, business interests and civic involvement. He was proprietor and President of the Turner Marble and Granite Company from the 1930s to 1950, and president of the First Federal Savings and Loan Association.

 Visit the improved Ybor City pages at Tampapix!
 New photos added; existing ones replaced with larger, higher quality images.

  Other improved pages with newly added photos and larger existing photos:  The Tampa Theatre    |    Downtown

                        Tampa Bay Blvd. Elementary  | Univ. of Tampa  |   St. James House of Prayer  |   West Tampa

Mouseover the sign to turn it on

Frank Cinchett brought his neon sign business to Tampa from Philadelphia in 1948.  His son, John F. Cinchett, joined the business and raised it to a new level of creativity.

Captured in photographs taken by the Cinchett family for their neon sign shop in Tampa, these never-before-seen images will take you back to the day when Tampa was a bustling haven of popular stores and restaurants.

John V. Cinchett's passion for the 1950s and his love of commercial neon art finally came together.  Compiling and organizing rare old photos of Tampa, he authored Vintage Tampa Signs & Scenes.  The book is about family history as much as civic history.  

Photos here are copyrighted property of John V. Cinchett and used with his permission.