Living along Ware's Creek, circa 1915-1960s

As more people heard of the semi-tropical paradise south of Tampa, people of all walks of life migrated to Manatee County. The population of the Village of Manatee, near the present-day Manatee Avenue and Ninth Street East, grew and some of the newcomers began to settle west of the village along the banks of Ware's Creek. The photos below from the Bradenton Herald's and Manatee County Historical Society archives capture scenes along the creek from days past. To view more photos check out Photo Gallery | Living along Ware's Creek at Bradenton.com.

Most of the homes were built along the mouth of Ware's Creek, where it runs into the larger Manatee River. During low tides large sections of the creek would turn into mud flats, so docks were built to allow easier access to the middle of the creek for boats. This photo, taken about 1915, shows one of the more elaborate structures with a boathouse and deck, on the western bank of Ware's Creek, just north of the Manatee Avenue Bridge.

A young Korky Koker points at a large alligator that climbed onto the banks of Ware's Creek in the backyard of a home near Eighth Avenue West on Oct. 19, 1968. By the 1960s most of the Ballard Park subdivision was built out, and wildlife in the area was getting used to living with humans as their neighbors.

In this closer view of the alligator, which was between 8 and 10 feet long, notice the lush vegetation along Ware's Creek. Construction of homes and commercial buildings upstream from here was taking place in a rapid manner in the 1960s, creating more soil runoff into the creek. This led to the situation today when, during heavy rainstorms, many of the homes along Ware's Creek will flood. The Army Corps of Engineers plan to dredge the creek and widen its banks to help alleviate the flooding.

Palmetto Boys and Girls Club Milestones

Large demolition machinery began tearing down the Palmetto Branch building of the Boys and Girls Club of Manatee County last week, leaving mostly rubble as crews finished the work this week, as these photos show. Built in March 1971, the building has a long history of service and holds many memories to the youth who live north of the Manatee River. The photos below from the Bradenton Herald's archives show some of the events that led up to the opening of the facility.

 To see a retrospective of many of the activities kids

of the area enjoyed through the years, visit

Gallery | Boys and Girls Club at Bradenton.com.

Leaders of the fund drive for the new building bow their heads in prayer at the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Palmetto Boys and Girls Club facility Sept. 15, 1970.

The Palmettto Boys and Girls Club building begins to take shape, as shown in this photo from Oct. 24, 1970. The $130,000 building was ahead of schedule, according to general contractor Foster Pate. The 15,400-square-foot facility was designed to include recreation rooms, a full-size basketball court, snack bar, library and other activities areas.

The dedication ceremony of the Palmetto Boys Club brought out the movers and shakers of Manatee County on July 4, 1971. Paul Parrish, then-president of the Boys' Clubs of Manatee County and area banker, unveiled a plaque listing the names of all the people who helped make the dream a reality with then-mayor of Palmetto, J. Gordon Alderman, past-president of the organization.

Water and Manatee County: Historical connections

The history of Manatee County is closely tied to water. With the waters of the Gulf of Mexico lapping our western shores and the broad Manatee River dissecting this immense county, the people who settled this land had an intimate connection to the water. Even before the first settlers from the north arrived, the waters provided both commercial and recreational opportunities for those who chose this place for their home. These photos from the Manatee County Historical Society archives capture the importance water played in the county's growth and success. To see more photos of life on the waterways of Manatee County check out Gallery | Waterways at Bradenton.com

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This photograph, circa 1918, depicts a fleet of skipjack sailboats at the Cortez fishing village. The skipjack, a small boat used primarily for the gill netting of mullet, was powered only with two sails and steered with a tiller. Cortez remains a vibrant part of the area's economy today.

A woman and child wait on the Corwin Dock in the early 1920s for the steamer ship Favorite, maybe to greet a visiting relative or to board themselves for a trip to Tampa. Steamers, preceded by large sailing sloops, were docking at the Corwin Dock off Main Street in Bradenton, where the Municipal Pier now stands, carrying passengers and cargo for decades.

When the Municipal Pier was built in the mid-1920s, replacing the Corwin Dock, it quickly became a favorite place for tying up recreational boats, as shown in this postcard from the late 1920s.

Red, White and Blue Celebrations

Manatee County residents and visitors celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with fireworks, food, parades and beach time, as these photos from the Bradenton Herald archives demonstrate. To see more photos from past July 4th activities check out the slideshow

in Bradenton.com's photo gallery section.

It has been a tradition at the Anna Maria Island Fourth of July celebration for the island kids to decorate their bikes and ride in the annual parade. This group of fun riders from 1983 appears to have set the standard for years to come.

You can't celebrate our nation's birthday without a hotdog and beans cookout, and Brian Labonte looks like he was enjoying his fine fare at the 1992 Bayshore Gardens residents' picnic.

The Fourth wouldn't be complete without a dip in the Gulf or, as this beachgoer in 1988 was set to do, ride the waves in an inflated innertube float.

G-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-al ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Soccer fans from across the world are caught up with World Cup fever this week, but the joy of playing soccer goes back decades in Manatee County, as these photos from the Bradenton Herald archives show.




Bradenton Christian School player David Kesten, left, and Saint Stephen's School player Adam Buskirk tussle for the ball in a Sept. 28, 1993 game.



Sarasota Hurricane's Joe Hembree, right, flies into the air to get to a kick off the foot of a Naples Sharks player in a March 13, 1993 tornament game at G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton.



Boomer No. 10 Brent Smith charges down the pitch past Strikers No. 3 Jeff Hernden after the ball in a MAYSO Under-9 Championship game Jan. 18, 1993.



Although the World Cup play in South Africa this month is all men, Manatee County is preparing its young women for the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany. Almost two decades ago, the young girls on the G & E team in this Nov. 9, 1991 photo show off their skills in getting the ball down the pitch in a game against the DesChamps & Gregory team.

Good Times at the 13th Avenue Community Center

With this week's opening of the new 13th Av Dream Center, 922 24th St. E., many adults may be remembering the good times they had and life lessons learned at the original 13th Avenue Community Center. The center has been part of the community for more than seven decades, offering the thousands of youth who have walked through its doors a safe haven for learning and fun. Below, some photos from the Bradenton Herald archives give glimpses of what went on at the building at 13th Avenue West and First Street.

Physical education to get youths to burn off all that stored-up energy has always been a part of the center's program, as this Aug. 4, 1988 photo shows.

 Tamara Brooks instructs Lynette Yaumans during a sewing class at the center on Dec. 12, 1992. April Dawes and Tiguilla Ross practice their skills in the forefront, as Synora White, sits in the back and listens.

Mary Poole, in charge of the computer room in December 1992, watches over Lamar Jennings, in the foreground, Chris Poole, Craig Poole, Andy Warrick and Darryl Blalock.

Cross that bridge when you come to it

For years, a bridge linking the two sides of the Manatee River was a goal of many of the leaders in Manatee County. Several business owners, including Capt. C.H. Davis, incorporated The Manatee Bridge Company on Jan. 29, 1909. And after 1 1/2 years of planning and construction, the Davis Toll Bridge was opened on June 23, 1910. It ran across the Manatee River beginning at the city dock on the southern bank of the river at Central Street (present-day Ninth Street East) in Old Manatee, and connected with the opposite shore just east of the present-day Manatee County Convention and Civic Center, according to "The Singing River" by Joe Warner. The wooden bridge had only one lane of traffic, so turnouts were provided at intervals to allow vehicles and buggies to pass. Photo from the Manataee County Historical Society archives.

Were you there? View vintage high school photos

Our high school seniors will be graduating this week and moving on with their lives, but after the pomp and circumstance of their graduation ceremony, many will look back on their high school years with fond memories. Here are some photos from the Bradenton Herald archives to help some of those who graduated 20-25 years ago remember those happy days.

Just the sight of the iconic facade of the Davis Building in this photo from the late 1950s will bring many Manatee High School alumni to tears, especially since it was demolished to make way for a new structure. Constructed in 1926, the building was first used as the Biltmore Grade School, then for the Manatee High School. It was named after longtime Principal Paul F Davis. Anyone remember what the occasion was when this photo was taken?

During graduation ceremonies, high school seniors hear speeches of hope and promise.

Timothy W. Bembry addresses the Palmetto High School Class of 1989. Does anyone remember what Timothy's speech was about?

Showing off their winning routine, the 1982-83 Palmetto cheerleader squad placed first in competition at the Florida State Fair. This photo was taken Feb. 12, 1983. Can anyone identify all nine of these athletes?

Back in the days the Audio-Visual Club worked to make sure the movie and overhead projectors and other electronic equipment was in good working order and its members were often the nerds of those times. Here Bill Booth, left, Todd Starner, center, and David Hardinge, right, check out the equipment at Manatee High School on Sept. 29, 1982. Ever wonder what the three are up to now? Maybe they all went on to start some successful Internet company and are happy to be in the nerdy class of Bill Gates.

  

Here's a link to some of the Herald's archived photos:

High School Memories

 Post some of your photos to help others reminisce.

Memorial Days past remembered

Manatee County residents have observed Memorial Day since it originated in 1868 following the Civil War. It was established as a national holiday in 1971 as a day for visiting cemeteries and memorial services to honor the men and women who died while serving in the military.

Below are four photographs from the Bradenton archives which highlight the repect shown in Manatee County for those who served in the military.

Vietnam veterans Billy Coffey, left, and Robert Westbrook salute after placing flowers at the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial on May 26, 1987, at the Manatee County Courthouse.

Palmetto resident Tom Stephens stops to pay respects at the grave of his brother, George, on May 25, 1987, at Mansion Memorial Park, after Memorial Day ceremonies honoring deceased military veterans.

George Stephens, a Vietnam veteran, died the previous February.

A note on the War Memorial in front of the Manatee County Courthouse reads, "Capt. Robert Nelson - Green Beret - We shall meet again. Love Mom."

Evelyn Nelson posted the note to her son on the morning of May 27, 1985.

Boy Scouts Mike Holliday, left, and Bobby Wolter plant American flags at the head stones of deceased military veterans May 30, 1983 at one of the local cemeteries.

If you know where any of these people are spending Memorial Day this year, please send me a message at cnudi@bradenton.com

Manatee Village Historical Park marks 35 years

In this Herald file photo taken in the early 1990s, workers are shown painting the outside of the Old Schoolhouse at the Manatee Village Historical Park, 1404 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton. The Bradenton Board of Adjustment gave the Manatee County Historical Commission a special zoning permit to build the historical park in August 1975. The City of Bradenton leased the property on the corner of Manatee Avenue East and 15th Street East. Within weeks of getting the permit, the historic 1887 Manatee United Methodist Church building and the original 1855 Manatee County Courthouse were moved to the park. The commission obtained the Wiggins General Store in 1985, and over the years added the Settler's House, the Fogarty Boatworks, the 1903 Bunker Hill Schoolhouse, the Cow Hunters' Bunkhouse, and several other buildings to the park.

The Wiggins General Store sat boarded up until the Manatee County Historical Society raised enough money to rehabilitate the building.

In 1987 renovation began on the 1903 building, one of the first commercial structures in Manatee County built with bricks.

The preserved Wiggins General Store, as it appears today, serves as a welcome center to the historical park.

All of the above photos are from the Herald archives.

1876: Villa Zanza, built by eccentric veteran

(photo courtesy of Manatee County Library archives)

Through the years, Manatee County has had its share of eccentric characters.

One of the most colorful was Major Alden Joseph Adams, a descendant of a brother of the second president of the United States, John Adams.

The Union Army veteran came to the then-thriving community of "Braidentown" in 1876 at the age of 33 in search of a homesite where he could recuperate from Civil War wounds in the warm weather.

He purchased 400 acres along the river between the present-day First Street and Ninth Street East and began constructing a 16-room concrete castle near the river -- close to where Manatee Memorial Hospital is now located.

The major began to populate his estate, which he named Villa Zanza, with a menagerie of exotic animals, including monkeys, deer, tropical birds, peafowl, and guinea fowl, along with the more common geese, pigeons, chickens, ducks and dogs. A herd of horses also were kept in the pastures of the estate that grew to more than 300,000 acres.

After his death in 1915, the castle was sold and eventually demolished.

-- Information from “The Singing River,” by Joe Warner.