Bradenton

History

Late 18th and early 19th centuries

A settlement established by Maroons or escaped slaves named Angola existed in Bradenton's present area starting in the late 1700s and ending in 1821. It is believed to have been spread out between the Manatee River (then known as Oyster River) all the way to Sarasota Bay. The community is estimated to have had 600–750 residents. Angola was a rather large Maroon settlement as the Manatee River at that time was too shallow for US Navy vessels to navigate. The settlement was abandoned after the Creeks, who were aligned with Andrew Jackson, attacked Angola.

When the United States annexed Florida in 1821, two known claimants of land were in the vicinity of Bradenton, but neither of them was confirmed by the US federal government.

Mid- and late 19th century

Josiah Gates moved with his family and eight slaves to the present-day Bradenton area in January 1842, after being attracted to the area for its natural beauty. Gates thought the area would be a popular place for new settlers to arrive at because it was near Fort Brooke, and they would need a place to stay temporarily while they were building their homes. He built an inn named Gates House, and his home near present-day 15th Street East. Gates is also credited as being the first known American settler in present-day Manatee County.

Bradenton is named after Dr. Joseph Braden, who relocated from Virginia and to Leon County in the new United States territory of Florida shortly after its annexation by the Adams–Onís Treaty in 1821. There he brought his Virginia slaves and established a cotton plantation. His fort-like house was a refuge for early settlers during the Seminole Wars. Braden owned a 1,100-acre (450 ha) sugar plantation in the area. After having financial difficulties from the Panic of 1837, he tried to re-establish himself financially in Manatee County in 1843. To help with the shipment of sugar grown at the new plantation, he constructed a pier in present-day downtown Bradenton. At its base he constructed a stockade home known as Fort Braden. During the Third Seminole War, on April 6, 1856, it was attacked by several Seminole Indians, one of its few, albeit small, direct engagements. Braden was financially successful with his plantation, but ended up moving back to Leon County because of the Panic of 1857.

Major Alden Joseph Adams purchased 400 acres of land in 1876 between present-day Manatee Memorial Hospital and 9th Street East and built his home, the three-story concrete Villa Zanza, there in 1882. Alden was known for having many animals and a large amount of foliage at his home. At one point, he owned over 300,000 acres of land in Manatee County. Adams had served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he joined the US Secret Service and later was a newspaper correspondent for the New York Herald. He reported from Paris during the time of the Paris Commune. At one point, he was asked to look for Dr. David Livingstone, but declined and suggested that Henry Morton Stanley go instead. Adams died in 1915, and his home was bought in 1924 with the intent of remodeling it; the effort went uncompleted, and it was demolished at some point in the late 1920s.

William I. Turner bought seven acres from John Crews Pelot in 1877 and create a subdivision of what is now Bradenton. The land itself was platted by Axel Emil Broberg, and it contained 19 plots on both sides of what is now 12th Street West along with a cross street that is currently 3rd Avenue. Turner sold the lots, building a store and a warehouse along with his own home.

20th century

Railroad service was extended from Palmetto across the Manatee River to Bradenton in 1902. Bradenton was incorporated on May 19, 1903, with 59 voting in favor and 34 against it. Shortly after, a local election was held to choose the city's first elected municipal officials. A.T Cornwell was elected as mayor, Robert H. Roesch as clerk and tax assessor, A.B. Murphy as treasurer, and F. Dryman as tax collector, along with seven city council members. One of the earliest moves made by the municipal government was amending the name to "Bradentown". However, the name change was not reflected with the US Postal Service until 1905. On December 29, a streetcar line began operation going from Bradenton to the neighboring city of Manatee and went west crossing Wares Creek to the nearby community of Fogartyville. The company operating the line had financial difficulties, likely due to a lack of ridership, and cancelled the line in 1906. The Manavista Hotel was opened in January 1907 bordering the Manatee River on Main Street.

The Davis Bridge, the first general-traffic bridge across the Manatee River, was opened in June 1910. This wooden toll bridge, built by C.H. Davis, had one lane and passing spots. The bridge went from present-day 9th Street East (located within then nearby Manatee) to near where the Atwood Grapefruit Groves were located at west of Ellenton. In 1912, the first road, Range Road leading from present-day Bradenton (then Manatee) to Sarasota, was built. Also during that year, the original county courthouse was bought and moved to a new location, becoming a grade school for black students in the area, Lincoln Academy Grammar School. A new courthouse was built on the site of the old one in the following year, 1913, which still stands today. The Victory Bridge, opened in August 1919, runs from current 10th Street West in Bradenton to 8th Avenue in Palmetto. Funding for the bridge came from bond issues by both Bradenton and Palmetto. The bridge itself had two lanes and was made of wood. Its name came from the United States' recent victory in World War I against the Central Powers. With the Victory Bridge's construction, the municipal government of Manatee attempted to buy Davis Bridge and make it public as a way to compete with Bradenton's Victory Bridge, but the deal never went through. The rest of the bridge ended up being dismantled with the exception of its draw section, which was sold to county government and put into use for the Snead Island's Cutoff bridge in 1920.

Baseball spring training began in Bradenton with the construction of Ninth Street Park in 1923. The first team to train in the city was the St. Louis Cardinals, doing so in 1923 and 1924. The city council began the process of removing the "w" letter from its then name "Bradentown" in January 1925 and completed it on May 2, 1925, when the governor signed a bill making it official. All streets in the city were renamed in 1926 with a numbering system.

21st century

The local resident who had owned the former city hall property along Wares Creek sold it to a development group sometime in 2004, and it was demolished in December 2004. The Bradenton Riverwalk, a 1.5-mile long park along the Manatee River opened in October 2012. McKechnie Field, the spring training stadium for the Pittsburgh Pirates, was renamed LECOM Park in February 2017.

Historic properties

Historic properties in Bradenton include:

Bradenton Bank and Trust Company Building, 1925, now the Professional Building, 1023 Manatee Avenue, West

Bradenton Carnegie Library, 1405 Fourth Avenue West

Braden Castle Park Historic District, off Manatee Avenue and 27th St East

Iron Block Building, 1896, 530 12th Street West (Old Main Street)

Manatee County Courthouse, 1913, 1115 Manatee Avenue, West

Old Manatee County Courthouse, 1860, 1404 Manatee Avenue, East

Peninsular Telephone Company Building, 1925, 1009 4th Avenue, West

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Bradenton has a total area of 14.44 square miles (37.4 km2), of which 2.33 square miles (6.0 km2) (16.14%) are covered by water.

Bradenton is located on US 41 between Tampa and Sarasota. The area is surrounded by waterways, both fresh and salt water. Along the Gulf of Mexico and into Tampa Bay are over 20 miles (32 km) of Florida beaches, many of which are shaded by Australian pines. Bordered on the north by the Manatee River, Bradenton is located on the mainland and is separated from the outer barrier islands of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key by the Intracoastal Waterway.

Downtown Bradenton is located in the northwest area of the city. Home to many of Bradenton's offices and government buildings, the tallest is the Bradenton Financial Center, 12 stories high, with its blue-green windows. The next-tallest is the new Manatee County Judicial Center with nine floors, located next to the historic courthouse. Other major downtown buildings include the Manatee County Government building and the headquarters of the School Board of Manatee County.

Climate

Bradenton has a typical Central Florida humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by hot, humid summers and warm winters. Bradenton borders a tropical climate, with only one month (January) having a mean temperature below 64 °F (18 °C), which is the threshold for a tropical climate.

Demographics

Bradenton is a principal city of the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 833,716 as of 2020.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Bradenton had a population of 55,698. The median age was 47.1 years. 18.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 27.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.2 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 24,357 households in Bradenton, of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.1% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 13,033 families in the city.

There were 29,021 housing units, of which 16.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.6%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, 49,546 people, 21,120 households, and 12,341 families lived in the city.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 49,504 people, 21,379 households, and 12,720 families were residing in the city. The population density was 4,088.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,578.6/km2). The 24,887 housing units had an average density of 2,055.4 per square mile (793.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.14% White, 15.11% African American, 0.79% Asian, 0.29% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.91% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 11.26% of the population.

In 2000,of the 21,379 households, 23.0% had children under 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were not families. About 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.24, and the average family size was 2.85.

The city's age distribution was 21.6% under 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% were 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,902 and for a family was $42,366. Males had a median income of $28,262 versus $23,292 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,133. About 9.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under 18 and 8.2% of those 65 or over.

Economy

Tropicana Products was founded in Bradenton in 1947 by Anthony T. Rossi, an Italian immigrant. By 2004, it had over 8,000 employees and marketed its products throughout the United States. PepsiCo, Inc., acquired it in 1998. Tropicana's Juice Trains have been running to northern markets via CSX and predecessor railroads since 1971. In 2003, Pepsi relocated Tropicana's corporate headquarters to Chicago after it acquired Gatorade and consolidated its non-carbonated beverage businesses. However, their juice production facilities remain in Bradenton.

Champs Sports, a nationwide sports apparel chain, is headquartered in Bradenton. Department store chain Bealls is also headquartered in Bradenton.

Bradenton was significantly affected by the United States housing market correction, as reported by CNN, projecting a 24.8% loss in median home values by the third quarter of 2008. Real estate has shown a recovery since 2012, as home prices stabilized and inventory subsided.

Transportation

Bradenton is served by Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and is connected to St. Petersburg by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The Sunshine Skyway is a 5.5-mile (8.9 km) cross-bay bridge that rises 250 feet (76 m) above the bay at its highest point. Remnants of the old Skyway bridge have been converted into a fishing pier extending into Tampa Bay from both sides of the bay.

Manatee County Area Transit buses serve Bradenton, along with the cities/communities of Palmetto, Ellenton, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, Longboat Key, Tallevast and Samoset, with transfers to Sarasota and St. Petersburg. Free trolleys run north–south on Anna Maria Island, as well as to/from various points on the mainland. Amtrak charter buses run through downtown Bradenton outside the courthouse to Tampa Union Station and Venice.

Government

The city is governed by a city council with five members. Each of the members is a resident of one of the five wards. The city council selects the city's vice mayor. The mayor and the five city council members are elected at-large for a four-year term. In Bradenton, the mayor functions as the head of the council and presides at meetings, and making a tie-breaking vote when needed. The city council has the ability to elect a vice mayor. A vice mayor has the ability to take over when the mayor vacates the office.

Media

Newspapers

The Bradenton Herald is Manatee County's local newspaper, published daily.

The Bradenton Times is Manatee County's local online-only newspaper.

Daily editions of the Sarasota Herald Tribune and the Tampa Bay Times are also available throughout the area.

Radio stations

Bradenton is located in the Sarasota-Bradenton radio market. It also receives many stations from the nearby Tampa-St. Petersburg market.

The stations listed below are located and/or licensed in Bradenton or Manatee County:

WWPR – 1490 AM – studio and transmitter in Bradenton

WBRD – 1420 AM – licensed to Palmetto

WJIS – 88.1 FM

WKVZ – 98.7 FM (transmitter in Pinellas County)

WHPT – 102.5 FM (Sarasota; transmitter in northeastern corner of Sarasota County; studios in St. Petersburg)

WRUB – 106.5 FM

Television stations

WSNN-LD is based in Sarasota, but transmits from Manatee County. WWSB channel 40, the local ABC affiliate, is based in Sarasota, but has a transmitter in Parrish, northeast of Bradenton; it is seen on cable channel 7 on most cable systems in the area. WXPX-TV channel 66, an independent television station (with Ion Television on its second digital subchannel), is licensed in Bradenton, with its transmitter in Riverview in Hillsborough County.

Education

Manatee County Public Schools operates area public schools.

The State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota's SCF main campus is located in Bayshore Gardens, and State College of Florida Collegiate School has a campus on the SCF Bradenton campus.

Culture

Bradenton is home to the Washington Park neighborhood, a historically African American community where Lincoln Academy was located.

Bradenton is home to the Village of the Arts, a renovated neighborhood immediately south of downtown, where special zoning laws allow residents to live and work in their homes. Many of these once-dilapidated houses have been converted into studios, galleries, small restaurants, and other small businesses. The Village of the Arts promotes its First Fridays activities, celebrating the seasons and different holidays. The Village of the Arts remains the largest arts district on the Gulf Coast.

The Manatee Players, which reside at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, have a three-year record of first-place wins within the Florida Theatre Conference and the Southeastern Theatre Conference competitions. In addition, the theatre currently holds the first-place title from the American Association of Community Theatre competition.

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, a museum-planetarium-aquarium located in downtown Bradenton, offers a glimpse of Florida history, a star and multimedia show, and an ongoing lecture and film series. The Parker Manatee Aquarium was the permanent home to Manatee County's most famous resident and official mascot, Snooty, the manatee. Born at the Miami Aquarium and Tackle Company on July 21, 1948, Snooty was one of the first recorded captive manatee births. He was the oldest manatee in captivity, and likely the oldest manatee in the world. On July 23, 2017, two days after his 69th birthday, Snooty died as the result of drowning.

ArtCenter Manatee is the center for art and art education in Manatee County. The nearly 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) building in downtown Bradenton features three galleries, five classrooms, an Artists' Market gift shop and an art library featuring over 3,000 art volumes.

The nonprofit organization Realize Bradenton works with the above-listed cultural partners to promote downtown Bradenton as a destination for the arts. It also produces events in the downtown area with a focus on arts and culture.

Sports

Bradenton is home of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates spring training and development facilities of their Class A-Advanced Florida State League affiliate Bradenton Marauders, which play home games at downtown's LECOM Park.

The city is home to the State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota Manatees sports teams.

Manatee County high schools produce several teams, including Manatee High School, whose football team was nationally ranked in the 1950s, 1980s, and 1990s and regained their national status in 2009. Manatee High School has won five football state championships. Bradenton is also home to the IMG Academy, from 1999 to 2017 the home of the U.S U-17 residential soccer program.

The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton was home of the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship, the 2021 WGC-Workday Championship, and is scheduled to host the 2026, 2027, and 2028 Senior PGA Championship events.

Bradenton and Sarasota together hosted the 2021 U-18 Baseball World Cup in 2022, after it had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Points of interest

Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, home of the late manatee Snooty

Bradenton Riverwalk

De Soto National Memorial

DeSoto Square (Now abandoned and vacant)

Manatee Village Historical Park

Neal Preserve

Pittsburgh Pirates spring training at LECOM Park

Robinson Preserve

Village of the Arts