Our History…

Swimming up Stream, Chasing a Dream in Old Manatee…

For hundreds of years, a mineral spring nestled along the Manatee River has served as a beacon drawing people to the area we now refer to as Old Manatee. While the names of the earliest indigenous settlers here were not recorded, the legacy they began as early as the year 900 still lives in the people of Old Manatee today. 

In the early 19th century, a maroon community of former enslaved Africans and Seminole Indians lived along the Manatee River. This community, that we refer to as Angola, thrived until 1821 when Spain turned over Florida to the United States and General Andrew Jackson led the charge to destroy maroon communities. 

Years later, as part of the Armed Occupation Act of 1842, Josiah and Mary Gates became the first documented white settlers along the Manatee River near the mineral spring. The Manatee Village Post Office was officially founded eight years later on January 15, 1850. 

On December 12, 1902 at 12 noon, 12 railroad cars with 12 passengers arrived at the Manatee train station as a part of an expansion of the Seaboard Airline Railroad and the United States and West Indies Railroad. This brought forth a huge boom for Manatee and things began to grow quickly after that.

 In early July of 1903 King Wiggin’s opened his new two-story brick store, and Central Hotel (today’s Central Cafe building) opened on October 1, 1903. Electricity was turned on in Manatee on December 14, 1903 and on that same day trolley engineer, W.E Connell, drove the first trial run of the trolley between Manatee and Fogartyville. Trolley service officially began on December 29, 1903. 

Growth continued in the community as Manatee Ave was paved in 1904 and a shell sidewalk was created to connect Central Hotel to Wiggins General Store. The Manatee Record newspaper was first published in September of 1904. 

In 1910 a toll bridge was completed to connect Manatee to Palmetto and the Davis Building housed a store, City Hall, the Masonic Lodge, and the Manatee Opera House. 

But it would not last, on November 2,1943, a vote was held to consolidate the towns of Bradenton and Manatee. Although the citizens of Manatee were devastated by the loss of their community, the alternative was for Manatee to declare bankruptcy. Some members of the community wore black armbands to mourn their loss. The official consolidation took effect on January 1, 1944. 

Now, the Old Manatee Historic District marks a return to celebrating history, culture, growth, and a passion for the community along the river where together we create new ways to chase our dreams.