Oldsmar was founded in 1913 when Ransom E. Olds, maker of the Oldsmobile, bought over 37,000 acres in Northern part of Tampa Bay. Oldsmar grew rapidly at first as it was a major crossroads between Tampa and St. Petersburg. Many different industries and retail establishments were founded. One of the establishments was Tampa Bay Downs, a race tract, just outside of the city limits. Mr. Olds helped plan many of the original street layouts. They were originally made with oyster shells.
The town's growth stalled out with the construction of the Gandy Bridge in 1924 and then the Courtney Campbell Causeway which allowed for a quicker commute between the residents of Tampa and St. Petersburg.The town also was hurt by a hurricane and scandal. The town became a sleepy Florida town until the 1980s when many subdivisions were planned. The city slowed its growth by selling 1,700 sensative wetland acres to Pinellas County for a Brooker Creek Wildlife Preserve. Oldsmar also set aside 34 acres for Harbor Palms Nature Preserve.
Today, Oldsmar has a mixture of many old homes and new ones in many new subdivisions. Oldsmar is a little smaller then 10 sq. miles and has a population just under 12,000. It has small homes and large homes. It also has some grand homes on Shore drive which runs alongs Tampa Bay. It is currently in the process of developing a new downtown with new retail and commercial establishments. Once a year Oldsmar celebrates its history with Oldsmar Days and Nights, with parades, carnival rides and car shows featuring the Oldsmobile.
The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Mabe and Solaris Realty of TampaBay. To view homes for sale in the Pinellas and Hillsborough area, click on Tampa Homes and then fill in the information on your dream home.
Comments(1)