Ransom Eli Olds and the American Dream"The City of Oldsmar sits on the Eastern edge of Pinellas County at the Northern end of Tampa Bay. A charming town with lovely oaks and beautifully planted medians, it is like a breath of fresh air in the midst of Pinellas County, the most densely populated county in the State of Florida. Strip malls, fast food restaurants, and crowded highways dominate much of the area, but the little town of Oldsmar has the distinct flavor of a sleepy Florida town. There were only a handful of settlers in the area in 1913 when Ransom Eli Olds decided to purchase 37,541 acres on the northern tip of Tampa Bay from Richard Peters in what is the present day Oldsmar. At the age of 52, the inventor of the Oldsmobile and REO cars embarked on a grand undertaking, turning the untamed land in northern Tampa Bay into a bustling community. He paid $400,000 for the land $200,000 in cash, $75,000 in bonds and a $125,000 apartment house in Daytona Beach. The town was originally named R. E. Olds-On-The-Bay. The name was later changed to Oldsmar. In 1927 the name was changed again to Tampa Shores, and finally in 1937 it was changed back to Oldsmar. The raw essence of old Florida has been well preserved in Oldsmar. There is a small town feel augmented by a feeling of space. The city is thoughtfully planned with the streets fanning out from Shore Drive along Tampa Bay. Many houses both new and old, grand and modest, sit on large treed lots. The main street in town is State Street, home to City Hall, the Library, and the fire station. Park Boulevard stretches from City Hall on State Street to R. E. Olds Park located on the edge of the sparkling waters of Old Tampa Bay. The view of the bay is spectacular from Shore Drive. Much of the shore line is undeveloped parkland and is a gentle reminder of the incredible natural beauty that remains in some parts of Florida. " (excerpt from 'history of Oldsmar') :http://www..tblc.org/opl/history.htm |