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Past and Present
Safety Harbor: Yesterday and Today
General Information and
Demographics
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Safety Harbor: Yesterday and Today
Comfortably nestled along the northwest edge of Old Tampa Bay in Pinellas County, Safety Harbor enjoys a unique place in the history books and
in the hearts of its citizens and visitors. The first inhabitants were the
Timucuan Indians who called the area Tocobaga. In 1528 Spanish adventurers
led by the explorer Navarez landed on our shores. Safety Harbor is the home of the historic Espiritu Santo Springs. Given this name in 1539 by the
Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, who was searching for the legendary
Fountain of Youth, these natural springs have attracted attention worldwide
for their curative powers. Today, 22 acres of pristine Florida coastline
houses the famous Safety Harbor Resort and Spa which remains one of the
world's finest spa destinations and continues to attract health conscious visitors
to the area. Safety Harbor was first homesteaded by Count Odet Philippe, a
French surgeon in Napoleon's navy, who is credited with introducing citrus
growing to Florida. Established in 1823 the Count's homestead is now the site
of Philippe Park a 122-acre Pinellas County owned and operated facility that
is very popular among our residents and visitors. Safety Harbor was formally incorporated as a City in 1917 with a population of 200 persons. Today
17,000 persons call Safety Harbor their home. Primarily a residential
community the City has maintained the character of a family oriented
community while preserving our environmentally sensitive lands and
revitalizing our historic downtown Business District.
General Information and
Demographics
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