Eating Meeting Is Back July 23rd

We'll be talking about organizing against the I-275 expansion at our next quarterly general membership meeting, which will also be the return of the Eating Meeting! It's like porch party, but we get work done at the same time.

We also hope to be joined by representatives of Parks & Rec to discuss the prominent issues happening in our neighborhood and in adjacent ones.

OSHNA board member Michael Guinn has generously offered the use of his facility for our meeting, and we look forward to seeing you there. Attendees with the last name A-S are encouraged to bring a side dish and T-Z a dessert to share. We'll provide the main dishes!

When: Tuesday, July 23, 6:30 p.m.

Where: Guinn Center, 6900 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

For just $10 a year—or $25 for businesses—you help your neighborhood association represent neighbors' interests with the city, provide outreach to local businesses and organizations, and keep these newsletters flowing!

As you know, preserving and presenting our neighborhood and city history is an essential duty of the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association. Today is Tampa's 137th birthday, and a number of events are taking place across the city this week to commemorate it. We hope to see you at one of these events!

Aging Gracefully: The Cigar Industry in Tampa from 1953 to 2010

Monday, July 15th • 11:00 a.m.

J.C. Newman Company • 2701 North 16th Street

J.C. Newman Cigar Co. operates the historic El Reloj cigar factory building as the last cigar manufacturer in Tampa. Join company historian Holden Rasmussen in J.C. Newman’s The American cigar rolling room as he charts the changes to America’s cigar industry since 1953, and the ways those changes affected Tampa. Historic cigar boxes, archival materials, and cigar factory photographs will be on display before the presentation.

Happy Birthday, Tampa!

Monday, July 15th • 3:00 p.m.

Old City Hall, Council Chambers 315 East Kennedy

Celebrate Tampa’s 137th birthday at historic Old City Hall. City Council member Charlie Miranda will share memories from his thirty years in office, and Fred Hearns, Curator of Black History at the Tampa Bay History Center, will present an informative talk, “1924: Commission Rule in the City of Tampa.” Following the program, birthday cake will be served, and guests will receive a commemorative booklet, 100 Years Ago: Tampa in 1924. 

Lynn Ash: The Story of Tampa

Tuesday, July 16th • 10:00 a.m.

City Center at Hanna Avenue 2555 E. Hanna Avenue, Community Room

Learn more about The Story of Tampa painting during this special discussion featuring its creator, local artist Lynn Ash. Guests will receive a complimentary Story of Tampa poster.

Objects from the Archives from 1924

Thursday, July 18th • 11:00 a.m.

Tampa Bay History Center • 801 Water Street

Rodney Kite-Powell, Director of the Touchton Map Library, and Heather Culligan, Curator of Collections, will use maps and artifacts from the Tampa Bay History Center’s collection that offer a glimpse into Tampa life in 1924. The program is free but limited to 20 guests. Register: tampabayhistorycenter.org

Tony Pizzo’s Tampa: Screening and Discussion

Thursday, July 18th • 4:00 p.m.

Tampa Theatre 711 N. Franklin Street • John T. Taylor Screening Room

The University of South Florida Libraries welcomes you to this free event. Join Curator Andy Huse for a look back at Tony Pizzo’s Tampa, a TV show produced by WUSF in 1979 to explore Tampa’s rich history. We will view clips from the show and discuss its merits as the show turns 45 years old in 2024. The program is free but limited to 43 guests. Register: tampatheatre.org

Genealogy: Your Photos - Dating, Storing, and Improving

Thursday, July 18th • 6:00 p.m.

Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Virtual, with John Beaumont

Explores the art and science of preserving, dating, and restoring family photographs, ranging from early daguerreotypes to digital images. This session covers identification techniques, archival challenges, and modern tools for enhancing and safeguarding these precious historical records. Register through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org

This Month In OSHNA History

Speaking of archives, here's this month's blast from the past.

Dr. Granville Goldstein was an optician from Louisville, Kentucky who grew tired of the winter and relocated to Tampa 120 years ago—and, upon arrival, decided real estate speculation was a more interesting career than optometry.

He quickly snatched up a huge plot of land in the northwest portion of Old Seminole Heights—roughly everything from the corner of Sligh & Florida to the river.

Dr. Goldstein, ever the self-promoter, touted the natural spring located between Sligh and Flora streets as a panacea for all manner of ailments—while building a pavilion, dance hall, and other improvements that quickly made it Tampeños’ second-favorite recreation spot after Sulphur Springs. The TECO streetcar advertised it as a destination, just a half-mile walk away from the Central Avenue line.

The springs were built into a massive, three-tiered swimming pool fed by the natural spring underneath.

But Goldstein's grand claims eventually met the long arm of the state health department. It begins on July 20th, 1919, when the following brief item appeared in the Tampa Tribune —possibly as a result of Goldstein paying for it to be there:

Two days later, the health department responded in that same newspaper.

Goldstein, for his part, responded a week later, again in the Tribune , claiming that the new oversight led patrons to be "delighted." Lest you think P.R. "spin" is a new thing:

While the springs—by this time heavily polluted—were covered over in the mid-20th century, time and better ecological practices have led to them once again flowing with clear water for a few months a year.

Free Property Fraud Alert

By signing up for the free Property Fraud Alerts provided by Hillsborough County, you will receive notification by email or phone whenever a document is recorded in Hillsborough County using your name or your business's name. Take advantage of this free service to protect yourself from mortgage, deed, and other forms of fraud.

Hosting the monthly OSHNA Porch Party is one of the easiest and most fun ways to get involved in the neighborhood. With the Neighborhood Involvement Committee volunteers handling most of the arrangements, they aren't much work, either! To sign up to host, check out the link to the form in the button below.

As always, check our events calendar on Facebook or OldSeminoleHeights.org .