![]() Opponents of incorporation argued that tax money from cigarettes and liquor sales would be lost along with county assistance for road maintenance. Holmes Beach would be incorporated on March 13, 1950, during a meeting about incorporating with 46 voting in favor, 13 against and 1 in abstention. One person would have a plane at the airport and used it as an air taxi during the tourist season and was used by residents and visitors taking them to wherever they wanted to go. In 1947 or 1948 a small airport would be created. Giles of Georgia, Pedar Mickelsen of Minnesota and Francis Karel who was from Chicago to help develop it. Holmes would get the interest of 3 others: Frank B. During the World War II, Holmes would be stationed in Tampa. Holmes, Sr., the property developer who started this planned community after World War II. To learn more about Anna Maria Island history, vacation rentals and the other communities on the island including Bradenton Beach and the City of Anna Maria, reach out to our staff toll free at 80.Holmes Beach was named for John E. You can seek out Old Florida shopping, plus visit beautiful homes and affordable vacation rentals close to pristine and relaxing beaches. Today, you can see much of what those early settlers strived for. Holmes Beach, and by extension Anna Maria Island, were fast growing and would soon become what it is today. 1952 saw the first shopping center in Holmes Beach, and just two years later the Yacht Club Restaurant (later known as the famous Pete Reynard’s) was erected.Ī bank came in 1960 and Holmes Beach started building reasonably priced housing with luxurious settings by 1962. ![]() Schools were built, a dentist opened up shop, and the first island doctor arrived to make house calls. Many of these properties became classic vacation rentals on Anna Maria Island. By the time it became incorporated, he had nearly 200 homes for sale. Jack Holmes is largely credited for the massive expansion of the island. Ultimately, 46 people voted to incorporate Holmes Beach, 13 voted no, and one abstained. Some of the main arguments involved taxes and maintaining the roadways. In 1960, a meeting was held consisting of just more than 60 freeholders and registered voters, who talked about the advantages and the negatives of becoming incorporated. He then started to build a 600-acre community to add to what the Cobbs had already started on. He was a developer who came to Anna Maria Island after World War II. On An Island With You (1948) was partially filmed in Holmes Beach, and starred Esther Williams and Peter Lawford.Įven though the Cobbs were the first to settle in this area, it is named after a man named Jack Holmes. This allowed settlers to open up for business a little bit more. In 1948, an airstrip was built for small planes to arrive and depart from the island. At the time, Sam Cobb was the only government representative on the entire island. The Cobbs are also known for establishing the first Post Office in 1902 right in their home. Sam and Annie’s daughter, Anna Maria Cobb, was born in 1897 in Holmes Beach, and became the first official “non-Native” born on the island. Other people and families soon joined the Cobbs, some even piloting boats between Tampa and Cuba. Building on this spot on 160 acres of land, it evolved into its own distinct area – Holmes Beach. In 1896, Sam and Annie Cobb, some of the first settlers on the island, developed a homestead in central Anna Maria Island. Rattlesnakes and wildcats were also common in the early days of Holmes Beach. He forced them on his quest for gold in El Dorado, but they never returned.Įven though Anna Maria Island and the Bradenton area are largely developed now, back before it was fully settled, early residents had to cut through jungle-like brush to clear paths and create roads. Ponce De Leon was unable to colonize the area when he landed there, but several years later in 1539 Hernando Desoto arrived and enslaved much of the Native American population. Dating back as far as 1000 A.D., these tribes consisted of farmers, fishermen, and warriors. Colonizing Holmes Beachīefore modern Holmes Beach history, there were ancient Native American tribes that inhabited the Bradenton region. To truly enjoy all there is to offer, you first have to understand how Holmes Beach came to be. Today, it’s a very popular tourist destination with many activities and places to visit. Perhaps one of the most well-known places on the island is Holmes Beach. There’s so much history surrounding Anna Maria Island and its Old Florida charm.
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