Oldsmar, Florida

Oldsmar is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 13,591.[4] The Oldsmar name dates to April 12, 1916 when automobile pioneer Ransom E. Olds purchased 37,541 acres (151.92 km2) of land by the northern part of Tampa Bay to establish "R. E. Olds-on-the-Bay". The name was later changed to Oldsmar, then to "Tampa Shores" in 1927, and finally back to Oldsmar in 1937.

Oldsmar, Florida
City
Aerial view of Oldsmar from the east
Motto: 
Where Business Meets Prosperity
Location in Pinellas County and the state of Florida
Coordinates: 28°2′3″N 82°39′54″W
Country United States
State Florida
County Pinellas
Area
[1]
 • Total10.10 sq mi (26.15 km2)
 • Land8.95 sq mi (23.17 km2)
 • Water1.15 sq mi (2.98 km2)
Elevation
7 ft (2 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total14,898
 • Density1,665.33/sq mi (642.97/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
34677
Area codes656, 813
FIPS code12-51350[2]
GNIS feature ID0288131[3]
Websitewww.myoldsmar.com

Oldsmar includes several parks along Tampa Bay, historic bungalows, a downtown, and a commercial area along West Hillsborough Avenue. The historical society operates a museum in Oldsmar, and the city erected a new library in 2008. It also includes a thoroughbred racetrack called Tampa Bay Downs.

Oldsmar celebrates its history every year with Oldsmar Days and Nights, including parades, car shows (featuring the Oldsmobile), and carnival rides.

Geography

Oldsmar is located at 28°02′31″N 82°40′35″W.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.7 square miles (25.0 km2), of which 8.7 square miles (22.5 km2) is land and 0.97 square miles (2.5 km2) (9.83%) is water.[6]

History

A number of archeological digs in the Oldsmar area revealed small campsites as well as permanent villages that date from the Archaic period (c. 8000 to 1000 BCE) .[7][8]

In 1916, Ransom E. Olds purchased 37,541 acres (151.92 km2) on the northern tip of Tampa Bay in order to design a planned community. The property appealed to Olds because of its proximity to several other towns (including Tampa and Tarpon Springs) as well as being located on the Tampa and Gulf Coast division of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.[9] The town went through a number of name changes. Initially, it was called R. E. Olds-on-the-Bay and then changed to Oldsmar. In 1927 the name was again changed, this time to Tampa Shores. And finally, in 1937, it went back to its old name of Oldsmar.[10]

Shortly after purchasing the property, Olds formed the Reo Farms Company (renamed Reolds Farms Company) in order to administer to the creation of his new town. Architects and city planners were hired to create drafts and laborers were hired for construction. The town possessed the staples of any small town, such as churches, schools, and a bank, as well as a railroad depot, sawmill, and dock facilities on the 10 miles of waterfront that faced Old Tampa Bay. Outside of town, tracts of land were parcelled up for agriculture. To advertise how good the land was for growing crops and raising livestock, the Reolds Farms Company built a model farm. On the farm was a herd of cattle, horses, pigs, and other livestock. They also had plots planted with potatoes, turnips, beets, celery, and citrus fruits, among other crops.[11] An oil well was drilled but was never productive.[12][13]

Oil well and drilling equipment - Oldsmar, Florida

The company also initiated a large publicity campaign to attract Northerners into becoming residents. One of the more popular slogans used was "Oldsmar for Health, Wealth and Happiness." Tours were also planned with Pullmans chartered between Detroit and Oldsmar. To accommodate prospective residents and other tourists a 60-room hotel called the Wayside Inn was built.[14][15]

Olds named some of the roads himself including Gim Gong Road, named after the horticulturalist Lue Gim Gong. Olds had hired Gim Gong to help set up the agricultural community.[16]

Photograph of 3 men standing amongst corn in Oldsmar, Florida. Circa 1900.

In 1919, the city's first library was started by the Woman's Club. It would later be donated to the city in 1977.[12]

Original city plans included a golf course and a luxury hotel on the bay, but neither were ever built. A sawmill and foundry were established that made cast-iron engines for tractors and grove heaters. The mill also produced the Olds Chair (also called the Oldsmar Chair). The chair was similar to the popular Adirondack chair and was made out of either yellow pine or cypress.[12]

Olds provided financial backing for the Kardell Tractor and Truck Company to move into town. Renamed Oldsmar Tractor Company, Olds had hoped it would devise a machine to cut through palmetto roots, which had proven impervious to earth-moving technology of the day.

Oldsmar had farms of dairy, peppers, tomatoes, corn, gladioli, and grapes. In the early days, it was not uncommon for cattle and hogs to run loose through town. A huge banana plantation was established on the bay, but the winters were too harsh for it to flourish for long. The waters at the northern end of the bay were clean during the 1920s and 1930s. Fishing, oystering, and crabbing were popular. Townspeople could take their catch to the Rex Cafe to be cooked; fish fries and dances were weekly events.

A casino was constructed by the bay, attracting busloads of people from Tampa and Pinellas County on weekends. The Oldsmar Casino later changed its name to the Two Bits Club.

Oldsmar's pier stretched out a thousand feet into Tampa Bay and during Prohibition, boats loaded with coconuts concealing bottles of rum would arrive there. The pier was sturdy and wide enough to accommodate two cars side by side.

The city sits on a plateau with an elevation never rising over 20 feet (6.1 m) above sea level. In 1921, the town was hit by a devastating hurricane. Large pine trees were uprooted and most of the town was flooded by water reaching levels 14 feet (4.3 m) above normal. Some of the city's oldest homes remain on Park Boulevard. Many homes still standing after the hurricane were moved by barge to St. Petersburg during the 1920s and 1930s.

Olds had over $4.5 million invested in the community by 1923. When he realized Oldsmar was not growing as anticipated, he began liquidating his assets by first selling unplatted parcels of land. The racetrack was nearly completed when he traded it for the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater. The rest of the land was traded for the Belerive Hotel in Kansas. By the time Olds left town, he had suffered a loss of nearly $3 million. While Olds envisioned a city of 100,000, the population was around 200 when he left.

Harry A. Prettyman, a St. Louis promoter, and his associates continued to sell lots in town following Olds's departure. Prettyman staged promotional gimmicks like Gold Rushes where pieces of gold were buried on a vacant lot and everyone got to dig for it. In 1927 Prettyman was caught selling underwater lots. To avoid scandal, the town of Oldsmar was renamed Tampa Shores. It wasn't until 1935 that the last of the property owned by Olds was finally sold.

Christmas 2020 attempt to poison water supply

The city's water supply computer system was hacked starting on December 20, 2020, until February 16, 2021. The attacker, who could have been anywhere in the world, attempted on February 5 to poison the water by raising the amount of lye to a lethal level. One report says that this was done using TeamViewer remote control software, legitimately installed to allow remote working. The hack was detected by a worker seeing it on his computer screen being carried out, and reversed immediately. City officials said that even if the hack had succeeded, automatic pH checking would have caught it in the 24 hours before the poisoned water reached consumers. The criminals were able to access the system due to lax security and shared passwords. The FBI said "the cyber actors likely accessed the system by exploiting cybersecurity weaknesses including poor password security, and an outdated Windows 7 operating system to compromise software used to remotely manage water treatment. The actor also likely used the desktop sharing software TeamViewer to gain unauthorized access to the system."[17][18]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1930280—
194031512.5%
19503459.5%
1960878154.5%
19701,53875.2%
19802,60869.6%
19908,361220.6%
200011,91042.4%
201013,59114.1%
202014,8989.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[19]

According to the 2020 United States census,[20] Oldsmar City had a population of 14,898 with 5,464 households. There were 2.69 persons per household.

6.5% of the population were under 5 years old, 20.4% were under 18 years old, and 14.1% were 65 years and older. 52.3% of the population were female persons. There were 696 veterans living in the city. 8.3% of the population under the age of 65 lived with a disability. 13.5% of the population under the age of 65 did not have health insurance.

80.4% of the population were white, 5.7% were black or African American, 2.4% were Asian, 0.4% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 9.1% were two or more races, and 16.3% were Hispanic or Latino. 9.7% of the population were foreign born persons.

The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $272,800. The median selected monthly owner costs with a mortgage was $1,649. The median selected monthly owner costs without a mortgage was $471. The median gross rent was $1,199. The median household income was $67,389 and the per capita income was $35,312. 10.3% of the population lived behold the Poverty threshold. 96.7% of the households had a computer and 91.8% had a broadband internet subscription. 93.5% of the population over the age of 25 had a highschool degree or higher. 34.6% of that same population had a Bachelor's degree or higher.

Economy

Oldsmar hosts an office of Nielsen Media Research. Most of the employees of Nielsen Media Research work in Oldsmar and the company's media measurement work originates from the office. The Associated Press said that the Oldsmar building, with a cost figure of $80 million, was its "nerve center." In 2003 the company moved into its Oldsmar complex and consolidated its employees there, with workers from Dunedin and other areas in Pinellas County moving into the Oldsmar building.[21] Major defense contractor and aerospace company Lockheed Martin has a facility in Oldsmar that employed over 600 people as of 2015.[22][23]

Education

Oldsmar is part of the Pinellas County Schools district and is served by Countryside High School, along with sections served by East Lake High School.

Notable people

References
  1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Oldsmar city, Florida". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Oldsmar city, Florida". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  7. Anderson, David G.; Sassaman, Kenneth E. (2012). Recent Developments in Southeastern Archaeology: From Colonization to Complexity. Washington, DC: Society for American Archaeology Press.
  8. Williams, J. R. (1975). THE STATUS OF PREHISTORIC SITES IN PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA. Florida Scientist, 38(2), 73–76. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24319629. Accessed 18 February 2022, pp. 74-75
  9. Niemeyer, G. A. (1967). “Oldsmar for Health, Wealth, Happiness.” The Florida Historical Quarterly, 46(1), 18–28. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30140213. pp. 19
  10. Jasper, C. & McCook, K. (1998). The Florida Library History Project. University of South Florida, Tampa. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED422005.pdf on 2022-02-19. p. 210.
  11. Niemeyer (1967). pp. 20-21
  12. Jasper & McCook (1998). p. 211
  13. "Oldsmar will drill for oil". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  14. Niemeyer (1967). pg. 22
  15. Kite-Powell, Rodney (11 January 2022). "The Road To Oldsmar". Tampa Magazine. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  16. Quioco, Ed (September 10, 2005). "Bring back Gim Gong Road, mayor says". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  17. Greenberg, Andy (8 February 2021). "A Hacker Tried to Poison a Florida City's Water Supply, Officials Say". Wired.
  18. Kephart, Tim (19 May 2021). "Report: Oldsmar water hack came after city computer visited compromised website". ABC News. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  19. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  20. "QuickFacts Oldsmar city, Florida". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  21. "Univision sues over Nielsen's meters." Associated Press at the St. Petersburg Times. June 11, 2004. Retrieved on August 28, 2011.
  22. "Lockheed Martin Corporation Corporate Profile" Dun & Bradsheet
  23. Times Staff Writer (October 20, 2015). "Lockheed Martin unveils Florida's largest private solar project in Oldsmar". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

(Excerpted from Reflections of Oldsmar, 1996)

  • Ransom Eli Olds and the American Dream contributed by Ann Liebermann
  • Modern Oldsmar: Rediscovered at Last contributed by Paula Geist
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