The Blue Book Magazine

Tampa Blue Book and Pioneers, 1914 This illustrated directory-history, compiled by Pauline Brown-Hazen and published by the Tribune Publishing Company in Tampa, documents two distinct aspects of Tampa's civic life. The first half features extensive biographical histories of over thirty pioneer families who arrived before 1870, including the Browns, Collers, Jacksons, Cowarts, Hendersons, McKays, and others, compiled from interviews with descendants. The volume emphasizes the pioneers' hardships during the Seminole Wars (1835–42) and Civil War era, their self-sufficiency in textile production and agriculture, and the evolution from military outpost to city. The second half contains comprehensive classified listings of Tampa's 1914 officials, benevolent organizations (Young Men's Christian Association, Old People's Home, Humane Society), historical and patriotic societies (Daughters of the American Revolution, United Daughters of the Confederacy), foreign clubs, literary and musical organizations, and an extensive business directory covering banking, retail establishments, and professional services. An introductory section covers Tampa's founding as a military post in 1824 and the subsequent cigar industry's explosive growth beginning in 1886.