History class is back in session. After diving into life in the 1930s in Tampa Bay, we’re ready to look at the next decade. The 1940s began amid the outbreak of what would become the deadliest conflict in global history, and ended with renewed vigor + hope for the future.
We’re telling the decade’s story through one event from each year:
1940: The Tampa Shipbuilding Company built its first ship, MS Sea Witch. The US military used the ship throughout World War II, and it sailed across the globe to places like Sri Lanka, Australia, several Pacific Islands, and Papua New Guinea.
1941: MacDill Air Force Base — then known as MacDill Army Air Base — was activated in April 1941, eight months before the US entered the war. Up to 15,000 troops at a time were stationed at the base during the conflict.
1942: The military chose to open an official Basic Training Center in downtown St. Pete which was used to train those heading to the battlefield. The Vinoy Hotel housed participants as they prepared for battle.
1943: Curtis Hixon — of Riverfront Park fame — was elected mayor of Tampa, defeating Robert E. Lee Chancey. Chancey served in the role for 12 years and steered the city through the economic hardships of the Great Depression.
1944: One pink palace wasn’t enough, apparently. The Don CeSar, already in use as a wartime hospital, transformed into a convalescent center. That means healthcare staff cared for soldiers who would likely fully recover and return to Europe after some Gulf of Mexico-infused recovery + treatment.
1945: Popular local doctor Frank Adamo returned to Tampa in April after being taken prisoner by Japanese forces three years prior. Adamo’s popularity stemmed from his efforts as a wartime doctor, and his return sparked a “Frank Adamo Day” celebration on April 27. The war ended 128 days later.
1946: This was the last year a hurricane made direct landfall in the greater Tampa Bay area. On Oct. 8, the Tampa Bay Hurricane made landfall near Cortez, just outside Bradenton, with winds up to 85 mph. The category one storm then crossed the Bay to Tampa where a tornado and flooding caused minor damage.
1947: St. Pete was establishing itself as a leisure-lover’s paradise. Al Lang Stadium opened, and the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club reached peak popularity with ~8,500 members. The following year, the city’s first Fishathon was held at Round Lake, an annual tradition which continues today.
1948: Brocato’s Sandwich Shop opened in the East Tampa area, where it still serves up Cuban sandwiches + legendary deviled crab. If you’re hungry, keep Brocato’s in mind — the iconic eatery filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year.
1949: St. Petersburg hosted a celebration called “Hands and Spans Across the Bay.” The aim was to encourage support for a bridge across the lower part of Tampa Bay. It seemingly worked because the Sunshine Skyway Bridge opened five years later.
If you’ve got any memories, stories, or photographs of the Tampa Bay area in the 1940s, we would love to see them. Send them in and we may share them in a future newsletter or on our socials.
