Manatee County Public Library Historical Digital Collections
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Cow to Cuba
No full textThe back of the card reads, "Cow to Cuba. Artist: Jean Blackburn, 2012. Manatee County was once one of the largest cattle producing areas in the United States. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, local ranchers shipped live cattle to Cuban markets from docks on the Manatee River. Public art from the Postcards from the Friendly City series. This postcard is donated by Realize Bradenton
One Million Sunsets Ago
No full textThe back of the card reads, "One Million Sunsets Ago. Artist: Don Brandes, 2012. People have lived along the Manatee River for over 2000 years. Spanish explorers met the descendants of the earliest inhabitants, called Tocobaga, in the 1500s. The South Florida Museum has a collection of pottery, tools, and other traces of these first peoples. Public art from the Postcards from the Friendly City series." This postcard was donated by Realize Bradenton
One Million Sunsets Ago
No full textThe back of the card reads, "One Million Sunsets Ago. Artist: Don Brandes, 2012. People have lived along the Manatee River for over 2000 years. Spanish explorers met the descendants of the earliest inhabitants, called Tocobaga, in the 1500s. The South Florida Museum has a collection of pottery, tools, and other traces of these first peoples. Public art from the Postcards from the Friendly City series." This postcard was donated by Realize Bradenton
Welcome to Manatee Lands
No full textThe back of the card reads, "Welcome to Manatee Lands. Artists: Don Brandes and Jean Blackburn, 2012. Before automobiles and the Interstate System, the Manatee River was the main transportation route for people and products. When first opened for settlements, the area was called the "Manatee Lands." Public art from the Postcards from the Friendly City series." This map of the Manatee River area depicts several points of interest using old postcards. This postcard was donated by Realize Bradenton
June: Life on the River
No full textThe back of the card reads, "June: Life on the River. Artist: Jean Blackburn, 2012. Life on the river meant hard work in the Florida climate. Early homesteaders were isolated from the town life inland, and the river was their connection to Bradenton and their neighbors. Some African-Americans came to Manatee County as slaves. After emancipation, some of those families who remained lived on homesteads along the Manatee River. Public art from the Postcards from the Friendly City series." This postcard is donated by Realize Bradenton
Our Roots Run Deep
No full textThe back of the card reads, "Our Roots Run Deep. Artist: Don Brandes, 2012. Farming was a way of life for Manatee's earliest settlers. The Manatee River was the only connection that local fruit and vegetable growers had to markets as near at Tampa and as distant as Chicago. Later, the railboard bridge, still in use today, expanded the connections to those markets. Public art from the Postcards from the Friendly City series." This postcard is donated by Realize Bradenton
Judah P. Benjamin's Escape
No full textDr. Bowers discusses the escape of former Confederate secretary of state Judah P. Benjamin with the fall of the Confederacy government. He took refuge in Gamble Mansion before sailing in exile to England
Our Roots Run Deep
No full textThe back of the card reads, "Our Roots Run Deep. Artist: Don Brandes, 2012. Farming was a way of life for Manatee's earliest settlers. The Manatee River was the only connection that local fruit and vegetable growers had to markets as near at Tampa and as distant as Chicago. Later, the railboard bridge, still in use today, expanded the connections to those markets. Public art from the Postcards from the Friendly City series." This postcard is donated by Realize Bradenton
Boating
No full textThe back of the card reads, "Boats. Artist: Jean Blackburn, 2012. Imagine a world where roads were rivers. Docks along the river were the commercial ports of their day and everything moved in and out of Bradenton on boats, from small family-owned rowboats to steamships. Without boats and boat-building, Manatee County's growth would have been greatly limited. Public Art from the Postcards from the Friendly City Series." This image is an artistic rendering of a small rowboat at the Bradentown City Dock, also known as Braidentown Wharf or Corwin Dock. The dock was originally constructed around 1885 at the foot of Main Street (12th Street West) by The Braidentown Wharf Company, comprised of Samuel Upham, Henry Curry, and John Harris. In 1902, the dock was purchased by S.C. Corwin, who had relocated to Bradenton from Sarasota and served as dock manager since 1898. The dock then became better known by the Corwin Dock moniker. In 1915, the wharf was completely rebuilt, creating a wider, straighter dock with new wood. Unfortunately, fire broke out on the dock just a few months after its reconstruction, destroying the attached Seabreeze Inn and Hawker’s Fish Market. Despite repairs, Corwin Dock was considered outdated and rather ramshackle by 1920. The dock was bought by the city and in 1926 it was closed to make way for the new Municipal (Memorial) Pier. This postcard was donated by Realize Bradenton
Boating
No full textThe back of the card reads, "Boats. Artist: Jean Blackburn, 2012. Imagine a world where roads were rivers. Docks along the river were the commercial ports of their day and everything moved in and out of Bradenton on boats, from small family-owned rowboats to steamships. Without boats and boat-building, Manatee County's growth would have been greatly limited. Public Art from the Postcards from the Friendly City Series." This image is an artistic rendering of a small rowboat at the Bradentown City Dock, also known as Braidentown Wharf or Corwin Dock. The dock was originally constructed around 1885 at the foot of Main Street (12th Street West) by The Braidentown Wharf Company, comprised of Samuel Upham, Henry Curry, and John Harris. In 1902, the dock was purchased by S.C. Corwin, who had relocated to Bradenton from Sarasota and served as dock manager since 1898. The dock then became better known by the Corwin Dock moniker. In 1915, the wharf was completely rebuilt, creating a wider, straighter dock with new wood. Unfortunately, fire broke out on the dock just a few months after its reconstruction, destroying the attached Seabreeze Inn and Hawker’s Fish Market. Despite repairs, Corwin Dock was considered outdated and rather ramshackle by 1920. The dock was bought by the city and in 1926 it was closed to make way for the new Municipal (Memorial) Pier. This postcard was donated by Realize Bradenton