01/10/2024
Safety Harbor is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It was settled in 1823 and incorporated in 1917 1. The area has been inhabited since the Stone Age, and the Tocobaga people lived in villages around Tampa Bay at the time of Spanish exploration 1. The Tocobaga were known for constructing various ceremonial and communal mounds to bury the dead. Most of these mounds were destroyed in the early 1900s due to development. However, one of these ceremonial mounds is still visible in Safety Harbor’s Phillippe Park 1. The name “Safety Harbor” originated from the early 18th century, when pirates were a substantial influence in the area. Once ships reached this area of the bay, all threats from pirates were gone, and it was commonly referred to as a “Safe Harbor” 1. The city is home to the historic Espiritu Santo Springs, or “Springs of the Holy Spirit,” a natural mineral spring. Its waters were given this name in 1539 by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, who was supposedly searching for the mythical “Fountain of Youth” 1. Prior to the Spanish exploration of Florida, the Tocobaga and Timuquan tribes are believed to have fished and bathed in the spring’s waters 1. The Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, built over the springs, continues to be a prominent visitor attraction in Pinellas County 1.
If you are interested in learning more about the history of Safety Harbor, you can visit the Safety Harbor Historical Collections website. They contain hundreds of items relating to Safety Harbor history including newspapers, photos, publications, and postcards. The Safety Harbor Herald Newspaper Collection contains over 1,500 scanned, full-text searchable issues of the Safety Harbor Herald ranging from 1919 through 1989 2.