PTCWC Takes on Park Redevelopment

The Port Tampa City Woman's Club is close to being able to start redevelopment of the Spanish American War Memorial Park located at West Shore and Interbay(mentioned as a "tired little park" in one of this blog's very first posts). The PTCWC displayed the park's master plan at last year's Tree Lighting Celebration and it is wonderful. For info on contributing to the effort contact the club at ptcwc@porttampa.org, or skip that and send your check payable to Port Tampa City Woman's Club Inc., PO Box 19067, Tampa, FL 33686. This project has been a long time in the planning, as evidenced by this 2003 St. Pete Times article. Now is the time to add your tax deductible contribution to making this important part of Port Tampa City history shine as the gem it can be.

Transport Ships Loading at Port Tampa City, 1898
Often forgotten, though wrongly so considering its geo-political importance, the Spanish American War was still fresh in American minds in 1930 when Port Tampa City's Spanish American War Memorial Park was dedicated.

The following is a veteran's memoir written for one of the many annual veteran encampments held around the US.
East St. Louis Daily Journal - July 15, 1928
Written by Meyer Hurwitz

Tampa Overflows With Troops as Transport Docks

Tampa was choked with troops. It was a real military camp, and there we first glimpsed the khaki uniforms. The Rough Riders and many of the volunteer units had these on. And how cool they appeared alongside our heavy blue flannels! Wooden planks for side walks along the wharf, troops of all branches of the service promenading up and down, all day long. Some were on duty, hustling and bustling, some were merely sight-seeing, like our bunch. There were so many officers that the troops neglected to salute them anymore, we found out to our surprise after we got ashore. We had seen Gen. Shaftner, the commanding officer of the expeditionary forces in Cuba, who was a man of unusually large size, weighing about 350 pounds, so it looked like his horse was breaking under him.

While strolling along we saw the foreign attaches of the British, Russian, French and Japanese governments. We had also seen Gen. Miles, the commander-in-chief of the American army at the time, who was the most soldierly looking officer I have ever met. He was what is called every inch a soldier. We certainly saluted him. The wharf looked more like a circus ground. They were selling foam for a nickel a glass - lunch stands and fruit stands. There were exclusive restaurants also, where the charges were exorbitant for a good meal. More