Clearwater Roars Into the 1900s- Freedom Magazine Presents The History of Clearwater Part III

When J.N. McClung built the first ice factory in Clearwater in 1900, he also began the first water system for the community by installing a water main from his ice factory to the corner of Cleveland Street and Fort Harrison Avenue. The system was further developed through the decade and purchased by the City in 1910.

Part One
The third Clearwater railroad depot, circa 1910, was the community's first brick depot and a central point in the life of the city.

In order to attract more people to Clearwater’s beautiful bay, a recreational pier and pavilion were built at the foot of Cleveland Street in 1902, both of which were donated to the city several years later.

The year 1900 also marked the beginning of the telephone communications in Clearwater. Dennis Cooper’s History of General Telephone Company, the People Machine, relates that John R. Davey Sr. built a one-wire line connecting his orange groves near Safety Harbor with Coachman’s Store in downtown Clearwater. A telephone exchange to serve other residents was built three years later. The first switchboard was set up in the home of L.N. Fowler on Haven Street with Mrs. Fowler as the original telephone operator.