Sunday Favorites: Myakka City History 2

Within a few years of shipping timber overseas to fulfil the need during WWI, the timber had run out, according to the article ”To the Wilderness they Came,“ by historians Joe and Libby Warner.

Other businesses were not fairing so well either. In March of 1916, R.E. Dowling’s warehouse was destroyed in a fire. It had provided storage for groceries, mill feed and fertilizer and housed the office of the Southern Express Co, according to the Warners,

In 1921, another natural disaster occurred – the great Tampa Bay Hurricane hit the area. The Category 4 storm caused an estimated $10 million in damage and Myakka City was no exception. Although the inland city was spared of the devastating wind damage that plagued the coastal areas, the Myakka River rose several feet spreading to .75 of mile wide and causing many homes irreparable flood damage.

During the 1920s, the real estate boom reached the area inspiring Myakka City founder Frank Knox to develop a southern plat and expand the city. He changed the name of his company, Myakka Farms to Bradenton Suburban Company in order to appeal to a more modernized market. He also changed the names of the streets from the original plat – the ones he had named after his friends. The streets took on more enticing titles that reflected the area like Sarasota, Manatee, Arcadia, Grove etc.

As quickly as the boom had come to Florida, it dissipated in disaster leaving all land development at a standstill. The Great Depression followed, leaving businesses bankrupt all over the state. One of Myakka City’s most appealing features, the East and West Coast Railroad, halted operation for good; even the tracks were removed.

The railroad supplied lumber to two sawmills without supply (they had already used up all the timber in the area). The turpentine still also closed down. These losses meant the departure of more than 40 families that had family members working in the industries. Housing was provided to them but the closing of the plants meant they would need to move on. Their modest houses were either sold or torn down, according to the Warners.

Myakka City, the town that had grown into a city over the course of a year, was depleted to its original population just as quickly, with only a handful of permanent settlers remaining.

The city has of course experienced gradual growth since the decline of the 1930s, but it has retained its small-town charm. Knox’s dream of a large suburban metropolis is only now coming to fruition with the eastern expansion the area has experienced in the last 20 or so years. Will it ever become what he envisioned? Only time will tell.