Originally published in Safety Harbor Living magazine, April 2023 By Laura Kepner Frank Petree was born at Morton Plant Hospital in 1935 and raised in Safety Harbor during a time whenthe land was thick with oak trees and the air smelled of orange blossoms. It was a quieter place then,with fewer people, fewer buildings. courtesy … Continue reading The Station Agent’s Son
McMullen Flower Shoppe: Celebrating 67 Years in Safety Harbor
Originally published in Safety Harbor Living magazine, August 2022 By Laura Kepner In the 1930s and early 1940s, Robert and Mae McMullen were raising their daughters Betty Joe “BJ” and twins Sandra and Donna, in the home they called “the big house.” It was around the corner from where Safety Harbor Middle School is located … Continue reading McMullen Flower Shoppe: Celebrating 67 Years in Safety Harbor
Safety Harbor’s Doctor from Kyiv
Originally published in Safety Harbor Living magazine May 2022 By Laura Kepner Last week, two white-haired people sat on one of the benches in front of the library. They were talking about the invasion of Kyiv and what it must be like for the Ukrainian people. Ironically, they had been staring at the massive Grand … Continue reading Safety Harbor’s Doctor from Kyiv
Ruth Hayes’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Contributed by Jacqueline L. Hayes My mother, Ruth Hayes was an awesome cook. She studied home economics and business at Bethune Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida. She was equally mastering the art of preparing delicious main courses as she was with scrumptious desserts.One of her special treats was her peanut butter cookies. They never … Continue reading Ruth Hayes’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Harbor Bar is Leaving Stereotypes to History
This article first appeared in Safety Harbor Living, March 2023 A hundred years ago and for several decades after, Safety Harbor was known for moonshine. As the population increased, several bars opened, notably after WWII. Around 1950, local bars started making news. From bar owners acting as bookies, to fights, murders, and even an incident … Continue reading Harbor Bar is Leaving Stereotypes to History
Safety Harbor has a new history book!
I'm excited about this. I had so much fun researching and writing one of Arcadia Publishing's most recent books in their Images of America series. The book includes four chapters and 199 captioned images, many of which were provided by descendants of residents of long ago. I'm a local and would love to meet you … Continue reading Safety Harbor has a new history book!
Fried Chicken Through Four Generations
by Laura Kepner There was once a house at 518 Second Street North, surrounded by native plants and busy, clucking hens who were likely shaded by a massive, dying oak tree. The house no longer exists; the land is now the parking lot adjacent to Marker 39. But the tree is still there. It was … Continue reading Fried Chicken Through Four Generations
A Short and Strange History of Alligator Lake
In the early 1940s, the Pinellas County Commission and the Soil Conservation District worked to get the “Alligator Creek Project” completed. The project was the first in a series to create artificial lakes and reservoirs for long-term water conservation projects in Pinellas County. What the Tampa Tribune called “an unsightly mosquito breeding salt marsh” was … Continue reading A Short and Strange History of Alligator Lake
Over 100 Years of Harbor Holiday Seasons
Originally published in the December 2021 issue of Safety Harbor Living December 1919: A committee of ladies of the Methodist Church called for the names of every Safety Harbor child but asked for the community’s help to defray the costs of small gifts for local kids “during this difficult time.” December 1924: final arrangements were … Continue reading Over 100 Years of Harbor Holiday Seasons
Well, hello there!
It's nice to meet you. I'm Laura, a lover of sunshine, oaks dripping with Spanish moss, and all the people who make this place special. Yeah, sounds cheesy, but it's true. A story I often tell is about when my husband Chris and I relocated from the Pacific Northwest to Safety Harbor in 2008: we … Continue reading Well, hello there!
Local history, first hand 