Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Manatee County
Manatee County is a county in the Central Florida portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 399,710. Manatee County is part of the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county s ...
, Florida, United States. As of the
2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries
A settlement established by
Maroons
Maroons are descendants of African diaspora in the Americas, Africans in the Americas who escaped from slavery and formed their own settlements. They often mixed with indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous peoples, eventually ethnogenesi ...
or escaped slaves named
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
existed in Bradenton's present area starting in the late 1700s and ending in 1821. It is believed to been spread out between the Manatee River (then known as Oyster River) all the way to
Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay is a lagoon located off the central west coast of Florida in the United States. Though no significant single stream of freshwater enters the bay, with a drainage basin limited to 150 square miles in Manatee and Sarasota Counties, it ...
. The community is estimated to have had 600–750 residents in it. Angola was a rather large maroon settlement as the Manatee River at that time was too shallow for US Navy vessels to navigate. The settlement was abandoned after the
Creeks who were aligned with
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
attacked Angola.
When the United States annexed Florida in 1821, there were two known claimants of land in the vicinity of Bradenton but neither of them was confirmed by the US federal government.
Mid and late 19th century
Josiah Gates along with his family and eight slaves moved to the area where present-day Bradenton exists in January 1842 after being attracted to the area for its natural beauty. Gates thought the area would be a popular place for new settlers to arrive at because it was near
Fort Brooke
Fort Brooke was a historical military post established at the mouth of the Hillsborough River in present-day Tampa, Florida in 1824. Its original purpose was to serve as a check on and trading post for the native Seminoles who had been confined ...
, and he also figured that while they were building their homes they would need a place to stay at temporarily. He built his home near present-day 15th Street East and his inn at another location naming it Gates House. Gates is also credited as being the first known American settler in present-day Manatee County.
Bradenton is named after Dr. Joseph Braden, whose nearby fort-like house was a refuge for early settlers during the
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were three related military conflicts in Geography of Florida, Florida between the United States and the Seminole, citizens of a Native Americans in the United States, Native American nation whi ...
. Braden owned a sugar plantation in the area, covering and being worked by slave labor. Dr. Joseph Braden was originally from Virginia and relocated to
Leon County in Florida shortly after its
annexation by the United States in 1821 where he established a cotton plantation bringing his preexisting Virginia slaves along with him. After having financial difficulties from the
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis in the United States that touched off a major depression, which lasted until the mid-1840s. Profits, prices, and wages went down, westward expansion was stalled, unemployment went up, and pessimism abound ...
, he tried to reestablish himself financially in Manatee County in 1843 moving to the area along with his slaves.
To help with the shipment of sugar grown at the plantation, he constructed a pier in present-day Downtown Bradenton where ships could dock at and pick up sugar. Where the pier met the land he constructed a stockade getting the name of Fort Braden. Braden was financially successful with his plantation but ended up moving back to Leon County in 1857 because of
a financial panic that occurred that year.
Major Alden Joseph Adams purchased 400 acres of land in 1876 between present-day Manatee Memorial Hospital and 9th Street East and build his home there in 1882. He named his three-story concrete home Villa Zanza. Alden was known for having many animals and a large amount of foliage at his home. At one point he owned over 300,000 acres of land in Manatee County. Major Alden Joseph Adams served in the Union Army during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
and eventually reached the rank of major. After the war he served in the
US Secret Service
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
and later as a newspaper correspondent for the ''
New York Herald
The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the ''New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''.
His ...
''. He reported from Paris during the time when the
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...
existed. At one point he was asked to look for
Dr. David Livingstone but declined and suggested that
Henry Morton Stanley
Sir Henry Morton Stanley (born John Rowlands; 28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904) was a Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author and politician who was famous for his exploration of Central Africa
Cen ...
should look for him instead. Adams died in 1915, and his home was bought in 1924 with the intent of remodeling it. However it was not completed, and his home was demolished at some point in the late 1920s.
William I. Turner bought 7 acres from John Crews Pelot in 1877 and create a subdivision from that land creating what is now Bradenton. The land itself was plotted by Axel Emil Broberg and it contained 19 plots on both sides of what is 12th Street West along with a cross street that is currently 3rd Avenue. Turner sold the lots building a store and a warehouse along with his own home where he lived at.
The town was originally spelled "Braidentown," as a spelling error was made when it applied for a post office on May 9, 1878.
The first bridge across
Wares Creek
Ware may refer to:
People
* Ware (surname)
* William of Ware (), English Franciscan theologian
Places Canada
*Fort Ware, British Columbia
United Kingdom
*Ware, Devon
* Ware, Hertfordshire
*Ware, Kent
United States
* Ware, Elmore County, A ...
was built in 1886. The following year, Bradenton was designated the county seat after
DeSoto County was formed from eastern Manatee County, as the then county seat,
Pine Level, was in the new county. A county courthouse was built in 1890 at Courthouse Square.
20th century
First half of the 20th century
![Main Street, Bradentown, FL](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Main_Street%2C_Bradentown%2C_FL.jpg)
Railroad service was extended from Palmetto across the Manatee River to Bradenton in 1902. Bradenton was incorporated on May 19, 1903, with 59 voting in favor of incorporating and 34 voting against it. Shortly after incorporation, a local election was held to choose the city's first elected municipal officials. A.T Cornwell was elected as mayor, Robert H. Roesch as clerk and tax assessor, A.B. Murphy as treasurer and F. Dryman as tax collector along with seven city council members. One of the earliest moves made by the municipal government was amending the name to "Bradentown". However the name change would not be reflected with the
US Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
until 1905. On December 29, a streetcar line began operation going from Bradenton to the neighboring city of Manatee and went west crossing
Wares Creek
Ware may refer to:
People
* Ware (surname)
* William of Ware (), English Franciscan theologian
Places Canada
*Fort Ware, British Columbia
United Kingdom
*Ware, Devon
* Ware, Hertfordshire
*Ware, Kent
United States
* Ware, Elmore County, A ...
to the nearby community of Fogartyville.
The company operating the line had financial difficulties, likely due to a lack of ridership, and cancelled the line in 1906. The Manavista Hotel was opened in January 1907 bordering the Manatee River on Main Street.
The Davis Bridge, the first general traffic bridge across the Manatee River was opened in June 1910. It was a wooden toll bridge built by C.H. Davis that had one lane and passing spots. The bridge went from present-day 9th Street East (located within then nearby Manatee) to near where the Atwood Grapefruit Groves were located at west of Ellenton.
In 1912, the first road, Range Road leading from present-day Bradenton (then, Manatee) to Sarasota was built.
Also during that year, the original county courthouse was bought and moved to a new location becoming a grade school for black students in the area, Lincoln Academy Grammar School. A
new courthouse was built on the site of the old one which still stands today in the following year, 1913.
The Victory Bridge was opened in August 1919 running from current 10th Street West in Bradenton to 8th Avenue in Palmetto. Funding for the bridge came from bond issues by both Bradenton and Palmetto. The bridge itself had two lanes and was made of wood. Its name came from the United States' recent victory in World War I against the Central Powers.
With the Victory Bridge's construction, the municipal government of Manatee attempted to buy Davis Bridge and make it public as a way to compete with Bradenton's Victory Bridge but the deal however never went through.
The rest of the bridge ended up being dismantled with the exception of its draw section which was sold to county government and put into use for the Snead Island's Cut off bridge in 1920.
1920s and 1930s
Baseball spring training began in Bradenton with the construction of
Ninth Street Park in 1923. The first team to train in the city was the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
, doing so for 1923 and 1924. The city council began the process of removing the "w" letter from its then name "Bradentown" in January 1925 and be completed on May 2, 1925, when the state Governor signed a bill relating to it making it official.
All streets in the city were renamed in 1926 with a
numbering system.
After the collapse of the
Florida land boom
The Florida land boom of the 1920s was Florida's first real estate bubble. This pioneering era of Florida land speculation lasted from 1924 to 1926 and attracted investors from all over the nation. The land boom left behind entirely new, planned ...
and the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
starting, the city faced an economic downturn. Along with an economic downturn, the city had financial issues as well with the city going into debt. During the Florida land boom, Bradenton borrowed money as a way to pay for infrastructure to areas that were considered outlying. As a result, the city retracted its municipal boundaries so it could not provide services to those areas and defaulted their municipal bonds as a result. After the municipal boundaries were retracted, the bonds were refunded, and residents who lived in the new boundaries would be responsible for paying it. Bradenton ended up eventually getting its bonds paid off.
Despite the economic downtown, several new projects were done in the city. A municipal pier (interchangeably referred to as Memorial pier) was built in 1927 with a building at its end. The pier itself still stands and the building at its end has served a variety of functions ever since. As the Victory Bridge was deemed too unsafe to use after a hurricane hit it in 1926, the Green Bridge was built the following year in 1927 as a replacement to it. In the meantime, a ferry operated until the Green Bridge was built.
On July 22, 1931, a joint committee was appointed by the municipal city councils of Bradenton, Manatee, and Palmetto to consider and possibly even merge the three cities but nothing would come out of the committee in the end. A new post office building in 1937 was built on Manatee Avenue and 9th Street West as a
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
project. The post office is still in operation.
Compiled in the late 1930s and first published in 1939, the
Florida guide listed Bradenton's population as being 5,986 and described it as:
1940s
![Florida - Brandenton through Clearwater - NARA - 23936567](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Florida_-_Brandenton_through_Clearwater_-_NARA_-_23936567.jpg)
Bradenton was affected by World War II like many other cities in Florida and the United States. During the war, Manatee County had its own Civil Defense battalion in it with two subunits existing in Bradenton and another for nearby Manatee. A recreational center was opened in March 1942 at a building on the intersection of 6th Avenue and 12th Street West in the downtown area to be used by soldiers. The recreation center closed in November 1945 and was popular with local soldiers and visited even by those who were stationed outside of Bradenton. Police Chief Clyde Benton expanded the police force by naming 45 officers to serve without pay during the war. Camp Weatherford located at LECOM Field existed for eight months at some point during the war as a training center for the
US Army Signal Corps
)
, colors = Orange and white
, colors_label = Corps colors
, march =
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
...
. About 350 soldiers were trained there during its existence. The camp itself often had an issue with being flooded because of the rainy climate, showers at the camp occurring often, clothes being washed, its low elevation and is located nearby to Wares Creek. A soldier named Joe Grossman at the camp ran a radio show broadcasting on
WSPB called Weatherford Shinings. Local residents accommodated the troops stationed at the base in a variety of ways. Bradenton merged with nearby Manatee (incorporated in 1888) in 1943. Manatee faced similar financial problems as Bradenton did in regards to their bonds and faced high debt levels as a result but Manatee could not pay off the bonds.
Second half of the 20th century
Mayor A. Sterling Hall took office in January 1948. During his tenure lasting the next 20 years before retiring, the city was radically transformed. While serving as mayor he was considered progressive in his time period when it came to racial issues. As mayor, he created a municipal housing authority and also do
slum clearance
Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...
. He created quality housing for black residents along with paving streets, bringing sewage service, water, and expanded garbage collection services to black neighborhoods. Despite Mayor Hall's racial progressiveness, a
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
march occurred during his tenure in 1958 between Palmetto and Bradenton. The reason for the march was in response to a black group asking the county school board to either give them a new school building in Bradenton or integrate junior and senior high schools in the county. The Manavista Hotel was demolished in 1959 and replaced with a motel and later a retirement community.
During the 1960s the Manatee River was dredged, and an area nicknamed "the Sandpile" was formed getting developed over the course of the rest of the 20th century and the 21st century.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Mayor Hall tried to make desegregation come about in his city in a nonviolent manner. Lunch counters were desegregated sometime during 1960 and a bi-racial commission was created during the summer of 1963.
Bradenton built a new city hall located on 15th Street West bordering Wares Creek in January 1970 as a replacement to their location on 13th Street West, which the city had used since 1913.
Governor
Claude R. Kirk Jr. arrived in Bradenton on April 6, 1970, in an attempt to stop Manatee County School District's
desegregation busing
Race-integration busing in the United States (also known simply as busing, Integrated busing or by its critics as forced busing) was the practice of assigning and student transport, transporting students to schools within or outside their local s ...
. When he arrived he suspended the district superintendent along with the school district, leading to the district stopping the busing of 2,500 students and 107 teachers. During February he threatened to impeach a federal judge and said he would not sign checks that would pay for busing students. He stayed in the Manatee County School District's Administration building then located at the corner of 9th Avenue and 14th Street for a week before being threatened with a $10,000 fine per day if he continued to stay in the building and was unsuccessful with preventing bussing. The 8-floor
Hotel Dixie Grande
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
, which opened in April 1926, was demolished in August 1974.
The Green Bridge was replaced in 1986.
The city hall moved to a new location on 12th Street West in November 1998 after the property was sold to a local resident with the intention of redeveloping it but plans never materialized.
21st century
The local resident who had owned the former city hall property along Wares Creek sold it to a development group sometime in 2004, and it was demolished in December 2004.
The
Bradenton Riverwalk
Bradenton Riverwalk (known locally as the Riverwalk) is a public green space located along the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida, between Business US 41 and South Tamiami Trail (US 301 / US 41 concurrently).
The park opened to the public ...
, a 1.5-mile long park along the Manatee River opened in October 2012. McKechnie Field, the spring training stadium for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
, was renamed
LECOM Park
LECOM Park is a baseball field located in Bradenton, Florida. It is the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and is named after a 15-year naming rights deal was signed with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has its m ...
in February 2017.
Historic properties
Historic properties in Bradenton include:
*
Braden Castle Park Historic District
The Braden Castle Park Historic District is a U.S. historic district (designated as such on May 9, 1983) located in Bradenton, Florida. The district is bounded by the Manatee and Braden Rivers, Ponce DeLeon Street, and Pelot Avenue. It contains ...
, off Manatee Avenue and 27th St East
*
Bradenton Bank and Trust Company Building
The Bradenton Bank and Trust Company, built during the height of the Florida land boom and now known as the Professional Building, is a historic 7-story commercial building located at 1023 Manatee Avenue West, just east of the Manatee County Cou ...
, 1925, now the Professional Building, 1023 Manatee Avenue, West
*
Bradenton Carnegie Library
The Bradenton Carnegie Library is a Carnegie library in Bradenton, Florida. It was founded in 1918, served as Bradenton's main library for 60 years, and now houses the Manatee County Historical Records Library. It was added to the U.S. National ...
, 1405 Fourth Avenue West
*
Iron Block Building, 1896, 530 12th Street West (Old Main Street)
*
Manatee County Courthouse
The Manatee County Courthouse, built in 1913, is a historic courthouse building located at 1115 Manatee Avenue, West, in Bradenton, Florida. On June 11, 1998, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register ...
, 1913, 1115 Manatee Avenue, West
*
Old Manatee County Courthouse, 1860, 1404 Manatee Avenue, East
*
Peninsular Telephone Company Building
The Peninsular Telephone Company Building, also known as the Peninsula Telephone Company Building or the GTE Building is an historic three-story yellow brick building located at 1009 4th Avenue, West in Bradenton, Florida. Built in 1925 for Penin ...
, 1925, 1009 4th Avenue, West
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, Bradenton has a total area of , of which is land and (16.14%) is water.
Bradenton is located on
US 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
between
Tampa
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
and
Sarasota
Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...
. The area is surrounded by
waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary b ...
s, both fresh and saltwater. Along the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
and into
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater in ...
are over of Florida beaches, many of which are shaded by
Australian pines. Bordered on the north by the
Manatee River
The Manatee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 river in Manatee County, Florida. The river forms in the northeastern corner of Manatee County an ...
, Bradenton is located on the mainland and is separated from the outer
barrier island
Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of Dune, dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything fro ...
s of
Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island, is a barrier island on the coast of Manatee County, Florida, in the United States. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, on the south by Longboat Pass (which separates it from Longboat Key), on the east by Anna Ma ...
and
Longboat Key
A longboat is a type of ship's boat that was in use from ''circa'' 1500 or before. Though the Royal Navy replaced longboats with launches from 1780, examples can be found in merchant ships after that date. The longboat was usually the largest boat ...
by the
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, then following th ...
.
Downtown Bradenton is located in the northwest area of the city. Home to many of Bradenton's offices and government buildings, the tallest is the
Bradenton Financial Center
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries
A settlement established by Maroons or escaped s ...
, 12 stories high, with its blue-green windows. The next tallest is the brand new Manatee County Judicial Center with nine floors, located next to the
historic courthouse. Other major downtown buildings include the
Manatee County
Manatee County is a county in the Central Florida portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 399,710. Manatee County is part of the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county s ...
Government building and the headquarters of the School Board of Manatee County.
Climate
Bradenton has a typical Central Florida
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Cfa'') characterized by hot, humid summers and warm winters. Bradenton borders a
tropical climate
Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of 18 °C (64.4 °F) or higher in the cool ...
, with only one month (January) having a mean temperature below , which is the threshold for a tropical climate.
Demographics
Bradenton is a principal city of the
North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area
The Sarasota metropolitan area is a metropolitan area located in Southwest Florida. The metropolitan area is defined by the Office of Management and Budget as the North Port–Sarasota–Bradenton metropolitan statistical area as a metropolitan ...
, which had a 2018 estimated population of 821,573.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 49,504 people, 21,379 households, and 12,720 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,088.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,578.3/km
2). There were 24,887 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 78.14%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 15.11%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.79%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.29%
Native American, 0.05%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 3.91% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.71% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 11.26% of the population.
There were 21,379 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city 21.6% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,902, and the median income for a family was $42,366. Males had a median income of $28,262 versus $23,292 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,133. About 9.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Tropicana Products
Tropicana Brands (''pronounced as'' traa·puh·ka·nuh) is a former American fruit-based beverage company. It was founded in 1947 by Anthony T. Rossi in Bradenton, Florida. Between 1998 and 2021 it was a subsidiary of PepsiCo, but in August 2021 ...
was founded in Bradenton in 1947 by
Anthony T. Rossi
Anthony Talamo Rossi (September 13, 1900 – January 24, 1993) was an Italian-born American who founded Tropicana Products, a producer of orange juice, in 1947 in Bradenton, Florida. It grew from 50 employees to over 8,000 in 2004, expandin ...
, an Italian immigrant. By 2004 it had over 8,000 employees and marketed its products throughout the United States.
PepsiCo
PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manuf ...
, Inc., acquired it in 1998. Tropicana's
Juice Trains have been running to northern markets via
CSX
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
and predecessor railroads since 1971. In 2003, Pepsi relocated Tropicana's corporate headquarters to Chicago after it acquired
Gatorade
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...
and consolidated its non-carbonated beverage businesses. However, their juice production facilities remain in Bradenton.
Champs Sports
Champs Sports is an American sports retail store, it operates as a subsidiary of Foot Locker. Products sold at Champs Sports include apparel, equipment, footwear, and accessories. As of June 2019, there were 540 store locations found throughout ...
, a nationwide sports apparel chain, is headquartered in Bradenton.
The department store chain
Bealls is also headquartered in Bradenton.
Bradenton was significantly affected by the
United States housing market correction
United States housing prices experienced a major market correction after the housing bubble that peaked in early 2006. Prices of real estate then adjusted downwards in late 2006, causing a loss of market liquidity and subprime defaults.
A real ...
, as reported by CNN, projecting a 24.8% loss in median home values by the third quarter of 2008.
Real estate has shown a recovery since 2012, as home prices stabilize and inventory subsides.
Transportation
Bradenton is served by
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and is connected to
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
by the
Sunshine Skyway Bridge
The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, often referred to as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge or the Sunshine Skyway, consists of a pair of long beam bridges with a central cable-stayed bridge that spans Lower Tampa Bay to connect St. Petersburg, ...
. The Sunshine Skyway is a cross-bay bridge that rises above the bay at its highest point. Remnants of the old Skyway bridge have been converted into a fishing pier extending into Tampa Bay from both sides of the bay.
Manatee County Area Transit
Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) provides public transportation for Manatee County, Florida and is operated by the county. the system had about riders per weekday as of .
Fares
The regular bus fare is $1.50 on all local fixed routes. Discou ...
(MCAT) buses serve Bradenton along with the cities/communities of Palmetto,
Ellenton, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach,
Bradenton Beach
Bradenton Beach is a city on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The population was 908 at the 2020 census, down from 1,171 in 2010. It is part of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...
, Longboat Key, Tallevast and Samoset, with transfers to Sarasota and St. Petersburg. Free trolleys run north–south on
Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island, is a barrier island on the coast of Manatee County, Florida, in the United States. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, on the south by Longboat Pass (which separates it from Longboat Key), on the east by Anna Ma ...
, as well as to/from various points on the mainland. Amtrak charter buses run through downtown Bradenton outside the courthouse to
Tampa Union Station
Tampa Union Station (TUS) is a historic train station in Tampa, Florida. It was designed by Joseph F. Leitner and was opened on May 15, 1912, by the Tampa Union Station Company. Its original purpose was to combine passenger operations for the Atl ...
and Venice.
Government
The city is governed by a city council with five members. Each of the members are residents of one of the five wards. The city council selects the city's vice mayor. The mayor is elected at-large for a four-year term, as are the five council members.
Media
Newspapers
* ''
The Bradenton Herald
''The Bradenton Herald'' is a newspaper based in Bradenton, Florida, in the United States.
History
On September 15, 1922, Volume 1, Number 1 was published as ''The Evening Herald''. It was a merger of two weekly papers: the ''Manatee River Jou ...
'' is Manatee County's local newspaper, published daily.
* ''
The Bradenton Times
''The Bradenton Times'' is an online newspaper founded and continuously published on the Internet from Bradenton, Florida. It is a web news and community resource site for Bradenton and Manatee County designed to supply broad coverage of infor ...
'' is Manatee County's local online-only newspaper.
* Bradenton Patch is Bradenton's local online-only paper.
* Daily editions of the ''
Sarasota Herald Tribune
The ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' is a daily newspaper, located in Sarasota, Florida, founded in 1925 as the ''Sarasota Herald''.
History
The newspaper was owned by The New York Times Company from 1982 to 2012. It was then owned by Halifax Media ...
'' and the ''
Tampa Bay Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single y ...
'' are also available throughout the area.
Radio stations
Bradenton is located in the
Sarasota-Bradenton radio market. It also receives many stations from the nearby
Tampa-St. Petersburg market.
The stations listed below are located and/or licensed in Bradenton or Manatee County:
*
WWPR – 1490 AM – studio and transmitter in Bradenton
*
WBRD
WBRD (1420 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Palmetto, Florida, United States, the station serves the Bradenton
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United Stat ...
– 1420 AM – licensed to Palmetto
*
WJIS
WJIS 88.1 FM, known on air as The JOY FM, is a Christian adult contemporary station serving North, Central and Southwest Florida, including the Sarasota/Bradenton and Tampa Bay areas, and is owned by the Radio Training Network.
Network
On ...
– 88.1 FM
*
WPBB
WPBB (98.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Holmes Beach, Florida and serving the Tampa Bay media market. It is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, and airs a classic rock radio format, branded as "98.7 The Shark."
WPBB' ...
– 98.7 FM ''(studios and transmitter in Pinellas County)''
*
WHPT
WHPT (102.5 FM, currently known as "102.5 The Bone") is a Cox Radio station located in the Sarasota, Tampa Bay, and St. Petersburg, Florida areas, but can be heard as far south as Fort Myers and Naples, from its transmitter near SR 70, near th ...
– 102.5 FM ''(Sarasota; transmitter in northeastern corner of Sarasota County; studios in St. Petersburg)''
*
WRUB – 106.5 FM
Television stations
WSNN-LD
WSNN-LD, virtual channel 39 (UHF digital terrestrial television, digital channel 26), is a low-power broadcasting#Television, low-powered television station city of license, licensed to Sarasota, Florida, Sarasota, Florida, United States. Owned ...
is based in Sarasota but transmits from Manatee County.
WWSB
WWSB (channel 40) is a television station licensed to Sarasota, Florida, United States, serving the Suncoast portion of the Tampa Bay market as an affiliate of ABC. Owned by Gray Television, WWSB maintains studios on 10th Street in the Rosema ...
channel 40, the local ABC affiliate, is based in Sarasota, but has a transmitter in Parrish, northeast of Bradenton; it is seen on cable channel 7 on most cable systems in the area.
WXPX-TV
WXPX-TV (channel 66) is a television station licensed to Bradenton, Florida, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the Tampa Bay area. It is owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company alongsid ...
channel 66, the local
Ion Television
Ion Television is an American broadcast television network owned by the Katz Broadcasting subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network first began broadcasting on August 31, 1998, as Pax TV, focusing primarily on family-oriented enter ...
affiliate, is licensed in Bradenton, with its transmitter in
Riverview in Hillsborough County.
Education
Manatee County Public Schools operates area public schools. Schools in the city limits include:
*
Manatee High School
Manatee High School is the oldest public high school in Bradenton, Florida, operated by the Manatee County School District.
History
Bradentown High School would open in 1897 located on what is now 15th Street West and Ballard Park Drive operating ...
The
State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
's (SCF) main campus is located in
Bayshore Gardens, and
State College of Florida Collegiate School
State College of Florida Collegiate School (SCFCS) is a public charter school in Florida, United States. Established in 2010, it is part of and operates on State College of Florida's Bradenton and Venice campuses. It was created through a charter ...
has a campus on the SCF Bradenton campus.
[ ]
Campus map here
which indicates the exact location of SCFCS.
Culture
![Charming gallery one](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Charming_gallery_one.jpg)
Bradenton is home to the
Village of the Arts, a renovated neighborhood immediately south of downtown where special zoning laws allow residents to live and work in their homes. Many of these once dilapidated houses have been converted into studios, galleries, small restaurants and other small businesses. The Village of the Arts promotes its 'First Fridays' activities celebrating the seasons and different holidays. The Village of the Arts remains the largest arts district on the Gulf Coast.
The Manatee Players, who reside at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, have a three-year record of first-place wins within the Florida Theatre Conference and the Southeastern Theatre Conference competitions. In addition, the theatre currently holds the first place title from the
American Association of Community Theatre
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
competition.
Located on the
Manatee River
The Manatee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 river in Manatee County, Florida. The river forms in the northeastern corner of Manatee County an ...
in downtown Bradenton is the
South Florida Museum
__NOTOC__
The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature (formerly the South Florida Museum), located in Bradenton, Florida, is a natural history museum specializing in the history of Florida's gulf coast. It houses exhibits highlighting Florida histor ...
, Bishop Planetarium and Parker Manatee Aquarium. This one-stop museum-planetarium-aquarium offers a glimpse of Florida history, a star and multimedia show, and ongoing lecture and film series. The Parker Manatee Aquarium was the permanent home to Manatee County's most famous resident and official mascot,
Snooty
Snooty (July 21, 1948 – July 23, 2017) was a male West Indian manatee, Florida manatee that resided at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature's Parker Manatee Aquarium in Bradenton, Florida, Bradenton, Florida. He was one of the first recorde ...
, the
manatee
Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species ...
. Born at the Miami Aquarium and Tackle Company on July 21, 1948, Snooty was one of the first recorded captive manatee births. He was the oldest manatee in captivity, and likely the oldest manatee in the world.
On July 23, 2017, two days after his 69th birthday, Snooty died as the result of drowning.
ArtCenter Manatee is the center for art and art education in Manatee County. The nearly building in downtown Bradenton features three galleries, five classrooms, an Artists' Market gift shop and an art library featuring over 3,000 art volumes.
The nonprofit organization
Realize Bradenton works with the above-listed cultural partners to promote Downtown Bradenton as a destination for the arts. It also produces events in the downtown area with a focus on arts and culture like the annual
Bradenton Blues Festival,
ArtSlam public art festival as well as several smaller public art and music events throughout the year.
Additionally, the town is the subject of the
We the Kings
We the Kings is an American rock band from Bradenton, Florida. The band's eponymous full-length debut album, released in 2007, included the platinum single "Check Yes Juliet", and went on to sell over 250,000 copies in the US. The group's secon ...
song "This Is Our Town"; they, as well as the band
Have Gun, Will Travel originate from Bradenton.
Sports
Bradenton is the spring training home of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
's
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
who play their home games at downtown's
LECOM Park
LECOM Park is a baseball field located in Bradenton, Florida. It is the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and is named after a 15-year naming rights deal was signed with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has its m ...
. During the regular baseball season, the stadium is home to the minor league
Bradenton Marauders
The Bradenton Marauders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Bradenton, Florida, and play their home games at LECOM Park, which also serves as the ...
who play in the Florida State League in
Class A-Advanced
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
.
The city is home to the
State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota Manatees sports teams.
Manatee County high schools produce several teams including
Manatee High School
Manatee High School is the oldest public high school in Bradenton, Florida, operated by the Manatee County School District.
History
Bradentown High School would open in 1897 located on what is now 15th Street West and Ballard Park Drive operating ...
whose football team was nationally ranked in the 1950s, 1980s, and 1990s and regained their national status in 2009. Manatee High School has won five football state championships. Bradenton is also home to the
IMG Academy
IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...
, the home of the U.S U-17 residential soccer program.
The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton was home of the
2015 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship
The 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship was the 77th annual tournament to determine the national champions of NCAA Division I (NCAA), Division I collegiate golf. It was contested from May 29 – June 3, 2015 at The Concession Golf Club in ...
.
Bradenton and
Sarasota
Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...
together held the
2021 U-18 Baseball World Cup.
Points of interest
*
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
__NOTOC__
The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature (formerly the South Florida Museum), located in Bradenton, Florida, is a natural history museum specializing in the history of Florida's gulf coast. It houses exhibits highlighting Florida hist ...
, home of the late manatee
Snooty
Snooty (July 21, 1948 – July 23, 2017) was a male West Indian manatee, Florida manatee that resided at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature's Parker Manatee Aquarium in Bradenton, Florida, Bradenton, Florida. He was one of the first recorde ...
*
Bradenton Riverwalk
Bradenton Riverwalk (known locally as the Riverwalk) is a public green space located along the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida, between Business US 41 and South Tamiami Trail (US 301 / US 41 concurrently).
The park opened to the public ...
*
DeSoto Square
DeSoto Square Mall was an enclosed shopping mall serving Bradenton, Florida, United States. It was built in 1973 and permanently closed on April 30, 2021. One lone anchor store, Hudson's Furniture, remains open.
History
Starting in November 197 ...
*
De Soto National Memorial
De Soto National Memorial, in Manatee County west of Bradenton, Florida, commemorates the 1539 landing of Hernando de Soto and the first extensive organized exploration by Europeans of what is now the southern United States.
The memorial include ...
*
Manatee Village Historical Park
*
Neal Preserve
Neal Preserve is a preserve in Manatee County
Manatee County is a county in the Central Florida portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 399,710. Manatee County is part of the North Port-Sarasota- Br ...
*
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
at
LECOM Park
LECOM Park is a baseball field located in Bradenton, Florida. It is the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and is named after a 15-year naming rights deal was signed with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has its m ...
* Robinson Preserve
*
Village of the Arts
Notable people
*
Hank Aaron
Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. One of the gre ...
, baseball player
*
Freddy Adu
Fredua Koranteng Adu (born June 2, 1989) is an American professional soccer player who played as an attacking midfielder. The last club he played for was Ettan Fotboll club Österlen FF.
From before the time of his signing with D.C. United at ...
, soccer player
*
Graeme Edge
Graeme Charles Edge (30 March 1941 – 11 November 2021) was an English musician, songwriter and poet, best known as the co-founder and drummer of the English band the Moody Blues. In addition to his work with the Moody Blues, Edge worked as ...
, musician and poet
*
Tommie Frazier
Tommie James Frazier Jr. (born July 16, 1974) is an American former football player and coach who played quarterback for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Frazier led his team to consecutive national championships in 1994 and 1995, and is ...
, football player,
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
*
Jessica Korda
Jessica Regina Korda ( cs, Jessica Kordová) (born February 27, 1993) is an Czech-American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour.
Amateur career
Korda was a member of the 2009 U.S. Junior Solheim Cup and the 2010 U.S. Curtis Cup teams. ...
, professional golfer
*
Nelly Korda, professional golfer
*
Michaëlla Krajicek
Michaëlla Krajicek ( cz, Michaela Krajíčková; born 9 January 1989) is a Dutch former tennis player. She won three singles and five doubles titles on the WTA Tour, as well as one WTA 125 doubles title, and 14 singles and 22 doubles titles on ...
, tennis player
*
Rick Lamb
Rick Lamb (born September 20, 1990) is an American professional golfer.
Lamb was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana. He played college golf at the University of Tennessee after transferring from Santa Clara University. At Tennessee, he won ...
, PGA golfer
*
Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer (born November 18, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Over his 25-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Moyer pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Boston ...
, baseball player
*
Maria Sharapova
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ( , ; rus, Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова, p=mɐˈrʲijə ʂɐˈrapəvə, a=Maria_sharapova.ogg; born 19 April 1987) is a Russian former List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 ...
, tennis player
*
Peter Warrick
Peter L. Warrick (born June 19, 1977) is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football at Florida State University, and was reco ...
, football player
References
External links
City of Bradenton
{{Authority control
Sarasota metropolitan area
Cities in Manatee County, Florida
County seats in Florida
Populated places on the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida
Populated places on Tampa Bay
Cities in Florida
Populated places established in 1842
1842 establishments in Florida Territory