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WWII Marine Corps amphibious vehicle was developed in Dunedin

Donald Roebling didn’t have to work, and he could trace that very good fortune all the way back to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Roebling’s great-grandfather, John Roebling, was the original chief engineer for the Brooklyn Bridge project, the construction of which began in 1870. But John Roebling was injured at the construction site and had to turn his chief engineer duties over to his son, Washington Roebling. John Roebling died of an infection related to his injury before the bridge opened to traffic in 1883.

Which leads us back to Washington Roebling’s grandson, Donald.

In the 1930s, Donald Roebling was living a comfortable life in Clearwater, Fla., where he had build an impressive estate on the shore of the Intercoastal Waterway. Then in his 30s, Donald didn’t need to work, but he did share his grandfather’s and great-grandfather’s interest in mathematics and engineering.

In the late 1920s and earely 1930s, three powerful hurricanes struck Florida. Many people were injured and killed, and many other were left stranded for days and weeks because there was simply no way to reach them through the wreckage and the flooded ground. Donald Roebling read about all the hurricane-related carnage and decided to do something about it.

He had a modern, well-equipped machine shop built on the grounds of his estate; he hired a staff of workers; and he set about designing a vehicle that could travel on land was well as through water. Such a vehicle, he thought, could make it through deep water and over blow-downs, and could be used to rescue people should another hurricane come ashore in Florida.

The result was an ungainly-looking two-tracked vehicle with a large open compartment that could hold people or equipment. Roebling called it the “Alligator.”

Roebling thought the Alligator would make a dandy military vehicle, and he tried to sell that idea to the U.S. Government. Try as he might, however, he could not get anyone to listen to his story.

Finally, however, he did get a Life Magazine reporter to write about the Alligator, and that got things rolling.  Marine Corps officials saw the article and kicked the Life clipping up the ladder.  Before long, Marine Corps officials were in Clearwater, looking closely at Roebling’s creation.

They liked the Alligator and thought it would be great for transporting troops from ships onto beaches and then back again. The trouble was that the Marine Corps didn’t have any money that could be spent on research and development of equipment. That didn’t really bother the wealthy Roebling, however; he agreed to do the research at his own expense, and turn out a new version of the Alligator that might make a better application for military use.

Within a few months, Roebling’s newer design was approved, and Alligators were being manufactured in Lakeland for the Marine Corps. Not long afterwards, four factories were turning out thousands of the amphibious machines, which saw much action at Guadacanal and throughout the South Pacific during World War II. The machines also were used in Korea and Vietnam, and the modern military amphibious vehicle in use today trace their lineage directly back to Roebling’s original 1930s design.

Plaque commemorating the testing of Roebling's "Alligator"

Roebling never made any money from his invention, although he could have.  He turned the invention over to the government, refused all commissions and payments, and said he wanted the Alligator to be his contribution to the war effort. He received a number of commendations and awards for his invention, and was even personally decorated by President Truman after the war was over.

What does all this have to do with modern-day North Pinellas County and real estate?

There is a very nice older waterfront subdivision in Dunedin called Harbor View. It was in that area, just north of Cedar Creek, where Roebling and the U.S. Marine Corps tested Roebling’s machine starting in August of 1941.

The months spent testing the Alligator in that area of water, beach and woods is what perfected the machine and allowed it to make such a contribution during World War II, ferrying Marines into battle and carrying wounded Marines back to their ships.

The Marine Corps League and the Dunedin Historical Society have erected a small plaque at the entrance to Harbor View:

“TRAINING AREA FOR THE U.S. MARINE CORPS

AMPHIBIAN TRACTOR (ALLIGATOR)”

“In this area between Curlew and Cedar Creek, along

St. Joseph Sound during the month of August 1941,

the first Alligator, which was designed by

Donald Roebling and built in Dunedin,

was received and launched by elements

of the U.S. Marine Corps

Fourth Amphibian Tractor Battalions.”

Tags: Alligator, amphibious, Dunedin, harbor view, Roebling, world war two

Fourth of July in Dunedin and Palm Harbor

People everywhere have their own favorite ways of celebrating the Fourth of July, just as they have special ways of observing every holiday. In Tampa Bay, we have parades and cookouts and fireworks displays like everywhere else, but people around here love to celebrate just about everything by getting on (or near) the water.

We spent a little time this morning poking around some of the favorite beach spots in Palm Harbor and Dunedin, just to see what people were doing.  Sure enough, the beachs were jammed with people, and the nearby waters were loaded with watercraft of all kinds.

Most of these picture were taken on the Dunedin Causeway, which runs from the mainland out to Honeymoon Island. There’s also a ferry that runs from Honeymoon Island out to Caladesi Island, which we wrote about recently as being the nation’s very best beach, at least in the opinion of at least one person who makes such nominations.

We also took a picture of what we believe is the largest American flag in all of Pinellas County — it flies over an auto dealership on US19. If you know of a flag bigger than this one, which is supposed to be just a little bit smaller than the size of a tennis court, we hope you will let us know.

We hope you are having a great Fourth of July, wherever you may be.

Flags at the entrance to Harbor View subdivision, Dunedin

Tags: Dunedin, fourth of july, Palm Harbor

Kelly’s: fun dining in Dunedin

Kelly's Restaurant, Dunedin

We had dinner on Sunday night at Kelly’s on Main Street in Dunedin.

We don’t go there that often, mostly because when we eat in downtown Dunedin we often end up across the street at Cafe Alfresco. But Kelly’s has good food as well as a certain avant garde attitude that’s fun.

When we first lived here Kelly’s had a pretty ordinary outside dining area in back. Now, that area has been re-designed and enlarged, and there’s plenty of room for entertainment and for a very active bar area off to one side. When we were there, a few people were eating inside and many more were out back, eating and drinking and listening to live music.

Also, the owners of Kelly’s have acquired and developed the next-door Chic-A-Boom Room, a cocktail bar, as well as Blur one door down, a night club.

Kelly’s puts on a very good breakfast, and many people head there on the weekends for eggs benedict and other breakfast goodies. If you go, get there early, or you will have to wait for a seat.

Kelly’s puts a premium on fun. There’s a manniquin near the front door (named Peggy Sue) who greets diners as they enter, and the tables feature unique salt-and-pepper shakers as well as wildly different coffee mugs.

Kelly’s fits nicely into the old Our Town style of Dunedin’s downtown, but at the same time it sports a kitschy bit of new wave color. It’s hip and fun, and the food is great.  Don’t miss it.

Tags: dining, Dunedin, real estate

Caladesi Island in Dunedin is US’s best beach

Caladesi Island beach

What’s the best beach in all of the US? According to Dr. Beach, who rates America’s beaches every year, it is none other than Caladesi Island, right here in lovely Dunedin, Florida.

What makes the beach at Caladesi Island the best bit of Dunedin real estate there is? For one thing, it is the limited accessibility and the total lack of auto traffic.  Caladesi Island is a mile off the Dunedin coast and is reachable only by private boat or by a ferry, the Caladesi Connection,  which runs from Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin.

Only a limited number of people are allowed on the island, and pets are not allowed on the ferry.

But once you are there, there’s plenty to see and do. A mangrove-covered kayak trail winds from the marina three miles to St. Joseph Sound, and kayaks are available for rent. Wildlife that range from gopher tortoises to ospreys can be spotted. Dr. Beach also loves the powdery white sand and the crystal clear Gulf of Mexico water.

The ferry will set you back $10 per person, $6 for kids between the ages of 4 and 12. If you miss the ferry, don’t worry — it will be back in an hour. Once you are on the island, you have four hours to swim, sunbathe, hike  or do a little beachcombing before you must return to the ferry for the return trip.

Picnic tables and shelters are available, and you can rent picnic pavilions. If you bring your own boat, a marina offers electric and water hookups. If you forgot your picnic basket, don’t worry – a snack bar/gift shop, Cafe Caladesi, is nearby.

By the way, Dr. Beach is really Dr. Stephen Leatherman, director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research. He has selected the annual Top 10 Beaches in the country since 1991.

Tags: beaches, caladesi, Dunedin, dunedin real estate

The Pinellas Trail

The Pinellas Trail

I’ve written about the Pinellas Trail before. It’s a great recreational asset in Pinellas County that runs all the way from the northern tip of Pinellas County in Tarpon Springs to the southern tip in St. Pete. 

The trail was originally a railroad line that fell into disuse. Rather than just let the right-of-way decay from disuse, the county developed it into a well-kept walking and biking trail that is heavily used and enjoyed.

I have a friend who had let his weight get up close to 400 pounds before he did something about it. He lives in Dunedin, and his weight loss program involved exercising on the trail. Now he weights about 275, and he bikes from Dunedin all the way up to Tarpon Springs and back — every day.

The trail goes right through downtown Dunedin and is one of the assets that makes Dunedin’s downtown area such a pleasure. Also, there are little micro-businesses there and elsewhere along the trail — bicycle rental shops, ice cream shops and so forth.

This sign is on the trail in Dunedin, right where the trail crosses Main Street. There’s another one just like it near downtown Palm Harbor, and probably others along the trail as well.

Tags: Dunedin, pinellas trail

Lamp posts in Dunedin

Lamp post in Dunedin

 Ever since we put up this blog, with the newsboy standing under the lamp post, I’ve become a little more aware of lamp posts in North Pinellas County. Old-style lamp posts aren’t all that common, but I did notice that downtown Dunedin has some really dandy examples — I guess when they did over the downtown area, they were careful to add some nice old-style touches, and antique-looking lamp posts were among them.

I noticed this one on Main Street the other night. I’m not sure if you can read it, but the sign says “Dunedin — Best Walking Town in America.” I wonder if that was an actual award the city received. I’ll try to find out — if I do, I’ll post the answer here. If you already know the answer, post a comment and share it.

Tags: Dunedin, lamp post downtown

Dunedin wall art

Wall art in downtown Dunedin

I’ve always liked wall art — the pictures and paintings and advertisements you see painted on the sides of buildings.  I especially like the real old ones that are sometimes so faded you can barely make them out. Sometimes when you drive through an old town you will see what’s left of an ad for some brand of flour or tobacco, or perhaps some local saddlery that’s long gone.

There are some efforts at more modern wall art, and I like those, too. I’ve been noticing an example down in Dunedin, and I finally remembered to take a picture of it last night.

I’ll be looking for other local examples of wall art to post on the blog. Do you know of any? If so, leave a post and tell me where it is — I’ll go take a picture of it.

Tags: Dunedin

Dunedin hosts annual Highland Games

The city of Dunedin doesn’t just have a Scottish name; it also has a very rich Scottish heritage that local people hold dear.

During the first weekend in April, the city hosts the annual Highland Games and Spring Clan Gathering, a celebration that includes all kinds of Scottish athletic events, sheep herding demonstrations and vendors selling all things Scottish, from scarves to kilts to books.

This year’s celebration was held this weekend at Highlander Park, and we spent most of Saturday afternoon watching the pipers, the dancers and the people dressed in the tartans of their various clans.

Here’s a little of the history; Dunedin was settled in 1899 by two Scots, J.O. Douglas and James Sumerville. They wanted to name the town after their home town in Scotland, Edinburgh. Dunedin was the original name of Edinburgh.

There has been a piper’s band at the local high school since the 1950s, and they have been invited to play all over the world. Dunedin is a sister city to Stirling, Scotland, as well as to Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

The Highland Games have been held in Dunedin for the past 44 years. They were established to support Dunedin’s three Scottish bands, the City of Dunedin Pipe Band, the Dunedin High School Scottish Highlanders Band, and the Dunedin Highland Middle School Band.

Tags: clan, Dunedin, Highland Games, scottish

Dunedin’s old-fashioned Christmas

The town of Dunedin has been spending a lot of time planning its Old Fashioned Christmas celebration, and it came together tonight with lots of music, decorations, magic tricks, food, hayrides powered by real Belgian draft horses and even real snow floating down from overhead traffic lights.
It was a great time, and hundreds of people turned out to take part.
We were going to try to take in the boat parade, but we never made it as far as the pier. We spent several hours walking around, taking in the sights, visiting the well-decorated shops and having a

light meal at Sea Sea Rider’s Restaurant.

Dunedin doesn’t mind blocking off the main street in the downtown area, and that’s what they did. They set up an area for face-painting for kids and another area for other crafts for kids. They had

a little gasoline-powered train that the kids seemed to love, and most of the downtown stores were open and highly decorated.

Of course, Santa Claus was there, too. When we went by he seemed to be having a little beard problem that required the assistance of Mrs. Claus.

All in all, a great night. It’s one of the many events that takes place during the year, and really makes Dunedin a wonderful place to live.

Tags: christmas, Dunedin

Dunedin’s green market

 Having spent some time at the Clearwater Farmer’s Market on the day before Thanksgiving, I was fired up to seek out some other farmer’s markets in the area. I knew that Dunedin had an outside market as well, so I went on the internet to see if I could find it.

At first I didn’t have much luck. Turns out they don’t call it a farmer’s market in Dunedin – instead, they call it the Dunedin Green Market. Okay, fine.

Actually, that makes some sense because these markets usually have a great deal to offer beyond farmer’s produce. The Clearwater market had a photographer showing his prints as well as the waffle people I wrote about a couple of posts ago. Dunedin, as it turns out, has quite a lot of diversity as well – a British piemaker, a hemp products seller, a hot sauce booth, a bakery and a number of others.

So I had an enjoyable time here, too, and I even bought a couple of blueberry muffins to take home.

The Dunedin Green Market happens on Fridays in Pioneer Park (downtown) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It runs from October through April 24. So I had an enjoyable time here, too, and I even bought a couple of blueberry muffins to take home.

Tags: Dunedin, farmer's market