Clearwater Beach offers history you can enjoy

From its beginning Clearwater Beach was designed for the public to enjoy

Clearwater’s humble beginnings, like most Florida cities, was as a U.S. Army Fort. During the Seminole Wars, troops were stationed at Fort Harrison. The Fort was discovered, of all ways, when a Clearwater Beach resident unearthed an ammunition bunker while digging to put in a swimming pool almost 30 years ago.

Add to it infrastructure advancements that included a road connecting Tampa and Clearwater in 1849 and the first passenger railroad in 1888, the city of Clearwater was officially incorporated in 1891 and has been growing ever since.

It wasn’t until 1915 that Clearwater Beach, located as a barrier island to the west of the city, became fully operable. A bridge over Clearwater Harbor connected the two. Initially, the land around Clearwater Beach was given to Clearwater as a gift to be used for public purposes only. But, that has long been forgotten.

And, as they say, the rest is history.

Nearly 40 percent of the city of Clearwater is, well, water. With sunshine year round, Clearwater Beach has been a tourist favorite since that bridge was built. It is entertained royalty, Hollywood stars and families alike.

Centrally located on Clearwater Beach, The Beachview Inn is steps away from the beautiful and legendary Gulf of Mexico. As the ninth-largest body of water in the world, the Gulf of Mexico is a playground. Activities include beautiful sunsets along the pier, parasailing, swimming with dolphins, scuba diving, snorkeling and much, much more.

Clearwater Beach has been awarded some prestigious honors for its beauty. It has boasted titles such as Best City Beach, one of America’s Top Family Beaches, one of the best beaches from Maine to Hawaii to name a few.