1846 - Jan. 5:  The board members, the lost book of 1845, pay and taxes

The first meeting (for which records still exist) of the Hillsborough County Commissioners was held.  The board consisted of William Hancock, M.C. Brown, Benjamin Moody, Simon Turman, and James A. Goff (not present). Simon Turman was Judge of Probate and President of the Board.  At this meeting, a small record book of the previous year's proceedings was turned over to the board by Manuel Avilla, former Clerk of the County Court.  This book has never been found.  Also at this meeting, pay was established for the board at $2 per day while in session.  The county tax for 1846 was established at 50% of the amount assessed for the State.  S.L. Sparkman was the tax assessor and John Parker the tax collector.

At this meeting, Thomas P. Kennedy was the Treasurer of the County and reported the balance to be $267.63. The commissioners were appointed to "superintend the building of a court house and other public buildings in the Village of Tampa" and instructed to "select the spot of ground for the said public buildings, make a plan to start the building and finish them as soon as practicable taking into consideration the funds on hand..."

THOMAS PUGH KENNEDY - Tampa City Council member January 1849 – October 1850 M.G. Sikes, President Jesse Carter Thomas Pugh Kennedy Culbreath A. Ramsey William Ross   Born in Philadelphia on December 12, 1812, Thomas Pugh Kennedy moved to St. Augustine in 1828. He came to Fort Brooke in December of 1840 as a deputy U.S. Marshal. In 1843, he established a store at Tampa and Whiting Streets and traded with the Seminoles. Photo and info from The City Council of Tampa, etc.

At the end of the First Seminole War, he purchased a schooner and engaged in trade with Central and South America. He served as Fort Brooke's Indian agent and was elected as the first Hillsborough County Treasurer in 1845 and took office in January of 1846. In 1848, he opened the Kennedy & Darling General Store, once the largest such store in South Florida, with future council member John Darling. He died in 1858.

 

At this meeting, Thomas Piper was granted "the privilege of establishing a ferry across the Hillsborough River at Tampa."  The grant was to last four years and he was to pay five dollars per year for the last three years.  The ferry fees were fixed at five cents per man and proportionately higher for vehicles. A road was authorized to be extended as well.

CARTER SELLS HIS LAND, THE HAYDENS ARRIVE

In 1860, perhaps due to the imminent secession of Florida from the Union and Civil War looming, Jesse Carter put up for sale his 800 acres of land in Hillsborough Co. and 250 acres in Hernando Co. as well as his improved land 3½ miles north of Tampa and the land on which he currently resided, on the west bank of the Hillsborough River, opposite the City of Tampa.

The Haydens came to Tampa in 1866 and soon thereafter Jesse J. Hayden bought some of Carter's land where the school was located and filed a homestead claim for the adjoining 60 acres. In those years, the area was known as Spanishtown Creek. This was before Obadiah Platt purchased land here and created Hyde Park.

Jesse's granddaughter Marion A. McKay was born in the school Oct. 8, 1875. In 1886 Henry B. Plant bought the property for his hotel. He saved the School and it was used as an apothecary shop by Dr. J. M. Grantham. In 1905 the Hotel was sold to the City of Tampa. The School was presented to the DeSoto Chapter DAR in 1931 by Mayor D. B. McKay and City Representatives. Jesse and Susan’s daughter Mattie married Donald S. MacKay, son of sea captain James McKay, Sr., and later uncle of Tampa mayor D.B. McKay. The Jacksons and the Haydens were among the prominent families of Old Tampa, and along with the Haskins, owned most of what would later become Hyde Park. The Haskins family, however, sold their land before Hyde Park was developed because of the inconvenience of crossing the river with children. H. B. Plant later bought fifteen acres on the west side of the Hillsborough River from the Hayden family and in July 1888, the Tampa Bay Hotel’s cornerstone was laid.

The 1882 land ownership map below, from the Library of Congress, has been enhanced with color to show (yellow) Jesse Hayden's property where he operated his ferry.  The map was drawn showing "Ferry" at that location.

Further north can be seen where Matthew Hooper operated his ferry from the west bank of the river.  Madam Fortune Taylor owned the land on the other side, and this later became the site of Fortune Street and the bridge, now named the Fortune Taylor bridge in her honor.

In March 1885, the Tampa town council chartered Hayden’s ferry crossing on the river at Jackson Street, stipulating that "the lessee of any such ferry shall keep a good ferry, flat, capable of ferrying over safely a six-mule team and a wagon loaded with not more than 5,000 pounds weight, stock animals, and goods across the Hillsborough, and two good skiff boats for crossing foot-passengers...He shall put across all persons and their property at any hour of day or night...After 9 o'clock P.M. he may charge double ferriage." Hayden had the right to operate a ferry, but Tampa reserved the right to build a bridge across the river, free or otherwise. The town was growing. Soon after the railroad arrived, public and private interest in a bridge increased.  The completion of the first Lafayette St. bridge in 1889 would soon put an end to Hayden's ferry service.

Below, an idealized etching of the same view.  In both images can be seen the undeveloped area of Spanishtown Creek on the right that would become Hyde Park.  The Platt St. bridge would be built in 1926.  On the horizon can be seen the mouth of the Hillsborough River with the two grassy islands in the bay at far left.  In 1925, dredging of these channels would fill them in and become Davis Islands.
 

State Archives of Florida Memory collection 

State Archives of Florida Memory collection