863-04 Land Use Amendment for Jeter Property

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r OR BK 5910 PG 1459 12 of 25 • • Nebraskan,who came to the area in 1911. The newspaper reported on news in the small colony and promoted the community through photographs,maps, and first-hand accounts. Clear title to the land was given to the Zephyrhills Colony Company on October 24, 1910 and a big land sale planned for December. Tents were erected throughout the city during this period. These types of temporary housing provided shelter for the occupants while the permanent home was being built. One"tent"was described as having a cement floor and wood walls. Old settlers began welcoming the newcomers and promoting the city. "The Friendly City" designation was added to the"Pure Water City." St. Cloud, the first veterans colony, supplied many residents to Zephyrhills who had disliked the sulphur water and were attracted to Zephyrhills, due in part to the advertisement of the pure water. Lake Zephyr was a big draw for would-be residents. Known as"the picnic grounds", the lake was used in the advertising sheets and, due to the overwhelming number of veterans settling in the community,patriotic occasions were held at Zephyr Lake. The colony grew rapidly during this early period, which necessitated the opening of a cemetery. Its first burial,David Garrick,was in 1910. A school building was opened in 1910 at the corner of 7th Avenue and 6th Street. Businesses opened,beautification efforts were underway, and recreation thrived in the new colony. The first light plant was housed at 7th Street and Sixth Avenue with an ice plant added later. Buildings erected on 5th Avenue were wood frame as was typical of most buildings along the main streets in town. These commercial structures were usually characterized by false front parapets, two-stories, clapboard siding, and sometimes with front porches over the boardwalks. The Storm's Building housed a bakery on the first floor and living quarters on the second floor. The Peterson Building had a jewelers shop on the first and also had living quarters on the second. The GAR Hall,built in 1910, housed the Garfield Post, the social organization for the veterans of the Union army. This hall continued to serve the veterans, their families, and the community at large,throughout the entire period of significance(and continues today). Dances, city commission meetings, silent movies,voting, and,other events took place inside the building throughout the twentieth century. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s,military activity dominated the social life of the community. Many of the leaders of the Grand Army Department of Florida, including Captain Jeffries,lived in Zephyrhills. As a result, state encampments were held in Zephyrhills yearly providing a boost for businesses in the area and serving as an advertisement for settlement to other veterans across the state. Due to the influx of visitors and prospective buyers,the Hotel Zephyr was constructed in 1913 at a cost of$25,000. Soon after the GAR Hall was built, the Zephyrhills Library Association was formed. Recreation thrived in the new colony with the organization of a baseball team and a bandstand was erected at 5th Avenue and 7th Street. A basketball clay court was situated just north of the band stand and a park was located on land that would later be used for shuffleboard courts. This park,known as Depot Park, was purportedly designed by"a famous New York City gardener." This park was later replaced by the shuffleboard courts in 1932. By 1911,the town's population was 300. That same year, The Zephyrhills Colonist reported that"70 houses have been built in 70 days." The State Bank of Zephyrhills was established in 1912. The local women's civic organization,which would later become the Women's Club planted shade trees along the middle of 5th Avenue. An intention to incorporate the city was published in 1914 and a meeting held at the GAR Hall. With George Gibson as chair, sixty-five people voted for incorporation and 12 against. The name Zephyrhills had been used since 1910 and the depot's name had been changed in 1911. The name Zephyrhills was confirmed with the proposed seal depicting a sun on the horizon and a little girl with hair streaming as if fanned by a zephyr. Local lore as reported in the Zephyrhills News in 1949 stated that, ...one day when Captain Jeffries was showing the countryside to a group of prospective residents,they drove to the top of LeHeup Hill,with its beautiful view and its gentle breeze, and at once the combination impressed the Captain and he knew that his new colony should bear that fascinating name. 6