BRADENTON, Fla. — Downtown Bradenton is growing fast — but pieces of the city's history, some more than a century old, are still standing.
Today, downtown Bradenton features a riverfront Riverwalk with public art, a spring-training and minor-league baseball park, and restaurants overlooking the marina. But the past is not completely gone.
Bradenton was officially settled in 1842, when people came for free land and beautiful beaches. Roads were difficult to build through thick palmettos, so boats were the main means of getting around.
“Wild South”
Local author Merab Favorite has written extensively about Bradenton's history. She said the early settlers were a hardy breed.
"I call it the wild South because it was just a lot of really crazy characters coming down here. You have to remember it's in the middle of the wilderness, so you'd have to be quite the adventurer to come down and try to settle," Favorite said.
Land was the draw. Under the Armed Occupation Act, settlers could claim 160 acres if they stayed for five years.
"Under the Armed Occupation Act, and it's got some depressing history behind it, but basically if you could have 160 acres if you could stay there for 5 years, which was difficult for people at the time," Favorite said.
At first, settlers lived in small, separate areas. Then, in the 1920s, they came together to build Bradenton into a larger city. Some of those original structures still stand today, including the Memorial Pier, the U.S. Post Office, and City Hall.
A ballpark with deep roots
LECOM Ball Park also holds significant history. The stadium dates back to 1923. General Manager Craig Warzecha said it holds a rare distinction.
"Only Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, which are probably the two most iconic ballparks in the country, are older," Warzecha said.
LECOM Ball Park is the third oldest ballpark in the country to host major league games. It has hosted several different teams over the years. The Pittsburgh Pirates arrived in 1969. The park even served as a military camp during World War II.
The Bradenton Nine Devils also called the park home.
"The Nine Devils were a Negro League team that was here in the 30s to the 50s," Warzecha said.
The league was able to find photos of the players and create commemorative baseball cards.
"We did a commemorative card set, 500 of any former players basically that we were able to find their photos and information about them," Warzecha said.
The minor league team also honors the Nine Devils by hosting a tribute night every year.
The name behind the city
Even the city's name has an interesting history. The settlement was named after Joseph Addison Braden, who built a two-story mansion on his sugar plantation. Today, only a few ruins remain of the home. It is listed as a historic destination and known as Braden Castle.
The first official name came in 1878 — Braiden-town, spelled with an "I" due to a spelling error. The mistake was not corrected until 1903. It was not until 1924 that the name was officially changed to Bradenton.
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