Before the Florida Orchestra formed in 1966, there were two Tampa Bay area orchestras: the Tampa Philharmonic and the St. Petersburg Symphony.

Talks of a merger had started a few years before, and that year representatives from both organizations met in a boat at the center of the bay for a “marriage” ceremony signaling their intent to form one orchestra. The Florida Gulf Coast Symphony’s first season opened Nov. 14, 1968.

The orchestra was renamed in the ’80s, and today is led by Music Director Michael Francis. The orchestra will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, starting in September.

– Keeley LaForme, B2 Communications

The recent housing boom in Riverview is not the area’s first boom. The area southeast of Tampa was a hot spot for phosphate mining in the mid-1880s.

The first phosphate mining company was the Peruvian Mining Company, named for the town of Peru on the Alafia River’s south bank. However, the town of Riverview on the north bank was more popular because the river could only be crossed by ferry.

A wooden bridge was built in 1900 to connect the two towns. Over time, people called the area Riverview. Today, the community spans both banks of the Alafia River.

– Olivia Kresic, B2 Communications

Twenty-five years ago, when The Florida Holocaust Museum opened its first exhibit “Anne Frank in the World,” it drew 24,000 visitors in its first month.

The museum, orginally named Tampa Bay Holocaust Memorial Museum and Education Center, quickly outgrew its space in Madeira Beach. It relocated to a larger building in downtown St. Petersburg in 1998.

Today the museum’s new name better reflects its beyond-the-bay impact. It educates students, trains teachers and reaches communities across Florida and the nation with its educational resources that use lessons of the past to create a better future for all.

– Keeley LaForme, B2 Communications

In the early days, Ybor City’s chickens were merely a food source for residents.

Today, they’re local characters that can be seen strutting in and out of local businesses and restaurants.

They number at more than 200, and their loud crowing and messes can make them a nuisance for some.

But they’re celebrated by many, and protected by city law. There’s even an annual Rooster Parade in February, which began when a pet rooster was killed by a dog in 1997. The mock “wake” has morphed into a New Orleans-style processional with people in costume and chicken celebrations galore.

– Alina Hall, B2 Communications

Tampa played an important role in the Spanish-American War and the fight for Cuban independence.

The U.S. government used the city to house troops because of its ideal location relatively close to Cuba. Thousands of soldiers lived in tents in West Tampa and Tampa Heights, while high-ranking officers stayed at the Tampa Bay Hotel, now the University of Tampa’s Plant Hall. The surge of troops, journalists and tourists helped Tampa in its rise to prominence.

Today, artifacts from the Spanish-American War can be found in places like Fort De Soto and the Henry B. Plant Museum.

– Alina Hall, B2 Communications

Roser Park is one of St. Petersburg’s oldest parks, and the neighborhood around it formed the city’s first historic district.

Charles Martin Roser, an Ohioan who moved to St. Petersburg with his wife Ruth, donated the property for the park to the City of St. Petersburg in 1917. Roser is believed to have created the recipe for the Fig Newton before he developed the Roser Park District in the early 1900s.

Today, the park, located just south of downtown, serves as an outdoor museum. Twenty-eight markers describing the neighborhood’s history dot its brick streets and original hexagon sidewalk pavers.

– Keeley LaForme, B2 Communications

A former firehouse on a creek now offers a full spectrum of arts, education and culture to south Hillsborough County. The Firehouse Cultural Center sits on land donated by the Ruskin Commongood Society, which was heavily influenced by the writings and philosophy of John Ruskin, a British art critic, social thinker and poet.

The Center carries on John Ruskin’s legacy and offers free community classes covering topics such as theatre, gardening and technology that were not previously available in the area. Donations raised will help low-income and military families to attend these programs, while also funding summer camp scholarships.

– Katie Wilcox, B2 Communications

The Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club has drawn many well-to-do snowbirds, baseball stars and celebrities who have marveled at its impressive architecture and lavish atmosphere.

What you might not know about the beloved St. Petersburg landmark is how it got its start.

In 1923, businessman Aymer Vinoy Laughner was hosting famed golfer Walter Hagen at his home on St. Petersburg’s Beach Drive. Hagen boasted he could hit several golf balls off of Laughner’s watch without breaking the crystal. Laughner said he would build a hotel if Hagen did.

The Vinoy opened two years later, on New Year’s Eve.

– Katie Wilcox, B2 Communications

On the University of Tampa campus, in the south wing of the former Tampa Bay Hotel, is a museum that will transport you back to the elegance of the Victorian era.

The namesake of the Plant Museum, Henry B. Plant, amassed his fortune with railroads and steamboats. The hotel was his crown jewel, operating from 1891-1932 and hosting many famous guests, from Babe Ruth to the Queen of England.

After its closure, the City of Tampa leased the property for what would become the university. Today, the museum offers a glimpse of a more elegant time and Tampa’s beginnings.

– Alana Siceloff, B2 Communications

Tampa will dye the Hillsborough River green for the Mayor’s River O’Green Fest on Saturday, March 18. As with most St. Patrick’s Day traditions, the practice actually started in America. Chicago, to be exact.

In 1962, the Butler and Rowan families dyed the Chicago River green and started an annual tradition that spread across the United States. Now major cities like Indianapolis and Savannah join them. Even the White House has dyed its fountains green, an homage to former President Obama’s hometown of Chicago.

Admission to Tampa’s event is free. Festivities include music, games and local restaurants serving Irish fare.

– Katie Wilcox, B2 Communications

What does one do if she’s new to the ‘Burg and wants to meet new people? She joins St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club. No, I’m not 80. Shuffleboard is a fun pastime for all ages, but especially young professionals.

Founded in 1924, St. Pete has the world’s oldest and largest shuffleboard club. It’s credited with standardizing the sport in 1928, but the real history is about people creating a community.

In 2005, artists and preservationists rejuvenated the club and started hosting free and lively Friday games from 7-11 p.m. Volunteers welcome first-timers who are learning or making friends.

– Laura Fontanills, B2 Communications

The city of St. Petersburg is rich in significance for February’s Black History Month.

African-Americans built the railroad that helped make the city what it is today. Many workers stayed, creating a vibrant black community. At its peak around 1960, more than 100 black-owned or operated businesses served the community.

On 22nd Street South, the iconic Manhattan Casino hosted greats like James Brown, Louis Armstrong and Ray Charles when racial segregation prevented them from playing elsewhere.

Learn more about the city’s history by taking one of two Heritage Walking Trails or visiting the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Museum.

– Katie Wilcox, B2 Communications

Five civic-minded men had a vision of preserving and enhancing Tampa’s rich Latin heritage. Dr. Henry J. Fernandez, Cesar Gonzmart, Joseph R. Lopez, Daniel F. Martinez and Joe C. Granda created one of Tampa’s most prolific krewes at Ybor’s old Las Novedades restaurant in 1970.

They started the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago, and the Krewe held its first coronation in 1973. Today, membership has grown to more than 250 members.

It’s more than the host of the Knight Parade. The Krewe has provided more than $2 million in scholarships to local students through its Education Foundation.

– Keeley LaForme, B2 Communications

In 1929, George S. Gandy, Jr., a young yachtsman from a prominent family, sailed from St. Petersburg to Havana to get away from the Great Depression and enjoy the Cuban capital’s lively atmosphere. While out on the town, he had the idea of uniting the two cities with a yacht race.

The 284-nautical mile race started at the St. Petersburg Pier and finished at Morro Castle in Havana Harbor. After nearly three decades, it was discontinued in 1959 when Fidel Castro came into power.

With US-Cuba relations improving, the race makes a much-celebrated return on Feb. 28.

– Katie Wilcox, B2 Communications

A new documentary about former Florida Gov. Farris Bryant chronicles the many contributions he made to the state that continue to impact residents today. Bryant was instrumental in building Florida’s highways and turnpike, expanding the university system and elevating the state’s profile as a tourist destination.

“Age of the Mind” also provides personal insights, including the crucial role his wife played in his success and how he worked his way through Harvard Law School waiting tables and typing legal briefs for 10 cents a page.

Bryant, one of the founders of Bryant Miller Olive, served as governor from 1961-65.

– Heather Urquides, B2 Communications

The Tampa Theatre, the beloved downtown community landmark, is wrapping up its 90th anniversary.

Designed by architect John Eberson with Mediterranean and European touches, it provided an unprecedented taste of opulence when it opened in 1926.

Things you might not know:

– Admission was initially 25 cents.

– The Mighty Wurlitzer originally accompanied silent films, but was given away when it became obsolete. The organ was rescued in the 1980s and is still played regularly.

– It was one of the first buildings in Tampa with air conditioning.

Step back in time Dec. 16 with a special screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

– Courtney Hart, B2 Communications

Tony Jannus made history on New Year’s Day in 1915 when he took off from St. Petersburg to Tampa with St. Petersburg Mayor Abe Phil in tow. It was the world’s first scheduled airline flight.

The roundtrip flight covered 18 miles in 23 minutes, which took 11 hours less than the trip by train. However, without a subsidy from St. Petersburg or steady income from tourist traffic, the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line closed after just three months.

Despite its short tenure, Jannus and his Airboat Line flight gave birth to the commercial airline industry as we know it today.

– Emily Brooks, B2 Communcations

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, immigrants from Spain, Cuba, Italy, Germany and other countries moved to Ybor City. The different immigrant groups formed mutual aid societies to address their social and economic challenges, and to provide essentials like medical care and burial services for members.

The buildings for the mutual aid societies remain, but their purpose has evolved over the years. For example, L’Unione Italiana now focuses on preserving Italian culture, traditions and heritage, offering social events, and memorializing the working class immigrants who shaped this region.

Visit Ybor City to see the majestic buildings that stand today.

– Missy MacFarlane, B2 Communications

Years before the pilgrims’ arrival at Plymouth Rock, the Native American tribe Tocobaga settled in the Bay area, which they called Pocotopaug (Clear Water).

Well-muscled and agile, the Tocobaga were much taller than the Spaniards who first documented them in 1567. The Tocobaga’s protein-rich diet relied heavily on seafood.

The tribe built mounds from oyster and clam shells within their villages as burial mounds, ceremonial mounds or trash dumps. Tocobaga’s capital is believed to have been in Safety Harbor, and it’s marked by a 20-foot mound. Visit it, along with a smaller burial mound, in Philippe Park.

– Emily Brooks, B2 Communications

Named “Best Beach for Families” by USA Today, Fort De Soto Park is a well-known retreat. But 100 years ago, life for U.S. Army troops stationed there was anything but a picnic.

Hordes of mosquitoes constantly swarmed, making it tough for the 125 troops to be outside. In 1908, the quartermaster described the men’s lives as tortuous, noting that “the mosquitoes have to be fought with a bush continuously whether at work or resting.”

Visit Battery Laidley to see the last four surviving carriage-mounted 12-inch seacoast mortars in the continental U.S. (Mosquito repellent is optional.)

– Emily Brooks, B2 Communications

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Kennedy. Americans named a state, a state capital, airports, counties and boulevards after them. But by an accident of historic timing, downtown Tampa’s streets are named after some of the least-known U.S. presidents.

Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Zack and Pierce streets were named for our ninth, tenth, 11th, 12th and 14th presidents – one-term and short-time presidents who held office between better-known Andrew Jackson and Abe Lincoln. A surveyor who mapped the streets named them in 1847.

It begs the question: Why are none named after our 13th president, the legendary Millard Fillmore?

– Mike Brassfield, The Tampa Bay 100