Scientology - Clearwater History

The many responses to Freedom magazine (published by the Church of Scientology) from local Clearwater residents show that our readers are interested in Clearwater and want to know more about it. Many residents expressed an interest in the colorful history of our city. Thus, Freedom magazine printed a multi-part series on the history of Clearwater, covering the discovery of what became known as Clear Water Harbor by early settlers through World War II. Because of the overwhelmingly popularity of that series, we are reprinting it in full on these web sites.


	With hotels filled to capacity, the Army Air Corps sometimes housed recruits in temporary “tent barracks” in St. Petersburg (top). Troops drilled in the streets of Clearwater and raised the Stars and Stripes daily in front of the Pinellas County Courthouse.

The boom was over in 1927. The Depression was two years away. But before that, Clearwater and other Pinellas cities had a heap of growing and living to do.

It was the 1st of January, 1942: Stalin’s Red Army recaptured Kaluga as the British Forces in North Africa pressed on for a final battle with Nazi General Erwin Rommel. President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met to coordinate strategies to counter the Axis worldwide.
In Pearl Harbor, battleships were still smoldering as Admiral Nimitz warned of possible Pacific Coast strikes by Japanese submarines. Soon an Axis sub sank a Brazilian ship off the coast of Virginia. And Emperor Hirohito’s troops began the conquest of the Philippines.
As the reality of the American commitment to winning the war dawned in this new year, in every city, every citizen dedicated themselves to this purpose, determined to defeat tyranny and defend his priceless freedom. America would not be caught off guard again.

Part One: The Beginnings Part Two: The Healthiest Spot on Earth Part Three: Clearwater Roars into the 1900s Part Four: The Good Old Days Part Five: The Gala Decade Part Six: Boom Days!	Part Seven: Hard Times Part Eight: The Road Back Part Nine: The Tides Of War Part Ten: Clearwater Pitches in Part Eleven: Local Citizens Welcomed Troops Bound for Combat
Supplement: Why Clearwater?