Sanders explains that Carlouel “was derived from the first names of the wives of the founders—[Car]olyn Hobart, [Lou]ise Palmer and [El]eanor Randolph.”

Eleanor’s husband, Paul Randolph, was responsible for development at the north end of Clearwater Beach. He owned Paul Randolph Real Estate, a downtown landmark for years at the southwest corner of Cleveland Street and Fort Harrison Avenue.

Through the relatively lean years, the area maintained its charm. Clearwater Beach still staged its beauty contests, satisfied happy customers at the old Palm Pavilion, and hosted crowds at the yearly regatta. Barnstorming pilots landed constantly and colorfully at Clearwater airport.

As Hampton Dunn pointed out in his book, Yesterday’s Clearwater, “One of the ways to forget the blues of the Depression years was to go to the inviting Clearwater Beach and play around the old Palm Pavilion.... Swimming was then followed by a visit to Joyland, the large domed building that featured slides off its high roof.”

From the Belleview Hotel, guests could take the hotel yacht on an excursion to Sand Key, then swim in the Gulf of Mexico. You could also travel to the West Coast Jockey Club to watch the ponies run. A 39-day racing schedule was inaugurated there in the mid-1930s, the first horse racing on Florida’s West Coast in 17 years.

In the 1930s, Clearwater proved it could not only survive adversity but could expand. While the country struggled through hard times, Clearwater worked and converted that effort into steady growth.