A Sense of Community

Through the Depression years, the people of Clearwater demonstrated their sense of community in various ways, including efforts to make sure that the less fortunate were not ignored.

As it is now, civic duty then was real to young and old alike. Residents staged teas and musicales in private homes to benefit facilities like the Katherine Payne Beach Home for Convalescent Children.

During the Christmas season, girls from the Clearwater YWCA collected donations of Mickey Mouse watches, electric trains and dolls for distribution to handicapped children in the area.

Clearwater citizens also demonstrated their interest in the arts with continued support of community cultural activities through this period.

The Francis Wilson Theater, for example, was constructed as a home for the local Little Theater. This was due in no small part to $5,000 donated by Mrs. Mary Bok so culture could continue as an integral part of Clearwater life. And so it did, as witnessed by performances in 1938 at the Francis Wilson Theater by Serge Borowsky’s group of French-Russian concert singers and other events.

Continued Growth

Following the boom of the 1920s, Clearwater’s population jumped 35 percent between 1930 and 1935. This expansion spawned even more construction, particularly on Clearwater Beach, which experienced another building surge.

Real estate prices were, of course, a far cry from today’s. One of the newest and most elegant houses on Mandalay Road cost $10,000 to build in 1938, while a stucco bungalow could be purchased for $4,000. A Gulf-front lot at Clearwater Beach was $1,000 and apartments in the area were available for $65 a month.