American English

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 this web site.

Clearwater played a significant role in the fight for freedom during the Second World War. With the world in conflict, the community turned from a sunny vacation spot into a major contributor to the U.S. defense effort.

In 1938, Adolf Hitler’s troops marched into Austria, annexing that nation as yet another step in the Nazi master plan to take over Europe.

In March 1939, the Spanish Civil War ended, with Francisco Franco’s Nazi-assisted forces triumphing in a three-year bloodbath that claimed roughly 1 million lives.

In the waning months of that year, Clearwater watched as the fighting in Europe escalated. The United States struggled to find peace or at least to remain free from the conflict that threatened to inundate the globe.