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.

Since the late 1880s Clearwater has been known as a superlative host for people who come from all over the world to partake in its beautiful weather, enviable beaches and healthy air. At perhaps no time was this more evident than during the dark years of the Second World War.

Starting in 1942, before being shipped either to the European theater or the expanse of the South Pacific, soldiers from all over the United States came to Clearwater to ready themselves for the rigors of battle.

Though the war cast a dark pall over the world, and the soldiers who came to our city lived in the uncertainty of whether they would ever see their loved ones again, the citizens of Clearwater were bound and determined that the nation’s fighting men would enjoy their stay in the Springtime City.