Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1925-11-19
St. Petersburg
Is Evanston In
Florida Setting

4 tUk lUA 0St1tst5
st. Petersburg, Fla. This city is
cross section of the comfortable
''home folks" life OF the middle
west. Its growth during the great
Florida migration has been large
and substantial, but it has escaped
the feverishness Of the east coast
cities on the other side of the win
ter sunshine peninsula.
1t was discovered, founded and
largely settled by folks from Michi-
gan, Indiana and Illinois Forty
years or so ago Gen. John c. Will
liams OF Detroit founded the town
with the aid OF Peter Demens,
president of the Orange Belt rail
road, a Russian, whence its name
In the last fifteen years northern
people have been coming here in
increasing numbers. AS they
went back they spread the news
about the spot they had found, and
the next winter their friends came
also.
All Strata Represented
Retired capitalists and fruit
raisers and cattlemen and farmers
from the north and others Of mod
crate incomes who can afford
winter below the blizzard line,
seem to predominant. Here Kan
sas pitches horseshoes in shirt
sleeves in January, Michigan bowls
on the bowling green's, and 1ndi-
ana plays checkers in the shade of
the bewhiskered live oaks, while
| Illinois makes carom shots on the
rogue courts.
Is the town growing? In 1910
it's population was 1000; in 1920 it
was $4,000; today it has more than
10000 permanent residents. 1t
was one of the first to benefit from
] the movement southwark, for in
1928 it had 10000, and this was be
fore the present Florida boom got
fairly started. In the last two
years it has increased at least one
third in residents, while its win
ter tourist population has grown
beyond the 125,0O0 mark
It's a great city for sunshine,
friendliness and hospitality. 1t
| has the only newspaper in the
world which gives aYas it's entire
circulation any day the sun fails to
shine before the time of going to
press. In Is years there have
been only 50 free, issues, meaning
less than six sunless days year.
Feverish Speculation Absent
So far the feyerish speculation
that characterizes the land move
ment in some other parts of the
state has not struck st. Petersburg
Land and ground prices have risen
doubled, trebfiled, and even gone
higher-but the binder boys have
not struck the town. One author
ity in close touch says that of the
real estate transfers in the bust
:, 80, l:,,4,,;o4 ,Y,I,aro Yho bio,bpcf low
els have been reached at least So
per cent are between old establish
ed trades people. Which is OF
great significance as denoting the
substantial nature of the increase.
The assessed valuation of the SIS
square miles of land in the city in
1910 was only $15,000,000. Last
year it was $6S,o00,O0O This year
it is $1O6,00O,0 900.
In two years the bank deposits
and resources have more than
doubled. Now deposits are $780,
geo 600 and resources are given as
$34 ,000,0U0.
Everywhere They Are Building
The physical growth of the town
is impressive. New buildings
are rented before completion. An
eleven story Office building has
waiting list, although unfinished
Half dozen new hotels are leap
ing up for the winter trade, one of
them a 100000 structure. Ev-
erywhere they are building.
The building permits indicate
the pace. In 1922 they were run
ming about $4,0O0,OOO year. In
1924 they jumped to $9,553,0O0. For
the first ten months this year they
have been $17,000,O0O. and st. Pet
ersburg stands seventh in the en-
tire south. Last month alone
they were more than $3,000,000 and
a survey shows that most of the
permits are for moderately priced
homes.
Here's an indication Of solidity:
The United Cigar Stores company,