This article presents one of the few extant drawing of the original Tampa Beach Development which was the seed idea for Apollo Beach. Paul Dickman had owned the land and had long dreamed of creating a new town, which he called Tampa Beach. In 1954, he sold the land to a Fort Lauderdale development group, Turner, Dean and Clark for $10 million. These developers platted the town of Tampa Beach and began construction, which would take full advantage of the new Cross Bay Causeway (pictured) which was never built. The developers began a dredge and fill effort to create the town and began construction of the Flamingo Canal. They also offered 500 acres to the State of Florida to locate a new University (University of South Florida) but the government chose its current location north of Tampa, instead. The development company ran out of capital and did not accomplish much. The land reverted to Paul Dickman who late sold the land to the Corr family who ultimately were the developers of Apollo Beach

The Ruskin Woman's Club wrote this short dedication to honor Esther Cralle Dickman, wife of Paul B. Dickman and placed it in their 1983-84 Woman's Club Phone Directory.

Officieal appointment notice of Lyle Dickman's appointment to the state Soil Conservation Board. Dated. June 29,1959

Copy of County Government Resolution honoring Paul Dickman for his service on the Hillsborough County Budget Commission from 1944 to 1972. Mr. Dickman was chairman of that group from 1965 to the end of his service. The Budget Commissions was a powerful commission that decided on budgetary allocations for the county. Dickman was much admired as a strong proponent of fiscally conservative policies although some of those positions, today, would be considered insensitive towards the poor in the name of that fiscal conservativeness. Researchers can quite easily follow his work on the Commission by reviewing large numbers of news articles written about the Commission in Tampa papers.

Page 2 of Marketing Brochure

Front page of Marketing Brochure

Early marketing brochure for Bahia Beach Island Resort (note its affiliation with Quality Inns).

Aerial photo of initial dredging of Bahia Beach.

Ruskin United Methodist Church, 80th Anniversary publication. Note the 1926 picture of the very first church building in Ruskin.

Main headquarters for Ruskin Vegetable Corporation. Still stands in Apollo Beach at original location although it has been converted to a retail outlet for the medicinal marijuana products produced at the adjacent plant. The building is listed on the Hillsborough County register of historic sites, but has not been granted protection as a historical landmark.