Treasure Island - Florida
Treasure Island, Fl is a small city in the Tampa Bay area off the West Coast of Florida. Although small - 1.6 square miles of land - it's a popular vacation resort, partly due to the public beach that runs the length of the city.The city aims to provide a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere for holiday makers whilst also being within driving distance of major attractions such as the famous Florida theme parks. For accomodation there are inns and hotels as well as property available for rental.
Why The Name?
So, why the name "Treasure Island"? Could this tourist attraction once have been the home to bloodthirsty pirates? Was it perhaps the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novel?Er, no.
The area was originally settled around 300 CE by the Timucans. The first known contact with Europeans came in 1528 when Panfilio de Narvaez of Spain arrived. He was chasing rumours of gold on the island. There was no such gold to be found and eventually de Narvaez left - but not before torturing and killing large numbers of natives in search of the "secret" of the non-existent treasure.
Fast forward to the beginning of the twentieth century and the region was experiencing a boom in tourism. The first hotel was built in the city area in 1915. It was around this time that the name Treasure Island came into popular use.
The name was basically the result of a clever marketing campaign. Local developers buried a couple of wooden "treasure chests" on the beach area. They then went back and "discovered" these chests! This naturally gained plenty of healthy publicity for the area and the name Treasure Island came into use.