Elwood Park is an unincorporated area in Manatee County, Florida, United States.

History

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Elwood Park is a neighborhood located at what was a 1500-acre farming community near Oneco on the Braden River. The area was named for J. Elwood Moore, a Sarasota banker and developer of the area who established the New Home Development Company in the mid-1910s. The New Home Development Company advertised the agricultural tracts in the Midwest to Northerners willing to cultivate the land and Moore provided the training and supplies needed.[1] By 1918, several farms had been established at the site and a shell road was laid to connect Elwood Park to the nearest town of Manatee.[2] By 1921, the Elwood Park settlement was home to 50 people.[3] In 1923, Carl Haselton purchased the property from Elwood Moore with plans to expand the agricultural tracts available there as well as develop a large subdivision known as Elwood Park Manor. A new schoolhouse and sawmill were built by Haselton to attract residents.[4][5][6] However, the development of the neighborhood, which included plans for an amusement park and lavish amenities, was hampered by the Florida real estate bust in 1927.

 
A 1940 US Census enumeration district map of Manatee County showing the location of Elwood Park

Although still largely rural and home to a few smaller farms and plant nurseries, Elwood Park had experienced independent residential development since the 1950s, but the former subdivision plans were never brought to fruition.

References

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  1. ^ "6 Jul 1918, 4 - The Tampa Tribune at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "6 Jul 1918, 4 - The Tampa Tribune at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "15 Oct 1921, 11 - The Tampa Tribune at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  4. ^ "8 Aug 1923, 30 - The Tampa Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  5. ^ "Bradenton Evening Herald Archives, Nov 21, 1925, p. 17". NewspaperArchive.com. November 21, 1925. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  6. ^ "Bradentown Manatee River Journal And Herald Archives, Oct 25, 1923, p. 2". NewspaperArchive.com. October 25, 1923. Retrieved April 22, 2020.

27°28′09″N 82°30′21″W / 27.46917°N 82.50583°W / 27.46917; -82.50583