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WELCOME TO RUSKIN, Florida
The folks in this photo, enjoying a tranquil evening on the beach at Little Harbor, probably were not thinking about early inhabitants of the area along the Little Manatee River. But this is the place where the Uzita tribe lived for hundreds of years. And they were here when some of the early Spanish expeditions arrived: Narvaez in 1528 and deSoto in 1539. The Uzita (part of the Safety Harbor culture), were, shall we say, not real happy to see these newcomers. They captured Juan Ortiz who was sent by DeSoto to search for the missing Narvaez expedition. The Uzita had eventually planned to roast him over a grill. But there is a happy ending for Juan because the chief's daughter helped him escape. Through the years, pirates roamed the area and eventually white settlers arrived from the North. An 1881 map of Florida identifies Gulf City, just South of Ruskin, as "the first organized town south of the Alafia River."
Sunset on the Little Harbor beach
Photos by Justin Figueroa
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THE DICKMANS: RUSKIN PIONEERS
The Dickman Family, agribusiness pioneers, came from Missouri more than 96 years ago and took advantage of Ruskin's lush soil and artesian wells, well suited for irrigation. They created legendary fruit and vegetable cooperatives that helped Ruskin earn the nickname "America's Salad Bowl," and then began a thriving tomato-packing business. The SouthShore Chamber of Commerce acknowledged the Dickman family's achievements at the chamber's third annual Membership and Awards Dinner Jan. 31, 2014, at Del Webb's SouthShore Falls Clubhouse. Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman presented a commendation to brothers Glenn and Ned Dickman, descendants of the family patriarch, Paul B. Dickman."Everyone in our community benefits from the achievements of your family in the past and your continued support today," said Chamber Executive Director Melanie Davis. "There's a pride in being part of this community."
From a Feb. 5 Tampa Bay Times article by Kathryn Moschella, Times Correspondent
Ruskin Little Harbor beach at sunset
The community of Ruskin was founded August 7, 1908, on the shores of the Little Manatee. It was founded by Dr. George McAnelly Miller and Addie Dickman Miller and named and patterned after essayist and social critic John Ruskin and his philosophy of an "American Utopia." This called for planned communities working together for the "Common Good" in Tennessee, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, and Florida. Founders left roots behind in Tennessee and Missouri, and eventually sold 12 acres of land in Missouri and headed to Florida, using the money from the sale to found Ruskin. As you get to know Ruskin, you will see and hear the names and perhaps meet descendants of some of these founders and early settlers. These third and fourth generation Ruskanites can fill in many other parts of this story. Today, Ruskin Florida is a community of around 22,000. More than a quarter of the residents identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino.
Pier at Little Harbor, Ruskin FL
- JOHN RUSKIN
Like Apollo Beach, Ruskin is a main business and residential hub of SouthShore. Driving through town along Tamiami Trail only tells part of the story. You need to explore the side streets. Take 19th Avenue West all the way to E.G. Simmons Park, or Shell Point Road to the end at Little Harbor and you will pass by old and new residential neighborhoods along the way. Go East on College Avenue and you'll soon be in Sun City Center. Keep going and you'll reach Wimauma. Going South as you leave Ruskin on 41, you'll pass through Sun City. Keep in mind that Sun City and Sun City Center are two entirely separate communities. When the town of Ross was caught up in the boom of the 1920s, its name was changed to Sun City. A motion picture studio was built in hopes of enticing the film industry. This effort was not successful, and not much remains from those years except some broken buildings and a few streets named for silent movie stars. Sun City is not to be confused with the retirement community of Sun City Center. If you are heading from Ruskin toward Sarasota, going South on US 41 through Sun City is your best bet to avoid the heavy traffic on I-75. In about 17 miles you'll come to I-275 that you can take back to I-75 or over the famous Skyway Bridge to St. Pete. The pandemic has brought a huge migration of people into all of Florida, including SouthShore. New residential developments are planned or underway in many areas of Ruskin. This is a family friendly community with many parks and preserves, a rich assortment of family activities, and the ambiance of a small town. Some other ghosts from Ruskin's past are prehistoric animals including saber-tooth cats, giant sloths, and many others that roamed the area over 1.5 million years ago. Local palaeontologist Frank Garcia unearthed the remains of over 30,000 bones at the Leisey Shell Pit in 1983. Today, a historical marker identifies the spot, which is now underwater. This was Florida’s most important dig and brought national attention to Ruskin. You can view part of his collection at Camp Bayou Nature Preserve in Ruskin ~ Janet Verdeguer
