Below is one of many pencil sketches done in the 1940s and 1950s by local historian Frank T. Hurley, Jr. (above). Hurley served in WW II and was a reporter for the Evening Independent and St. Petersburg Times. He joined his father’s real estate business, Hurley Associates, in Pass-a-Grille which is now operating as the oldest real estate office on the island. Hurley also wrote two books on island history, “Surf, Sand and Postcard Sunsets,” and “Pass-a-Grille Vignettes: Times Past, Tales Remembered.” Both books are available in the Gulf Beaches History Museum gift shop.
The city of St. Pete Beach and the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum in Pass-A-Grille are celebrating the city’s 60th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of the museum building this year. To help commemorate the history of St. Pete Beach, the Gabber is running a historical photo every month throughout 2017, courtesy of the Gulf Beaches History Museum.
