Tarpon Springs in Pinellas County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
St. Nicholas Boat Line
Est. 1924 by Captain Michael J. and Eleni Billiris
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 16, 2024
1. St. Nicholas Boat Line Marker
St. Nicholas Boat Line, one of Florida's oldest surviving attractions, was named after the patron saint of seafarers. For over 100 years, it has provided an informative cruise that includes an exhibition of hard-hat diving from the Sponge Docks down the Anclote River. Captain Michael J. Billiris started the business as an economic strategy because weather prevented many divers and crewmen from working during the winter months when tourists visited. Eventually, demand was so great that Michael, his sons, and his brother, Captain Theodore J. Billiris, operated five boats for rides down the Anclote River or deep-sea fishing forays. The St. Nicholas III was one of the sponge boats selected by the State of Florida to represent the sponge trade at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. During World War II, the Billiris family offered boats and supplies to U.S. Navy patrols in the Gulf of Mexico. Later, St. Nicholas boats were featured in films such as 16 Fathoms Deep (1948) and Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953), popular television shows, and numerous publications, including National Geographic. Although listed on the National Register
this page online
Erected 2023 by The City of Tarpon Springs and the Tarpon Springs Area Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1924.
Location. 28° 9.341′ N, 82° 45.605′ W. Marker is in Tarpon Springs, Florida, in Pinellas County. It is at the intersection of Dodecanese Boulevard and Athens Street, on the right when traveling west on Dodecanese Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 693 Dodecanese Boulevard, Tarpon Springs FL 34689, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Gulf Coast and on Tampa Bay. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At
via St. Nicholas Boat Line, unknown
2. Hardhat diver and sponges aboard St. Nicholas III
Also see . . . St. Nicholas Boat Line. Website homepage (Submitted on September 1, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 16, 2024
3. St. Nicholas Boat Line Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 265 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 1, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 2. submitted on September 3, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on September 1, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
