St. Pete Beach in Pinellas County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
"Pass-A-Grille"
April 9, 2012
1. "Pass-A-Grille" Marker
For 10,000 years, Indians hunted the prairies and fished the waters of what later became Pass-A-Grille. The last group of Native Americans to settle in the Pinellas County area were the Tocobagas around 1000-1700 A.D. This area was first visited by Europeans in 1528, when the Spanish explorer, Panfilo de Narvaez, anchored off Pass-A-Grille Pass. Afterwards the island was used as a camp ground for fishermen to obtain fresh water and to grill their catch. According to legend, it is thought that Pass-A-Grille derives its name from the French, Passe aux Grilleurs. In 1857, John Gomez, self styled, "last of the pirates", began bringing excursionists here from Tampa, which gave this area the distinction of perhaps being the oldest resort on Central Florida's West Coast. Zephaniah Phillips, the first homesteader settled here in 1886, and by the turn of the century Pass-A-Grille had its first hotel and a ferry boat service from what is now Gulfport. The town of Pass-A-Grille Beach was incorporated into the city of St. Petersburg Beach in 1957, and in 1989, a section of Passe-A-Grill was declared a National Historic District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1528.
Location. 27° 41.345′
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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 least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Merry Pier (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Zephaniah Phillips' Homestead Site (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Don Ce Sar Hotel (approx. 1.4 miles away); Tierra Verde Mound (approx. 1.6 miles away); Gulfport Casino (approx. 3.8 miles away); Steven Jay Robin (approx. 3.9 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 3.9 miles away); Osgood Point / Clam Bayou Nature Preserve (approx. 4.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Pete Beach.
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 12, 2022
2. "Pass-A-Grille" Marker at extreme left in picture
Credits. This page was last revised on December 13, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2012. This page has been viewed 1,500 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 15, 2012. 2. submitted on December 13, 2022, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
