I’ve lived in Oldsmar Florida for about three years now. And as I sit here at my computer, I figured I may as well put some information out. As I’ve lived my years here, I’ve decided that I like it quite a bit. Sure, there’s some parts of it I’m not a huge fan of, like the elbow to elbow sports bars that clog up the traffic every night. But other than that, the city’s alright.
History
Eli Olds decided to purchase 37,541 acres of land on the northern tip of Tampa Bay from Richard Peters in 1916. At the age of 52, the inventor of the Oldsmobile desired to take this land and turn it into a community. He paid about 200,000 dollars in cash, 75 grand in bonds, and a 125,000 dollar house in Daytona Beach. The town’s name has changed a few times, though. It was Originally R.E. Olds-on-the-Bay, then Oldsmar, then Tampa Shores, until finally changing back to and remaining Oldsmar.
Early settlers sourced their drink water from wells, and used Cheesecloth to sieve out mosquito larvae. In 1920, a water tower was built that pumped every morning, though sulfur water flowed from the taps. Eventually, a faucet with St. Petersburg water was installed by the railroad tracks, becoming a popular source of drinking water.
Advertisements glorifying the virtues of the city were placed in the Detroit papers. He used the slogan “Oldsmar for Health, Wealth and Happiness” and tried to entice northern companies by offering cheap labor.
Olds spent another 100,000 drilling the infamous oldsmar oil well that only yielded water. It’s even been rumored that they would even pour oil into it ever morning to make it look more legit. The well is now capped and sits on the grounds of the Tampa Bay Downs Racetrack.
Original city plans included a golf course and a luxurious hotel on the bay, but neither ever materialized. A sawmill and foundry that made cast-iron engines for tractors and grove heaters were though established. The mill produced the sturdy Olds Chair (also called the Oldsmar Chair), made out of either yellow pine or cypress. It was similar to the Adirondack chair and was sold throughout the United States.
Economy
Oldsmar Florida hosts an office of Nielsen Media Research. Most of the employees of Nielsen Media Research work in Oldsmar and the company’s media measurement work originates from the office. The Associated Press said that the Oldsmar building, with a cost figure of $80 million, was its “nerve center.” In 2003 the company moved into its Oldsmar complex and consolidated its employees there, with workers from Dunedin and other areas in Pinellas County moving into the Oldsmar building.
At the end of the day, there’s better cities, and there’s worse cities. But overall, it’s a pretty nice place to live so far.
