Treasure Island

History

The area of Treasure Island was originally settled in small communities by the Tocobaga around 300 CE. The Timucua traded with other Native American tribes in the area until the arrival of Pánfilo de Narváez in 1528. De Narváez decimated the indigenous people before leaving the area in search of gold. Treasure Island got its name early in the 20th century, after several property owners attempted to boost sales of the properties being developed on the island by first burying and then pretending to discover a couple of wooden chests on the beach around 1915. After claiming the chests were filled with treasure, the news of the discovery quickly spread and people began calling the island Treasure Island. With an elevation of only three feet, the Great Gale of 1848 carved out John's Pass on the island's north end and split off two smaller islands, called the Isle of Palms and Isle of Capri. Treasure Island saw a surge in residential and hotel construction following World War II through the 1950s. The real estate used in these ventures often consisted of fill from dredged material. Artificial extensions of the land were created, which were usually designed for convenient access to navigable waterways like Boca Ciega Bay.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (13.8 km), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km) is land and 3.7 square miles (9.7 km) (70.11%) is water. Treasure Island has a humid subtropical climate, closely bordering a tropical climate, resulting in warm, humid summers with frequent thunderstorms, and drier winters.

Most-observed species

• Fish Crow

  Corvus ossifragus A.Wilson, 1812 · Aves
  42,375
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  41,221
• Osprey

  Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  40,519
• Laughing Gull

  Leucophaeus atricilla (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  40,480
• White Ibis

  Eudocimus albus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  40,418
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  40,199
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  39,154
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  34,426