Indian Rocks Beach, Florida has a grand history. Join authors Authors
Wayne and Nancy Ayers and Jan Ockunzzi as they uncover its legendary
past.
According to legend, Indian Rocks got its name when Tocobaga Indians
brought their ailing chief from inland Florida to drink from the area's
sulfur springs, prized for their medicinal qualities. Their leader
miraculously recovered, as the story goes, and the tribe returned each
year to the place where large rocks surrounded the healing spring. The
natural beauty of the barrier island that became Indian Rocks Beach was
what attracted Harvey Hendrick to establish his homestead here in the
mid-1890s. Years later, he recalled, I liked the place, I thought it was
the most beautiful place on God's green footstool, and I think so yet.
The charm and character of this little seaside community is evident in
these historic photographs, from the days when the old swing bridge was
the center of activity, to the booming post-World War II era when
tourists and residents proclaimed Indian Rocks Beach as their special
place.