During the late 1990s, Robert Lee Irby—a graduate
student in history at the University of South Florida—wrote his master’s
thesis on the migration of retirees to St. Petersburg, Florida. As
part of his research, he interviewed Fred E. Wilder, a veteran of the Second
World War who moved to southeastern St. Petersburg in 1953. Wilder had acquired
four acres of land at the intersection of Sixth Street and Thirty-second
Avenue (formerly Bayou Lake Avenue) South. By 1954, he opened Wilder’s
Trailer Park, with offices located at 770-32nd Avenue South. During
the next few years, Wilder’s Park became a magnet for retirees from other
areas in search of a second home for the winter season. Senior citizens
made up nearly 90% of the park’s early population.
This site, nestled between Lake Maggiore/Dr.
Martin Luther King (Ninth Street) South on the west and Tampa Bay/Sixth Street
South on the east, served as an excellent location for a mobile home park
in the years following World War II. By 1947, a Harry W. Mc Cormick
occupied the present site of the Wilder park, while a Lake Shore Trailer
Park began operations at 800-32nd Avenue South. After Wilder
acquired the site, he developed the park with amenities not found at the
earlier “Tin Can Tourist” camps of the 1920s and 1930s that had dotted Florida’s
landscape, including water and sewer connections and regular garbage collection
service.
By the fall of 1956, residents began
to receive Wilder’s Park News, a newsletter highlighting events at the park.
For over twenty-three years, Henry Crossley served as editor of this publication.
Issues include news of pot-luck suppers, social events, classified advertisements,
and various recreational activities for park members. Publication coincided
with the traditional period when seasonal residents stayed at the park, usually
from November through April. As of 2002, the park remains in operation
at the same location, under a homeowner’s association.
Lee Irby acquired this collection of
newsletters, as well as occasional lists of residents and other notices,
from Fred Wilder during his thesis research. Lee donated these materials
on Wilder’s behalf to the Special Collections and Archives at the University
of South Florida St. Petersburg for use by future researchers. In 1999,
Irby completed his thesis, entitled “Razing Gerontopolis: Green Benches,
Trailer Trash, and Old People in St. Petersburg, Florida, 1910-1970.”
A copy is available for researchers at the USF library in Tampa. Irby
currently serves as adjunct instructor of American History at both the University
of South Florida and Eckerd College’s Program for Experienced Learners.
Restrictions/Preservation Note
The newsletters and other papers in this collection
occupy two acid-free document boxes. While preservation measures may slow
the physical deterioration of such items, these steps cannot prevent damage
from occurring. To prevent further damage to the fragile materials in this
collection, avoid placing any additional stress on the paper fibers by folding
or creasing newspapers or other materials, or by exposing them to light for
an extended period of time. Please report any tears or other damage
so that library staff may take appropriate preservation or conservation measures.
While no restrictions limit access to this collection, library staff will
evaluate photocopying or digitization requests on an individual basis to
ensure the long-term preservation of this unique collection. Patrons
using this collection must adhere to copyright and fair-use guidelines and
provide proper citation of sources appearing in their research.
Provenance of the Wilder’s Park Collection
This collection falls under the Local and Regional History provenance of
the Special Collections and Archives department, Nelson Poynter Memorial
Library, USF St. Petersburg.
Scope and Contents
The contents of the Wilder’s Park Collection
occupy two document boxes (approximately one linear foot). Issues of Wilder’s
Park News, directories of park residents, and various newsletters and announcements
constitute the primary materials in the collection. An appendix includes
a copy of this finding aid and a photocopy of Lee Irby’s “Taking Out the
Trailer Trash” article from the Fall 2000 issue of the Florida Historical
Quarterly. Inclusive dates of general materials in this collection are from
1956 to 1979, with bulk dates covering the same period. The language used
on all materials in this collection is English.
Additional Sources of Information
Researchers may also want to consult:
Irby, Lee [Robert L.]. “Razing Gerontopolis: Green Benches, Trailer Trash,
and Old People in
St. Petersburg, Florida, 1910-1970.” Unpublished M.A. thesis, University
of South
Florida, 1999.
________. “Taking Out the Trailer Trash: The Battle Over Mobile Homes in
St. Petersburg,
Florida.” Florida Historical Quarterly 79 (Fall 2000):
181-200.
(included as an appendix to this collection, see: Box
2, Folder 12)
Container Listing
BOX 1
Box 1, Folder 1 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1956
Box 1, Folder 2 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1957
Box 1, Folder 3 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1958
Box 1, Folder 4 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1959
Box 1, Folder 5 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1960
Box 1, Folder 6 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1961
Box 1, Folder 7 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1962
Box 1, Folder 8 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1963
Box 1, Folder 9 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1964
Box 1, Folder 10 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1965
Box 1, Folder 11 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1966
Box 1, Folder 12 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1967
Box 1, Folder 13 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1968
BOX 2
Box 2, Folder 1 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1969
Box 2, Folder 2 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1970
Box 2, Folder 3 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1971
Box 2, Folder 4 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1972
Box 2, Folder 5 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1973
Box 2, Folder 6 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1974
Box 2, Folder 7 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1975
Box 2, Folder 8 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1976
Box 2, Folder 9 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1977
Box 2, Folder 10 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1978
Box 2, Folder 11 Wilder’s News issues
for the year 1979
Box 2, Folder 12 Lee Irby article, “Taking
Out the Trailer Trash”
Finding Aid
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