S2 Ep1505: HISTORICALLY ST. PETE Rui Farias Previews Upcoming Tourism Exhibit "Wish You Were Here"

In this episode of HISTORICALLY ST. PETE, St. Petersburg Museum of History executive director Rui Farias introduces an upcoming preview of a new exhibit on tourism. Says Farias: "The museum has been sharing the stories of the Sunshine City for about 103 years, almost 104 years now actually. We have been working on a new exhibit that will debut at the end of January, presented by Bay First Bank. The exhibit is called Wish You Were Here. It's the story of tourism here in St. Petersburg and the state of Florida as well. One of the main resources for research that I've used for this exhibit is a book called "Warm Wishes from Sunny St. Petersburg," written by the museum's curator and historian Nevin Sitler. Both the book and this exhibit detail the selling of the Sunshine City. How did we go from a small fishing and farming village to one of the hottest tourist destinations in the world? Imagination and creativity, lots of it. And of course, the brains and courage of a few of our early pioneers who saw the potential of Saint Pete."
🦩BACKGROUND By the 1910s, St. Petersburg was not only attracting visitors, it was organizing them into a social force that shaped the growing city. State and city societies brought together winter residents who shared the same hometowns, creating familiar networks far from home. Groups like the Illinois Society and the Ohio Society held weekly meetings, picnics, dances, and outings that filled the season with activity and camaraderie. These clubs offered newcomers an easy way to build friendships while also giving them a voice in local affairs. At the center of this movement was the Presidents’ Union, an umbrella organization that coordinated events and occasionally spoke on civic matters. Through its work, these societies helped define St. Pete’s identity as a friendly, small-town community where northerners could settle in quickly and feel welcome. They also strengthened regional ties, turning the Sunshine City into a warm extension of states hundreds of miles away. Tourism in this era was more than leisure. It was a sense of belonging. For many families, the friendships forged within these winter societies became the heart of their Florida experience.
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