MANATEE COUNTY. County Seat, BRADENTON

Historical Events-Created from part of Hillsborough County. It was named for the Manatee or Sea Cow which was then plentiful along the coasts and rivers of the section. Gamble Mansion, near Bradenton, was the place of refuge of Judah P. Benjamin, Secretary of State of Confederacy, while eluding Federal troops after the collapse of the Confederacy. Braden Castle is also a point of great interest to visitors.

• Population 26,098
• Number of farms 935
• Total acreage 540,160
• Farm acreage 260,873
• Acres cultivated:
• Field crops 1,576
• Truck crops 7,571
• Groves (citrus) 6,295
• Tractors 209
• Automobiles 5,435
• Trucks 1,426

Forty-four different crops are grown commercially. Leading agricultural sources of revenue: Citrus, tomatoes, celery, dairying, poultry and eggs. Leading industry: Canneries, Tourism.

Manatee lies south of Hillsborough County and is bordered on the west by the Gulf of Mexico.