Community Hotel Corporation - 1927 dated $500 Gold Bond - Bradenton, Florida

$500 8% Gold Bond. Most coupons remain. Bradenton, Florida. Popular State! Spring training in Bradenton began with the construction of Ninth Street Park in 1923, with the St. Louis Cardinals becoming the first team to train there in 1923 and 1924. In January 1925, Bradenton's city council initiated the process of removing the "w" from "Bradentown," which became official on May 2, 1925, when the state Governor signed the bill. In 1926, the city renamed all streets using a numbering system.

Following the Florida land boom collapse and the onset of the Great Depression, Bradenton faced severe economic and financial difficulties, including substantial debts. During the land boom, the city had borrowed heavily to develop infrastructure in outlying areas. However, as the economy faltered, Bradenton retracted its municipal boundaries, making it unable to service those areas and leading to defaults on municipal bonds. After retracting the boundaries, the bonds were refunded, leaving residents within the new limits responsible for repayment. Despite these challenges, Bradenton eventually managed to pay off its bonds.

Several new projects were completed during this period, including the construction of a municipal pier (Memorial Pier) in 1927, which still stands today and has served various functions. The Green Bridge was also built in 1927 to replace the Victory Bridge, which had been damaged by a hurricane in 1926. A ferry operated until the Green Bridge was completed. In July 1931, a joint committee from Bradenton, Manatee, and Palmetto was formed to explore a possible merger of the cities, but the proposal did not advance. In 1937, a new post office building was constructed at Manatee Avenue and 9th Street West as part of a Works Progress Administration project, and it remains in operation today.