Anona, Florida facts for kids

Anona is a small community located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It's known as an "unincorporated area." This means it doesn't have its own city government. Instead, it's managed as part of the larger county.

History of Anona

How Anona Got Its Name

In 1883, a man named Captain John Thomas Lowe arrived in this area. He had planned to call the place Lowe's Landing. However, the local postmaster had a different idea. The postmaster was from Cedar Key. He suggested naming the community "Anona." This name came from the sweet Anona apples found in Key West.

Early Life in Anona

In December 1883, Anona got its very own post office. Jefferson Lowe became the first postmaster. A postmaster is the person in charge of a post office. A special railroad track, called a spur, once crossed the island here. This track helped move goods in and out of Anona. The railroad bridge was later removed in 1928. Over time, the post office building changed. It became a general store for everyone living in Anona.

Churches and Schools

The people of Anona built their first church in 1872. Rev. John Wells was the first preacher. Just one year later, in 1873, a church board was created. It's believed that a schoolhouse also started operating there during the weekdays. In 1882, a second church building was constructed. This building is still used by a church today. The school moved into a new building in 1900.

Connecting Anona

In 1916, a new bridge was built. This bridge allowed both cars and people to cross. There was a small fee, or toll, of 25 cents to use it. Later on, Anona became part of the nearby city of Largo.