RAO MUSUNURU, M.D. MUSEUM & LIBRARY
New Port Richey
Historical Photo Galleries
New Port Richey
George Sims purchased the Port Richey Company and 14,000 acres of land along the Cotee River in 1913. Sims began selling lots to families, many from Michigan and Finland. He also had aspirations of making New Port Richey the "Hollywood of the East" by bringing silent movie stars down from Great Neck, New York.
The Dixie Highway, now Grand Boulevard, along with the Tug & Grunt Railroad, brought people to the downtown area which thrived in the 1920s and 1930s. Gulf High School opened in 1922 and was the backbone of the community for the next seventy years. George Sims donated the land known as Enchantment Park. The city accepted the donation as part of its first ordinance, then renamed the park Sims Park. The park is framed by the Pithlachascotee River and Orange Lake giving New Port Richey an exceptional quality.
A post card probably from the late 1940s. The Hacienda Hotel opened in 1927and is being restored in 2020.
Fishing on the Pithlachascotee River with the residence of Warren E. Burns across the river. Burns was an important developer in New Port Richey in the late 1920s. His mansion was demolished in December 2002.
The Gulf High School band marching in the Chasco Fiesta street parade.
The Chasco Inn on Main Street, probably in the late 1940s. This building took on its current appearance in 1926. It has housed many businesses over the years.
The Goodyear blimp, “The Vigilant,” over what is now called Grand Boulevard in New Port Richey in 1929. The blimp is known to have visited New Port Richey on December 10, 1929, and on March 30, 1930.
Miller's Bar on what is now Grand Boulevard. It was a popular business in the 1940s. The photo is probably from about 1949. Sip is now located in this building.