In 1885 Thomas Mann, a confederate soldier applied to homestead 144 acres on the north end of Longboat Key. In 1885 he moved his family to a thatched hut to escape the yellow fever epidemic and began the ÃÂ development of Longboat Key.
In the early 1900’s the Mistletoe steamship transported visitors and fisherman from the mainland to Longboat Key and in this period the first buildings were constructed.
Visitors either traveled by land north from Sarasota or by boat from the mainland and Tampa. ÃÂ A bridge from Anna Maria Island to Longboat was built in 1926, but this bridge was washed away in 1932 by a high tide. ÃÂ The current bridge was completed in 1959.
Longbeach villiage became part of the town of Longboat Key in 1955. The picture on the left is the City Hall for Longboat Key.
The United States Post Office opened October 10, 1907, as “Longbeach” ÃÂ on the north end of the community. On February 1, 1958, the name of the Longbeach Post Office was changed to Longboat Key. There was also a post office named “Longboat” which opened on March 27, 1914, in the southern portion of the key in Sarasota County.
It was closed on January 14, 1922, and its functions were assumed by the Sarasota post office.