Historical Marker dedicated to Capt. James McKay, I

• Description: This historical marker reads: "Capt. James McKay, I (1808-1876). On this site, after the devastating hurricane of 1848, McKay, a native of Scotland, built his first permanent home of finished lumber from Mobile, Ala. Here, with his wife Matilda, they raised their children. McKay was a dominant factor in the upbuilding of Tampa in pioneer times. His shipping lines established the first commercial connection with the outside world. In 1848, he built a courthouse; in 1858, opened the first cattle trade with Cuba, and in 1859, was elected mayor. During the Civil War, with his sidewheeler, the Scottish Chief, he became one of Florida's most active blockade-runners; also formed the "Cowboy Calvary" to protect cattle drivers headed for the war-front." (Tampa Historical Society)
• Keywords: Capt. James McKay I, downtown, Tampa, Florida, historical marker
• TIFF File: A high resolution TIFF of Historical Marker dedicated to Capt. James McKay, I (19.4 Mb) is available for download. This is a very large file suitable for printing. For most on-screen purposes, you should use the image displayed on this page instead of this TIFF.
• Source: Florida Center for Instructional Technology, Exploring Florida: Social Studies Resources for Students and Teachers (Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, 2009)

• County: Hillsborough
• Location:

• Date of Photo: 1/7/2006
• Photographer: Roy Winkelman

Exploring Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers

Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology

College of Education, University of South Florida © 2009.