SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — Descendants of Odet Philippe gathered at Philippe Park in Safety Harbor for their annual family reunion, continuing a tradition that family members said has lasted for more than half a century.
The Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce said Philippe was the first permanent, non-native settler on the Pinellas County peninsula. His descendants include members of the Booth and McMullen families.
“We don’t all know each other, but it’s really exciting to just get to know the people that you’re related to,” said Sharon Caruthers, a descendant of Philippe.
Caruthers said she has been attending the reunion since she was a child and now brings her own children.
“We would just find little crabs and play and enjoy each other’s time and just be here at this beautiful park,” Caruthers said.
Family members said the reunion has been held at Philippe Park since 1965. The park was once part of Philippe’s land.
“This was his home place,” said Robert L. Booth, another descendant of Philippe. “His home place was wiped out in the Great Hurricane of 1848, but he rebuilt a little bit further in, and it stayed in the family until the late 1940s.”
In 1948, the land became the first park in the Pinellas County park system, according to the county.
Booth said the reunion helps younger generations understand their connection to the area and to one another.
“Today, the young people are just now realizing the wide range of family that they have and realize it’s very important to come back and be back together,” Booth said. “And they will carry on this legacy.”
Caruthers said she hopes younger family members continue learning about their history and keep the reunion tradition going.
“I think that’s an important thing to keep going with the younger generation and make them interested, let them have fun, enjoy it, and maybe they’ll keep coming back and doing this for many years to come,” she said.
The Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce says Philippe was also a successful businessman who introduced cigar making and citrus to the Tampa Bay region.
Tyler O’Neill
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