June 17,1950, was a beautiful Saturday in Brentwood, the perfect atmosphere for a celebration. On that lovely day. a  crowd estimated at from five to eight thousand people gathered to commemorate Brentwood’s centennial with a large parade. It featured everything from bloomers and buggies to the latest cars, all showing the changes and progress in the village during its first one hundred years.

Under the direction of Centennial Committee chairman Verne Dyson (who rode in one of the cars with his wife dressed in nineteenth century clothing), the parade began on Fulton Street in front of the East Brentwood Fire Department. All sections of the village were represented. Floats featuring the original Post Office and Public School recalled Modern Times/Early Brentwood. The West Brentwood/Pilgrim State Hospital section included a replica of the Administration Building. East Brentwood’s float carried members of the Tampa Association in period costumes. Historic farms were represented by Marion Carll on horseback and her brother John (in a beard) walking next to a small donkey.

St. Anne’s Church and the Academy of St. Joseph were featured on a lovely float depicting the Church’s shrine and the Christian Way of Life. One of the most impressive displays was the Fire Department’s display of men and equipment. The Boy Scouts had a float on which they dressed like Indians and sat around a teepee. Other floats were from the Skillcraft Corp., Campbell’s Bakery, Erlai’s Service station, Joe’s Service Station, Len’s Meat Market, Station Restaurant, White House Tavern, and Danny’s Tavern. Many other community organizations  were in the procession, including the Girl Scouts, Historical Society, and Ancient Order of Hibernians (in Irish costumes). There was also a huge display of vehicles, from buggies to cars.

Miss Betty James and Mrs. Isla Walsh were Centennial Queens. They led the line of march, which began on Fulton Street and went west on Suffolk Avenue to Fourth Street. There, it turned south and went into St. Joseph’s Academy, then north on Brentwood Road to Ross Memorial Park, where refreshments were served. All who attended agreed it was a wonderful day!

—N. Ziino, Local History Room Newsletter, December 2010