girls’ sweets fund time

95 years ago…

December 25, 1911 – The Town Cryers, an all-female Tampa youth group formed to raise money to pay for a “town clock,” begins their fundraising efforts with a Christmas candy sale at the Court Square Pharmacy on Franklin Street. The group’s leader was Hortense Openheimer, daughter of prominent Tampa physician Louis Openheimer. The city did eventually get a large clock, located on the top of the “new” City Hall building, which was completed in 1915. The clock atop City Hall is named Hortense, in honor of the younger Openheimer’s fundraising efforts.

Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center.

2 comments - add to the conversation! → “girls’ sweets fund time”


  1. tim

    3 years ago

    Marty McFly was there, I heard.


  2. Saur

    3 years ago

    Merry Christmas, my friend!


Leave a Reply

Recent Articles

© 2010 Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog.