Thanks to our partnership with the Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council, the Brandon Rotary Club dedicated a new historical marker at the Rivard-Simmons Rotary Event Center located at 3007 S. Kings Ave. in Brandon on May 5.
The Historical Advisory Council oversees Hillsborough County’s historical marker program and supports efforts to preserve and recognize the region’s significant historic sites. The Historical marker contains the following inscription: “Established 1890.”
Many communities in Hillsborough County were either established or experienced rapid growth following the arrival of the railroad in the 1880s. One such community was New Hope, which began to flourish after it was connected to other towns and cities by the new rail network. Victoria Brandon, the second wife of John Brandon, asked civil engineer C.S. Noble to plat about 40 acres for a townsite, naming it ‘Brandon’ after John, who came to this area in 1857.
At the turn of the century, Victoria Street and Moon Avenue was the ‘center of town.’ In close proximity were the train depot, Galvin’s General Store, Varn’s (citrus) Packing House and the U.S. Post office that was established on September 15, 1890.
Pioneer families settled here, raised cattle, grew citrus and farmed their land. From these humble beginnings, Brandon emerged as we know it today.
The sign shown above was originally erected in 1990 in honor of the Brandon Centennial and was replaced in 2026 by the Brandon Rotary Club in partnership with the Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council.
For more information about the Rotary Club of Brandon, please contact Liz Brewer, president, at 813-299-6745. For more information about the Historical Marker Program, visit https://hcfl.gov/councils/historical-advisory-council.