Discover Dunedin
Dunedin's Scottish connection is embedded in the history of its name. The city records an earlier local name, Jonesboro, associated with a general store. In 1882 Scottish merchants John O. Douglas and James Somerville petitioned for a post office called Dunedin, a name later adopted by the community. This is a more specific origin than simply describing the town as Scottish-themed.
More about Dunedin
Its shoreline also contains a history of physical change. A hurricane in 1921 opened the channel that separated what are now Honeymoon and Caladesi islands. Florida State Parks explains that the southern shore of Honeymoon Island was substantially altered again by a fill project in 1969, while the northern part followed a different development path. The island landscape combines natural processes and human intervention rather than remaining an unchanged beach.
Dunedin's preservation survey adds an industrial and wartime story. Donald Roebling developed the Alligator amphibious vehicle here; its water-to-land capability became important to the U.S. Marines during World War II. That technical history sits alongside the better-known resort and island narratives.
The city history, preservation survey and state park geology offer three useful ways to explore the area: how it was named, how its landforms changed and how a local engineering project acquired wider significance.
Sources
- City of Dunedin: About Dunedin: https://www.dunedin.gov/Community/About-Dunedin
- Florida State Parks: Geology of Honeymoon Island: https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/geology-honeymoon-island
- City of Dunedin: Historic Resources Survey Phase 3: https://www.dunedin.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/community-development/documents/dunedin-historic-resources-survey-phase-3.pdf
