Did You Know... Tarpon Springs

Did you know the City of Tarpon Springs has the largest Greek population of any U.S. city? Nearly 12 percent of the approximately 23,000 residents of Tarpon Springs are Greek-Americans or have Greek ancestry. In 1887 the city incorporated and several major changes took place. The arrival of the railroad and the completion of the Anclote Key Lighthouse brought tradesmen, laborers and merchants to Tarpon Springs. Among these was John Cheyney who began the Anclote and Rock Island Sponge Company. He hired Greek native John Cocoris for his knowledge of the sponge industry. Mr. Cocoris brought his brothers and an experienced diving crew from Greece to help harvest the area's sponges. Their success not only grew the sponge industry, but grew Tarpon Springs' Greek population as well. The influx of Greeks transformed the city to resemble a Mediterranean port city. Today the Sponge Docks attract nearly 1 million visitors a year for sponge diving exhibitions, and the city's annual Epiphany celebration on January 6 is the largest in the nation. Reprinted from Quality Cities November/December 2004 Back to City Trivia Home