In 1868 a firearms manufacturer named James Warner along with his family moved from Springfield, Massachusetts to Manatee County. He made his home along the Manatee River but ended up dying a year after moving. His son Warburton S. Warner would end up creating a town called Palma Sola in 1884 on part of the family's homestead. It got its name from a "single tall date palm that dominated the skyline on Snead Island" located directly across the river from McNeill Point where the center of town was located at.[2]
A sawmill would be built in 1884[3] at what was the center of town at McNeill Point.[2] When the sawmill burned down, the town started to decline.[3] The town was also known for the Palma Sola Hotel and general store which was known as the biggest general store between Cedar Key and Key West.[3]
Demographics
As of the first census for the town in 1880 it had a population of 962.[citation needed]
