history, thanks to a dock built to accommodate schooners and sloops and the
ingenuity of pioneers from as near as Georgia and as far as Scotland,
Dunedin became one of Florida's chief seaport and trading centers. At one
time Dunedin had the largest fleet of sailing vessels in Florida. Early
settlers were primarily cotton and citrus growers, and it is hard to
envision that most of what is now downtown was once a big cotton field.The first land deed was recorded in 1852 by Richard L. Garrison. only seven years after
Florida
became a state. Although it was George L. Jones who put up a sign over his
General Store in 1870 that read "Jonesboro." a petition in 1882 by two
Scottish merchants. J.O. Douglas and James Somerville, officially named the
Post Office, then the town itself. Dunedin. The town became incorporated in
1899, and a city in 1925.Dunedin is proud of its "firsts" which are chronicled in Dunedin Through the Years by William L. Davidson. The amphibious tractor, the Alligator, assembled in Dunedin and used in World War II, played a decisive role in the Pacific phase of the war. Frozen orange juice concentrate, and the "Pram" sailboat racer both originated here. Dunedin was the first home of the prestigious PGA (Professional Golfers Association). The first radio signals from Pinellas County were sent from Dunedin. The oldest continuous garden club on Florida's west coast is the Dunedin Garden Club. A master computer at A.C. Nielsen Company, located in Dunedin since 1972, and one of the town's largest employers, is responsible for the Nielsen ratings. It can be said that Dunedin determines what television programs the whole country watches!
The historic Atlantic Coast
Line Depot on Main Street is home to the Dunedin Historical Society and
Museum plus the Orange Belt Quilt Club. The Society has designed a walking
tour of historic sites and works hard to collect area artifacts and preserve
buildings that are pertinent to Dunedin's past. Through their efforts, the
Douglas home and Andrews Memorial Chapel have been put on the National
Register of Historic Sites. 
Dunedin's quality of life is linked to its appreciation of its diverse and colorful past, and to the country that helped shape its future, Scotland. In commemoration of its ancestral ties Dunedin has chosen Stirling, Scotland, as its sister city.