"Arsenault's new history of St. Petersburg is not only the best and most professional effort so far, it is also a good book in its own right . . . a book from which to take both pleasure and instruction."--St. Petersburg Times "A marvelous exploration . . . both a visual treat and a pleasure to read. At the same time, it makes a very important contribution to modern Florida history."--Raymond Mohl, Florida Atlantic University St. Petersburg and the Florida Dream, 1888-1950 chronicles the early history of St. Petersburg and the lower Pinellas Peninsula.   From the precolumbian culture of the Tocobaga mound-builders to the arrival of the railroad, from the St. Petersburg-Havana yacht races to the tin-can tourists to the first stirrings of the Sunbelt phenomenon following World War II, Raymond Arsenault's history presents a rich tapestry of the area.      A forerunner of the modern Sunbelt city, early St. Petersburg successfully mixed southern and northern cultures and used vigorous public relations and advertising to promote itself.  By the mid-20th century, the "Sunshine City" had developed into one of the most important resort communities in the United States, a self-styled subtropical playground that stood tantalizingly apart from the mainstream of urban America.      Before the age of expressways, heat pumps, fast-food restaurants, and suburban shopping malls, local life revolved around institutions and traditions long associated with the Florida Dream--the centuries-old promise of perpetual warmth, health, comfort, and leisure.  Arsenault describes these institutions and many of the personalities that enlivened them--Doc Webb, William Straub, Al Lang, Frank Davis, Handsome Jack Taylor, Katherine Bell Tippetts, and others, whose activities contributed to the distinctive and colorful history of St. Petersburg.