July 27 1886  The first plat of the new town of Sarasota (December 1885) was recorded.

Lewis Colson came to Sarasota with his wife Irene. He drove the first stake into the ground to assist Richard Paulson in platting the town of Sarasota at Five Points in 1885. Sarasota was platted by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company, a Scottish entity. More on Lewis Colson.

This photo was taken in 1886 of the Whitaker family, considered the first documented permanent residents of European descent in this area, and the Brownings, who came from Scotland with the Ormiston Colony in December 1885. By this time, William Whitaker and his wife and children had lived in Sarasota for over 40 years. More on the Whitakers.