Hero of History Jeff LaHurd

History author indulges his nostalgia for the way things were

Popular author Jeff LaHurd presents an illustrated program on Sarasota’s “charming”past at the Crocker Memorial Church. A community event organized by the Historical Society of Sarasota County

The author of 15 books about the history of Sarasota and Florida and a child of Sarasota since 1950, Jeff LaHurd comes to the Crocker Memorial Church on Tuesday, November 15 to present an illustrated program that is half history and half nostalgia when he takes a loving look at Sarasota’s not too distant past. The fun starts at 7 p.m. Historical Society members, free; guests, $10. All proceeds go to maintaining the Bidwell-Wood House (1882) and the Crocker Memorial Church (1901), both located at 1260 12th Street (Pioneer Park), one half block off N. Tamiami Trail at 12th Street.
If you know practically nothing about Sarasota history, this event will be an eye-opener. If you think you are pretty well versed in how and why this sleepy little fishing village and sunny small-town refuge from northern winters evolved, you may be surprised by what you’ll learn from Jeff LaHurd’s amusing and timely perspective.
“When Arvida first announced that they were coming to Sarasota in 1959,” said LaHurd, “they indicated, ‘Very few places have one iota of the charm of Sarasota,’ so my presentation is a look at the places many long-time residents remember when “charm” not “overdevelopment” was the operative word.”
This Historical Society event is part of Conversations at The Crocker, a series of interactive conversations about the people, places and events that have influenced the growth and development of Sarasota County. President of the Historical Society is Howard Rosenthal. Co-chairs of Conversations at The Crocker are Lynn Harding and Marsha Fottler.
Jeff LaHurd is a two-time winner of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation’s Individual Distinguished Service Award and he is a recipient of the Hero of History Award, presented by the Historical Society of Sarasota County. He is regular contributor to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune daily newspaper and he is a contributor to STYLE Magazine. A speaker known for his humorous take on some aspects of local history,

is a sought-after speaker and whenever he appears at Conversations at The Crocker, it’s a sold-out house for the Historical Society, where he is a Life Member.