This Day in History, March 6 1917: Sarasota voters passed a bond issue by 59 to 1 to raise $40,000 to buy the Hover Arcade and Dock for the City of Sarasota. No one ‘fessed up to being the sole dissenter, but we know for sure it was a man. (Think about it.)

Let’s discuss downtown property values, shall we? The original dock was

constructed by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company in 1886 near the spot the Scot Colonists landed the previous December, and was purchased by Harry Higel (he’s the guy who persuaded everyone to stop calling it Sarasota Key and adopt a much more tourist-friendly name, Siesta Key. Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it?)

Higel offered it to Sarasota in 1905 for $1,500. Then in 1910 he offered it again to the city for $5000. The city didn’t buy. Higel sold it to the Hover brothers from Lima Ohio and they built the Arcade, with construction starting in 1913.

Ah, city officials. In 1916 there was a bond issue to raise $18,000 to build a pier. Vote passed 45 to 29. But alas, the city did not own any waterfront property, so WTF? Since a landlocked pier didn’t make much sense even to politicians, Plan B went into effect. Well, okay, let’s float a bond for $40,000 to buy the Hover Arcade from those canny Ohioans, the Hovers.

Learn more: An article by Jeff LaHurd and more from Larry Kelleher

So now, my main thought: Who was the one dissenting vote in 1917, and was he thereby laughing up his sleeve at the politicos?