… with all those cones and barricades pushing their orange and white shoulders at you, you might pause to wonder
Who’s Bob?
No? Well, I did and thought you might like a story to mull over as you sit
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Author: saradesota
Father’s Day is a Conundrum in This Age.
You know how you used to gift Dad with a tie, or Old Spice, or maybe even (gasp, literally!) some nice aromatic pipe tobacco?
That just doesn’t cut it in this era. But tell you what does…
Isn’t Dad (Grandpa, Uncle Max, you know…) always
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Passover Pop
There’s history all around you. Even in the grocery aisles. Here’s one:
While most plastic bottles of Coca-Cola boast a red cap that matches their usual color scheme, in the spring you may notice bottles with yellow caps appearing on shelves. That yellow cap signifies that the drink is kosher for the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Prior to 1935, Coke wasn’t kosher at all, but that year the company swapped out beef-tallow glycerin for a vegetable counterpart that
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Lucky Leprechauns
Product developer John Holahan created the cereal in 1964 by combining Cheerios with chopped-up pieces of
Continue readingThis Day in History, March 17, 1964: Lucky the Leprechaun, the mascot of Lucky Charms cereal, was introduced in print ads and animated television commercials on St. Patrick’s Day in 1964.
Product developer John Holahan created the cereal in 1964 by combining Cheerios with chopped-up pieces of
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Just what’s this station wagon got to do with Sarasota?
From Sarasota History Alive: Powel Crosley was a promoter, businessman and industrialist who had the knack of transforming ideas into reality. Between 1900 and 1940, in the field of radio, Crosley generated the
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Sunday, February 23, 2025, 2-4 p.m.
Crocker Memorial Church for a Conversation at The Crocker
Norm Luppino will be our speaker at the February 23 Conversation at the Crocker, and he’ll be presenting on the Seagate estate, built by Powel Crosley, a man not as well-known in our area as he should be.
From Sarasota History Alive: Powel Crosley was a promoter, businessman and industrialist who had the knack of transforming ideas into reality. Between 1900 and 1940, in the field of radio, Crosley generated the
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BOTO: You might spot these men
It’s Presidents’ Day (yeh, they merged George and Abe into one entity in 1968*) weekend, so Be on the Lookout for these two tourists. If spotted, do not approach. They hate being asked for autographs. Best hunting grounds: the Early Bird Specials.
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Time to Tour our State!
Get out in nature with tours produced for many areas of our state.
The weather’s perfect at this time of year (witness all the delighted tourists!) so let’s see some of our own state.
Explore the cultural, historical, and architectural treasures of the Sunshine State with Florida Stories, a walking tour app from the Florida Humanities Council. Whether you’ll actually listen as you walk or simply imagine the delights from the comfort of your chair, the phone app allows users to learn about the history of some of Florida’s most unique towns. Try a close-to-home venue such as Phillippi Estate Park or Bradenton/Old Manatee on foot, then hop in the car for a road trip to explore other places.
Oh, but wait: there are auto tours of our own county before you go. The Sarasota County Centennial 2021 created wonderful guides for areas of our county, including Bee Ridge and Vamo, and you can learn more here. If you’re a bit hazy on how to download an auto tour app to your phone and use it while driving, they’ve written a straightforward guide to that.
More of a nature child? Check out https://floridatrail.org/ As they say: “The Florida Trail Association (FTA) develops, maintains, protects, and promotes a network of hiking trails throughout the state. In the app, you can explore the Florida National Scenic Trail interactive map, get up-to-date trail notices and closures information, get news and volunteer event opportunities, and download the trail and base map data to use the app while offline.”
Or perhaps you’re a botanical gardens lover? Well, you’re in luck, you can split this tour in half, seeing as how our own Selby Gardens is right in the middle of this suggested itinerary!
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The Day the World (Almost) Ended
Twenty-five years ago, in late December 1999, there was a crisis. Folks stocked up on water and food and stayed huddled at home, not daring to fly in an airplane (They’ll fall out of the sky!) or use an ATM (We’ll lose our life savings!)
The following article, by Heather Cox Richardson, reminds us of why, exactly, the world did not end on January 1, 2000. She’s a political historian and well-worth following. After all, history is politics.
January 1, 2025 (Wednesday) Twenty-five years ago today, Americans—along with the rest of the world—woke up to a new century date…and to the discovery that
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Santa’s Going Historic!
Got a history-lover on your “Nice” list? Some ideas from the Historical Society of Sarasota County:
There’s just nothing like a brick from Main Street and Lemon Avenue when the train station depot was being demolished. Yup, we saved them so YOU could dedicate one to a person, a place, a date… contact us at hello@hsosc.com or 941-364-9076. More info here.
On the other hand, if your history buff has a sense of humor, maybe this would be a good gift? You can get such plaques in everything from wood to iron various spots on the internet.
The sartorial history fashionista ( or fashionisto?) could swoon over something for their wardrobe. Great men’s hats are on this site, and the modern-day-sized old-fashioned shoes are from here.
Lest we neglect the history lover with a sweet tooth… candy from past eras. Everything from sorghum drops to Sky bars, rose vinegar to sugar-coated violet petals can be found at True Treats here: https://truetreatscandy.com/
Just in case you were wondering: No, we don’t earn a commission from sending you to these places. But remember: a gift of a personalized historic brick in our courtyard not only will please your recipient, it’ll be a gift to HSoSC as well!
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How We Celebrated Linda Garcia
If you weren’t able to attend the Celebration of Life for Linda Garcia, our beloved Site Manager for 15 years, here’s the slide presentation from Sunday afternoon, November 17.
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You’re gonna “Wish You Were Here!”
On Sunday, November 24, at 3 p.m., a new Conversation at The Crocker will be presented.
Acclaimed lecturer and historian Liz Coursen
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What an incredible cruise!
This November’s Historical Sarasota Bay Cruise, our 42nd, on Le Barge, was unlike any other.
Our incredible narrator, John McCarthy, esteemed local history expert, past President of HSoSC, current V.P. for Regional History at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, treated us to
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An embarrassment of riches. And free dirt under your nails.
UPDATE 10-7: OUR CLEANUP DAY’S canceled for now but will be rescheduled after Milton comes to visit
It’s beginning to look a lot like fall in Sarasota County. And around here, fall is when we tend our gardens, trim and prune and plant and mulch. Why, coming up this weekend are two don’t-miss plant sales, the 18th Annual Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Sale at Twin Lakes Park on Clark Road, and and the Venice Gardens Civic Association Plant Sale on Shamrock Blvd in Venice
At both sales, you can learn a lot about Florida gardening, and then put it to practical use (even if you live in a condo or only have a pot or two on your balcony) by participating in the Historical Society’s Garden [Clean-Up] Party on Saturday October 12. Directors and members will be
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Pumpkin Spice? Nothing new about that.
Starbucks likes to claim ownership of the current “pumpkin spice” fad. Everything from pumpkin spice coffee to pumpkin spice dog snacks is declared in season for fall. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s such a thing as pumpkin spice pumpkin spray.
Of course, Floridians have been cooking up this autumn squash long before there was a Starbucks anywhere near our state.
Pumpkin spice is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. These spices could certainly jazz up the traditional Seminole Pumpkin Fry Bread, which is surprisingly easy to make. And it would make a surprising addition to your fall menu! Here’s the recipe:
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Scavenger Hunt, History-Style.
Looking for a way to orient yourself in the history of Sarasota County? Here’s an idea: go on a scavenger hunt of all the historical markers in Sarasota, Venice, Osprey, Englewood and Northport. We’ve found some resources for you.
One resource has not just the historical markers in this multi-county area, but also war memorials. You can check it out
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The Historical Society of Sarasota County 