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Swept by a conflagration…

This Day in History: On October 8, 1871… 150 years ago… the tragedy of the Great Chicago Fire happened.

“This city has been swept by a conflagration which has no parallel in the annals of history” wrote the Chicago papers… after they were able to start printing papers again.

“The Chicago fire has so absorbed public attention

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Centennial Presentations from the Historical Society

To mark the centennial year of Sarasota County, the Historical Society produced several educational events. These have had to be translated from in-person appearances to online presentations for use during the pandemic. The filmed reading of the play, The Roads We Traveled to Sarasota County, written and produced by Board member Kathryn Chesley, is available on loan for group showings with an appropriate honorarium. Please contact our office for more information. We will also be presenting the video with in-person commentary by Ms. Chesley and actors, as our November Conversation at the Crocker.

Kathryn Chesley, Author, Producer, Director, and Actor
Kate Holmes costumed as Lizzie Guptill

The slide show, From Wilderness to County, was originally created for our Speakers’ Bureau to take on the road to clubs, groups, and other gatherings. Kate Holmes, a volunteer with HSoSC, wrote, created, and presented this event while costumed as and in the persona of Lizzie Webb Guptill, a real-life pioneer who arrived in this area as a 12-year-old in 1867. Lizzie’s viewpoint of Sarasota’s journey from an unpopulated wilderness to a 20th-century county, can be viewed here.

It’s a journey to 1921, and we hope you enjoy it.

From Wilderness to County, a presentation from The Historical Society of Sarasota County

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Our 2020 AND 2021 Hero of History

The longest-reigning, as-yet-uncrowned Hero of History at the Historical Society of Sarasota County has been Jon Thaxton. We look forward to finally being able to gather together at Michael’s On East on November 18 to acknowledge Jon’s vast contributions to our regional history. Please join us at this, our traditional luncheon.

Jon Thaxton is the designated Hero of History for 2020. An official celebration of his achievements and the presentation of his award should have happened in March 2020 at a grand luncheon with speakers attesting to the many accomplishments of this activist in the cause of preservation and conservation, especially of Florida’s natural spaces. But the HSoSC Hero of History recipients are not only recipients for one year. They are heroes for all time. So, we look forward to celebrating Jon Thaxton’s life in government, the non-profit sector and his private life through affiliation with history, preservation and conservation organizations on Thursday, November 18, 2021.

A worldwide pandemic has delayed our public recognition of Jon Thaxton’s work in Sarasota County, but not diminished his contribution one bit.

Reservation information below.

Contact Linda Garcia, Site Manager, at 941-364-9076, or email her at hsosc1@gmail.com for more information and sponsor opportunities.

All previous reservations and payments still apply, and it will be doubly exciting to finally be able to cheer all our Heroes of History on! All Covid19 precautions will be strictly adhered to on November 18 2021. Would love to attend but the date doesn’t work? Chat with Linda… she has ways you can participate even without being there!

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Yes, it’s fall in Sarasota.

For a climate not known for its subtly, our semi-tropical Sarasota lets autumn sneak up on us. Maybe youve noticed those beach sunsets come earlier and earlier? It’s already before 8. By Halloween, the sun will be setting at 6:45 p.m, and by Thanksgiving? It’ll be dark by 5:30 or so.
And how about your pool temperature? It’s going down even though air temperatures are in the mid to upper 80s. Just so you know: the average high in early September is 90. By the end of November, the average high will be 75.

For me, fall arrives when the golden rain tree on my way to the library turns dusty pink then autumnal brown.

Maybe for you, it’s when the muhly grass turns pink.

The beauty berry plumps up (read what you can do with this harvest.)

The blackeyed Susans compete with the beach sunflowers for Showiest Bloom.

And the Virginia creeper, latest of all fall signals, lets you know when you should start Christmas shopping.

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Let’s straighten that hat, shall we?

You probably haven’t noticed, what with the world being tilted on its own axis these 18+ months and everyone waiting for it to settle down, but the steeple of our historic Crocker Memorial Church has needed a little resettling itself, so to speak.

So, being the

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Let’s gloat a bit…

Well, it’s after Labor Day. That means, for folks Up North, the end of their beach time.

Ah, but for us lucky Sarasota Countians, we get to enjoy our beaches year-round.

Of course that means…

finding a parking spot year-round as well. This photo was taken (hold onto your sunhat!) FORTY YEARS ago, in 1981. (You’d think they’d have solved this problem by now…)

Of course, enjoying our beaches year-round means the quest for a beach-worthy body is perpetual. Here’s some bodies over the years to instill in us all, that all bodies are beautiful (even if all bathing suits aren’t necessarily.)

Okay, I cheated just a bit. Those ladies in 1885 attire were actually shelling Up North, but what they were wearing was what the Scottish settlers would have back in the day.

Okay, enough with the FUN. Here’s some history to enjoy:

Speaking of “History is FUN”… have you saved the dates for our new, mid-afternoon events in the Crocker Memorial Church? December 1, January 6, March 2. See all our upcoming events.

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Timing is Everything

“Timing is everything,” is the mantra of many legendary comedians and actors who agree that when you drop that punch line or make that gesture can be the difference between a successful performance and one that is not. Lately, all of us have been reconsidering our timing. When to return to restaurants, when to have a dinner party, when to wear a mask, when to take a seat in the audience of a live theater production, when to see book club or bridge friends again. 

“Because of the recent surge in COVID cases we have had to reevaluate our timing at HSOSC.

“It is the consensus of our Boards that our timing is off for the start of public programming at the Crocker Memorial Church. Consequently, we are postponing the October Conversation at The Crocker. Our season will (hopefully) begin with the November Conversation on Tuesday, November 9, and we will also hope to see you all before the Conversation at our Welcome Back Reception the same evening. Stay tuned to our blog here, our Facebook page, and our website for details.

Be sure to get all our blog posts by adding your name to our mailing list on our website.

“Hopefully time will be on our side in November.”

— Marsha Fottler, President, & the Board of Directors & the Advisory Board

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Our Summer Fundraising Challenge has been MET!

Imagine the excitement when our site manager, Linda Garcia, received a communication from one of our supporters saying that a matching $10,000 would be donated, if we could get just 10 more Historical Society lovers to give $1,000 each to help the Society continue its mission.

Imagine how our Board of Directors was so thrilled to realize that this anonymous donor was challenging others to donate a significant amount by offering to double their donations.

And finally, imagine not just those who stepped up with $1,000 to turn it into $2,000… but also the many many members who loved the idea, and whose contributions reflected their monetary ability to cheer us all on!

To all who heeded the call from a small nonprofit struggling in these times to keep the two historical Sarasota buildings we protect, preserve, and present… we are so proud to tell the world that

Our Summer Fundraising Challenge has been MET!

Thanking the donors whose generosity helped The Historical Society of Sarasota County meet its Summer Challenge Matching Grant!

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Who’s been an American longer?

How esoteric can we get? A stumper!

Who’s been an American longer, a Pensacolan or a St. Augustinian?

If you guessed the folks in St. Augustine, you’d be right, but possibly for the wrong reason. St. Augustine officially became American on July 10 1821 along with the territory known as East Florida. Pensacola, in west Florida, became part of the U.S.A. a week later, on July 17 1821.

The Historical Society of Sarasota County has a stumper for you! Who's been an American longer....

Have you ANY idea how hard it was to keep those trousers white in 1821?

If you didn’t attend grade, middle, junior high or high school in Florida, you’re possibly mighty confused about what country claimed Florida when. Here’s a quick rundown.

Reference: https://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/map/map.html#FL

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Reading history with one eyebrow arched

“Don’t believe everything you read online.” –Abraham Lincoln

belle 1
Take my word for it. It ain’t pink.

It’s always an interesting journey, learning about history. Mistakes can be made, then perpetuated as though they were truths. I recall in my recent history, when I asked our social media audience about “the pink building you can see from 41″… I didn’t double-check my personal memory and called a white stucco building pink. That pink flooded my cheeks when I was called on it! 

Then there’s the aspiring nonfiction writer whose entire manuscript must be called on verity when he doesn’t even get the historical figure’s son’s name right. You do well to read with one eyebrow arched in mistrust, or simply do as I did… throw the book across the room in exasperation. 

They say that primary sources are the only sources to trust, but sometimes, primary sources are in short supply or sometimes, those primaries have a bone to pick or an agenda that’s not always The Truth. Hence, many fables get cited as truth that shouldn’t be.

And sometimes, the mistake is simply one of sentence structure and assumptions. Did Ringling’s elephants build the Causeway? Wellll…. kinda, but not like your mental picture of pachyderms wading in the sea grass.

I’m prepping a presentation right now on Sarasota’s Fabulous Fables & Fascinating Facts (it’ll be ready for hire soon from our Speaker’s Bureau) and having a ball with this whole concept. Thank goodness for our members who are local history experts, and for the primary sources at Historical Resources, so I can double, triple, check what’s real and what is not. 

But sometimes, a fable’s just too much fun to die. Hellooo Sara DeSota, you precious young thing you.

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Centennial Celebration Video

As we celebrate the county’s centennial year, each historic group was tasked with creating something that would entertain and educate the public. Kathryn Chesley, member of the Board of Directors at the Historical Society, wrote and directed a play reading which was then video-taped for easy sharing. President Marsha Fottler says: “WKathryn Chesleye are ready with the production and our organization’s contribution to the Centennial celebration.” Here’s the details:
Title: The Roads We Took to Sarasota County
Run time: 1 hour
Available by: Contacting the Historical Society of Sarasota County
                     Available to any organization who plans to use it with a Centennial event
Cost: Donation to the Historical Society of Sarasota County, There is no set amount for the donation. It is whatever the organization wishes to donate
To use: Contact Linda Garcia, manager of Historical Society who will provide a way to unlock the link to the video. Organization can then use the video.
Contact phone number: 941-364-9076
In Addition:
The play will be shown on Tuesday, November 9, at 7:00pm at the Crocker Memorial Church, 1260 12th Street, Sarasota, Fl. The actors will be present as well as Kathryn Chesley, the writer and director along with Frank Cassell, from whose book the facts were taken.
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Step into my parlor…

While the Crocker Memorial Church is being refreshed, our attention turns to the Bidwell-Wood House. If you haven’t had a chance to see it recently, stop by any Tuesday or Friday from 10 til 2 for a self-guided visit. We hope, in season, to have docent-guided tours of our campus. Interested in learning and sharing some 19th-century local lore? Email our Site Manager, Linda Garcia, at hsosc1@gmail.com to join our next regularly-scheduled docent class. Tell her Sara DeSota sent you!

 

Be sure to sign the guest book and join an international roster of history-lovers.
Light-weight chairs were always ready to seat visitors. Or plotters.
The Bidwell home was considered the finest south of Tampa when it was built in 1882.
The Historical Society of Sarasota County is fortunate to have a few pieces of the Ringling Hotel’s china on display.
There’s Dr. Joe and there’s Dr. Jack. Learn more as a member of HSoSC.
Our picturesque campus has inspired artists for years.
Come see all the Bidwell-Wood House has to offer you!
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So thrilled!

Accessibility at the Historical Society of Sarasota CountyCelebrate! Thanks to you, our supporters, and almost-Eagle Scout Daron, we will be DOUBLING our handicap-accessible parking at the Historical Society this summer!

That means that when we are finally confident in our new season, starting in October 2021, it’ll be easier for our guests to attend our gatherings. Stay tuned for reportage on what the Events Committee has planned for the new season. And yes, we heard Continue reading →