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Haven’t you always wanted to run away and join the circus?

Historic photo (1910) by Harry A. Atwell as seen on monovisions.com

Haven’t we all, at one point or another, wanted to run away and join the circus? And do it in STYLE? Now, thanks to the Historical Society, you can… at least for the day.

On Wednesday January 22, we’ll let you imagine being a circus performer, a guest of John and Mable… during a private tour of

Courtesy The Ringling

the Wisconsin, John & Mable Ringling’s first private railroad car,

in the Circus Museum at The Ringling.

Our intimate group will get a private tour led by Jennifer Lemmer-Posey, Tibbals Curator of Circus, and Pullman Car Historian David Duncan and will learn about the Ringling life on the rails and about the amazing parade wagons used by the circus in the Ringling era.

Courtesy getrealexclusive.com

“Understanding that the Ringlings didn’t own a home, they rented for many years… one can imagine the Wisconsin was the Ca d’Zan before they built the Ca d’Zan,” says Deborah Walk, retired Ringling assistant director of legacy and circus, and current Society Board member.

This event will help preserve the historic Crocker Church, the Bidwell-Wood House, and our ongoing educational programs. The cost is $75 per person, including lunch at the renowned MUSE restaurant on the museum grounds. Call Linda Garcia, our HSoSC guardian angel at 941-364-9076 from 10am to 2pm Monday-Friday, or email hsosc1@gmail.com right NOW to grab one of the few remaning spots on this once-in-a-lifetime event!

 

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Bertha’s Been Busy Baking Brownies

Kate Holmes as Bertha PalmerOne of our most popular “spokespersons” from the Speakers’ Bureau at HSoSC is Bertha Palmer, here shown as presented by Kate Holmes. Having done over 300 appearances as “The Queen of Chicago/ Sarasota’s Legendary Lady”, Kate tells us that the two most-asked questions she gets are “Where did you get that great dress?” (Answer: On the Internet of course!) and “Can I have the recipe for Bertha’s most famous invention, the Palmer House Brownie?”

So here’s the brownie recipe. Kate says the secret’s the apricot glaze, so don’t skip that step.

BTW, you CAN get Bertha’s Brownies at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago… or, if you’re very lucky, your local group/ club/ HOA will invite Bertha to appear before your group and one of your members could be talked into baking these! (Save one for “Bertha” to take home for her hubby…)

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Sarasota’s Mennonites: A Conversation at the Crocker

Who are the Mennonites and how did they get to Sarasota?

Our presenter on Tuesday evening, January 14 2020 (Please Note: the incorrect date went out to some of our subscribers. The correct date for this presentation is Tuesday January 14. Our apologies.) at 7pm is J.B. Miller. He is a lifelong Mennonite who lives in Sarasota and teaches about Mennonites and Amish.

Mennonites in Sarasota“Many people have limited knowledge of Mennonites and Amish,” said Miller. “Often their only contact is them pedaling around on three-wheelers or visiting one of the restaurants located in Pinecraft, an enclave home to primarily Amish and conservative Mennonites.”

This Conversation at the Crocker is all about the Mennonites – who they are, why they came to Sarasota, why they dress the way they do, and what their influence has been on the shaping of our community. We are lucky to have a speaker who can answer all your questions.

Doors open at 6pm – program begins at 7pm. Free to HSoSC Members – $10 for future members.

CONVERSATIONS AT THE CROCKER:  Our most popular gatherings. A series of interactive discussions on events that shaped Sarasota County’s past and continue to exert influence on its present and probably the future. These monthly events run from October through April. Explore our past Conversations.

These events start at 7pm in the Crocker Memorial Church. They are FREE to Historical Society members and $10 at the door for not-yet members. Bring your friends and participate in lively and informative discussions.  Bidwell-Wood House is open beginning at 6pm for touring before the meetings.

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Trading mullet for orange seeds: Is that any way to start a city?

The Whitakers: at the Historical Society of Sarasota County
Imagine Sarasota in 1842. Imagine being 21 years old and trading mullet from the Bay to start orange groves. Imagine courting, then marrying a girl from Manatee Village, a long hard ride from your homestead. Now imagine Bill and Mary Jane Whitaker having 11 children in the wilderness.

Your local guide, Lizzy Webb Guptill, portrayed by our very own Kate Holmes, will tell the story of her neighbors in this visual presentation of Sarasota’s Pioneer Family.

Sunday Afternoon Social, A light, entertaining program presented cafe-style in the historic Crocker Church (c.1901) Sunday, January 12, 2020 at 2 pm

Light Refreshments

Tickets at the Door, Seating Limited

Members $5, Future Members $10

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Please don’t let the Crocker Memorial Church die.

UPDATE APRIL 2022: We have completed the preservation and repair of the west wall of the Church with your financial help and hard work by our supporters and talented craftsmen. We even managed to help our Eagle Scout-to-be get in there and create an additional handicap space, and straightened the steeple while we were at it. Now, in 2022, we are facing the task of working on the east wall. You know the saying: “After 100, it’s patch, patch, patch.” Won’t you help us preserve, protect, and present this building which has been a community gathering spot for over 100 years? There’s a donation button here, where you can even pledge a monthly amount to help. Thank you in advance!

The Historical Society and indeed, our whole county, can be proud that we have preserved the Crocker Memorial Church for continual use as a gathering place for our community.

Other communities have not been so fortunate. On the left, below, Island Grove Church as seen on Abandoned Florida and on the right, our vibrant, attractive Crocker Memorial Church at 1260 12th Street in Sarasota.191219exterior blog

Inside, this is what Island Grove looks like, compared to ours.

191219 interior

But old wooden buildings don’t stay pristine forever, especially in our climate. Thank goodness we have the expertise and the ability to make sure that the issues with our beloved Crocker Memorial Church, which unfortunately include replacing the major support beam under the west wall, can be historically corrected. Here’s where we are today, awaiting the raising of funds.

west wall 2019

Learn more about the challenge we face.

As you can imagine, replacing the support beam and refreshing the siding and reinstalling the (carefully stored for now) original windows on the west wall of the building will take a lot of money, all of which must be raised by the Historical Society.

Please support the new structural support beam.

You can send a check to HSoSC at 1260 12th Street, Sarasota FL 34236, or donate instantly with your credit card via our secure “Donate” button on our sidebar. You can even pledge a monthly amount if you choose. Thank you for helping keep the Crocker Memorial Church whole and healthy for today, and for all the tomorrows.

Conversations at the Crocker 11/12 at 7:00pm

Three Women who Shaped Sarasota History: 

A Conversation at The Crocker

The Historical Society of Sarasota County (HSOSC) presents a program about three women who shaped Sarasota History onTuesday, November 12 starting at 7 p.m. at the Crocker Memorial Church at 1260 12th Street, (Pioneer Park) Sarasota. The program, which is part of the Society’s Conversations at The Crocker series, is free to HSOSC members and students and $10 at the door for guests. Proceeds from Conversations at The Crocker are used to maintain the historic Crocker Memorial Church (1901) and the Bidwell-Wood House (1882). The three women who are the subject of the November Conversation are: Bertha Palmer, Mable Ringling and Marie Selby. Following three illustrated lectures, there will be a question and answer session with the presenters.

 

Presenting the life, times and achievements of Bertha Palmer is Frank Cassell, the award-winning author of Suncoast Empire: Bertha Honore Palmer, Her Family and The Rise of Sarasota. Cassell is President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg. He is an officer of the Sarasota County Historical Commission and the History and Preservation Coalition of Sarasota County. Cassell’s book will be available for purchase at the Conversation and the author will sign copies after the program.
Bertha Palmer (1849-1918) was one of the best-known and wealthiest women in America. She was an art collector, women’s rights advocate, businesswoman, owner of Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel, and she had homes in Chicago, Paris, and London. In 1910 she traveled to the small settlement of Sarasota. Charmed with the rough place, she ultimately spent much of each year for the rest of her life on one of America’s last frontiers, investing in cattle and farming, creating communities out of marshlands, pine forests, and tropical jungles.

 

Talking about the life and times of Mable Ringling (1875-1929) will be Deborah Walk, a nationally respected archivist, writer, lecturer and the former curator of the Ringling Museum of the Circus. After her marriage to circus impresario John Ringling in 1905 Mable Burton Ringling, a farm girl from the midwest, became a great traveler and travel became her education. In 1923, the Ringlings commissioned the architect Dwight James Baum to build their dream home in Sarasota, modeled on the Doge’s Palace and the Cá d’Oro in Venice. Mable oversaw every aspect of the construction, from the glazing of the tiles to the mixing of the terra cotta. She designed much of the original landscaping on the grounds of the estate, including her Rose Garden and Secret Garden. Mable was the founder in 1927 of the Sarasota Garden Club. Thousands of people from all over the world visit her extravagant mansion on Sarasota Bay annually to experience for a few hours how the wealthiest lived in another time.

 

Presenting the life and times of Marie Selby will be Jeannie Perales, Vice President for Museum Exhibitions, Learning & Engagement at Selby Gardens and the co-author of a book on Selby Gardens. She has been with The Gardens since 2010 where she oversees educational programming, exhibitions, interpretation, and volunteers.

 

Marie Selby (1885-1971) started coming to Sarasota with her wealthy oilman husband William in the early 1920s. They built a home here and indulged their love of the outdoors by buying and working a cattle ranch and by boating. Marie was the first woman in America to cross the country by car and she was an award-winner sailor. She loved camping and gardening and she designed the landscaping for her own property. In 1955 the couple founded the Selby Foundation, that through its generous grants, has enhanced the lives of those who live and visit here.

 

When she died in 1971 Marie Selby left a personal legacy to Sarasota. She left her home and five acres of landscaped grounds for the development of a public botanical garden which opened in 1975. Organized seven years ago by HSOSC, Conversations at The Crocker is a series of interactive discussions that focus on the people, issues and events that have molded Sarasota County and Florida from earliest days. The Historical Society of Sarasota is a membership organization. Dues start at $35 for an annual membership. The Society is guided by a volunteer board of directors. President is Marsha Fottler. For more information, please call Site Manager, Linda Garcia at 364-9076.
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35th Historical LeBarge Cruise

It was a beautiful day and a great cruise on LeBarge for our 35th Historical Cruise with John McCarthy on Sunday November 3, 2019. A yummy and fun food buffet spread was put out by Sue Padden and Brenda Lee Hickman. Join us for the next historical cruise on Sunday March 8, 2020

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SHOP FOR FUN TO HELP THE HSOSC JUNE 15

A summer off campus Tag Sale to benefit the Historical Society is being held on Saturday June 15 from 9a – 1p at 180 Mimosa Circle (Beechwood) Sarasota at the home of one of our board members. Small unique pieces of furniture along with quality home decor items mingle with linens, art, some heritage plateware and lovely examples of vintage silver. Something for everyone at budget-friendly prices. All of the items have been donated and many are from design centers, retail stores and private donors. Many items have been donated from the Bird Key estate of Iris and Robert Hutton secured by member Jerry Chesley. You’ll find things whimsical, practical, elegant and irresistible when you shop with us on June 15, 2019.

Every dollar you spend helps us maintain the Bidwell-Wood House (1882) and the Crocker Memorial Church (1901) and helps continue our community outreach programs that raise awareness of Sarasota County’s rich history. The Tag Sale will be staffed by members of our events committee.

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April Conversations at The Crocker

APRIL CONVERSATIONS AT THE CROCKER – TUESDAY APRIL 9, 2019 AT 7PM

 

Who are the Florida Highwaymen and why are they important in the history of American art?

The Florida Highwaymen is the topic that historian (and collector of Highwaymen art) John McCarthy will discuss at a Conversation at The Crocker on Tuesday, April 9, starting at 7 p.m. at the Crocker Memorial Church, Pioneer Park, Sarasota. The program is presented by the Historical Society of Sarasota County (HSOSC) as part of its Conversations at The Crocker series now in its seventh year.

In a richly illustrated presentation, McCarthy illuminates a strange and fascinating African-American art movement. It began in the 1950s with landscape folk-art painters who sold work from the trunks of their cars on Florida’s major highways. It ended with art gallery and museum distinction for about two dozen of these artists who worked under the official art-world radar. These outsiders used oils and painted on Upson board (roof sheeting) and often framed their artwork with cheap hardware store crown molding.

They had no studios or agents and they painted from memory in carports or sheds taking their subjects from what they had seen working in agricultural fields or other jobs of manual labor. Sometimes their paintings were lush imaginative scenes of what they wished their surroundings were. These Highwaymen worked quickly and sold their art cheaply. They sold directly to the public (sometimes from door-to-door) at prices that were usually not in excess of $25.

These traveling Florida Highwaymen mentored and supported one another since most had no formal training in art. None of them achieved fame or success during their most productive days. Today, it’s a different story. The Highwaymen are celebrated and their work is highly collectible. The Florida Highwaymen are considered to be perhaps the last great art movement of the 20th Century.

 

Come and hear all about them when the story of the Highwaymen and examples of their art comes to the Crocker Memorial Church on April 9. HSOSC members and students admitted free; guests $10 at the door. For more information, contact Linda Garcia, Site Manager, at 941-364-9076.
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Sarasota Earlye Musicke Consort

Earlye Musick Consort will perform at Historical Society of Saraspota County on March 22 2016

Tuesday – Concert in the Crocker Memorial Church
April 2, 2019 7pm

The members of the Sarasota Earlye Musicke Consort play music dating from the 14th century to the 21st century on recorders and viols. Programs are varied, with descriptions of the instruments and commentary about the music shared at each performance. The Consort typically presents three or four concerts in the spring. This one is at the Crocker Memorial Church. Membership in the consort is by invitation from the director, Charlotte Trautwein. The Consort practices weekly October-April in the Crocker.

This concert is open to the public and no reservations are required. A $5 donation is requested and appreciated.

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Historical LeBarge Cruise

The first Sunday in March is the 34th Historical LeBarge Cruise narrated by John McCarthy, noted Sarasota Historian extraordinaire. Tickets are $50 for regular and $75 for VIP which includes early boarding / complimentary beverage and a thank you gift. Join us March 3, 2019 for an amazing history lesson on the water from 11a – 1p. A continental breakfast and coffee are provided for all guests.

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