Nothing could be bought any more with a penny, not even penny candy. Moreover, the cost to mint the penny had risen to more than 3 cents, a financial absurdity that doomed the coin.
Since we just changed our clocks, I thought you’d like to read this excerpt from a Jeff LaHurd article plus additional info from the Observer newspapers on the Palmer Bank Clock.
Palmer Bank, standing proudly at Five Points in downtown Sarasota, was established in the Roaring 20s by Bertha Palmer’s sons, Honoré Palmer and Potter Palmer Jr., along with Prince Michael Cantacuzene (a Russian nobleman and husband of Bertha’s niece, Julia Dent Grant).
Its iconic cornerstone clock noted the time of day for generations.
This 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
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.
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!
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 onthis site, and the modern-day-sized old-fashioned shoesare 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!
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
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.
To read the back of this marker… come visit!
One resource has not just the historical markers in this multi-county area, but also war memorials. You can check it out
On summer days when it was just too hot to even run through the sprinkler, we headed for the only air-conditioned place in town. I think the first movie that made me yearn for Florida was
The Historical Society of Sarasota County will host a concert performed by members of the Sarasota Earlye Musicke Consort, a group that performs music from Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras in the Crocker Memorial Church, located in Pioneer Park, at 1260 12th Street, on Tuesday, April 2 at 2:00 PM.
This musical group has been filling the church with their delightful music, every Tuesday during their rehearsals. The concert is free and open to the public. Donations are always greatly appreciated, of course.
The historical complex is on 12th Street, between N. Trail and Cocoanut Ave.
If you follow HSoSC on Facebook, you may have seen my lament for mince pie at Thanksgiving.
I used to be able to find the Nonesuch filling in jars at Publix, but alas, the past few years, nothing.
A 1905 recipe. No, “modern” mincemeat doesn’t have meat or suet in it.
So when I came across a treasury of turn-of-the-last century (that’s 1898-1899 to us history-minded folks) Thanksgiving menus, I was pleased to see mince pie on nearly every one. I was beginning to think that such a pie was a figment of my imagination.
This menu was from the 1899 version of a fast-food place: the restaurant in the train station. So it’s much less elaborate than the hotel menus but it has prices to marvel at. Please note that the prices are in cents! not dollars as they would be now.
Who saves old chewing gum wrapping? Juicy Fruit the company does.
The first product scanned with a barcode was Juicy Fruit gum.
When Marsh Supermarket cashier Sharon Buchanan rang up a 10-pack of Juicy Fruit on June 26, 1974, and heard a telltale beep, her face must have registered relief.
The Historical Society of Sarasota County 