History Fun

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Earlye Musicke in Historic Crocker Church

On Wednesday, April 1, 2015 the Sarasota Earlye Musicke Consort will be performing for the third season in a row for members and guests of the Historical Society of Sarasota County.  The program will be presented at the Crocker Memorial Church in Pioneer Park,  1260 12th Street (between US41 and Cocoanut Avenue) beginning at 7pm.

An early musical instrument

This is a viol de gamba!

The members of this consort, performing in period costume, play music dating from the 14th century to the 21st century on recorders and viols. This concert is free for HSOSC members; a $5 donation is requested from guests.  The group is led by Charlotte Trautwein.

The Sarasota Earlye Musicke Consort was recently awarded a 15 year certificate by the National American Recorder Society, recognizing the ensemble’s contribution to Sarasota and the surrounding communities.  The Sarasota chapter of ARS recently hosted the national board meetings for ARS at the Crocker Memorial Church, where they gather for class and group playing for intermediate and advanced players every week.

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Could YOU survive a shipwreck of the Atocha in 1622 Florida?

We are thrilled to present, at the next Brown Bag Book Lunch (BBBL), the author of a thrilling historical adventure novel, Henry Duggan.

Henry Diggan, author, presents at the Historical Society of Sarasota County on March 18 2015On Wednesday March 18, from 11:30a to 1:30p, enjoy Mr. Duggan’s tales of historical research and novel writing that havebrought forth Silver’s Odyssey. Bring your lunch and join Mr. Duggan on the Back Porch for a casual lunch after his talk and book signing. Beverages are provided by the Historical Society. BBBLs are free to members and $5 for guests.

Henry Duggan writes of  Silver’s Odyssey: Florida Wilderness Survival From the 1622 Atocha Shipwreck

A howling hurricane in 1622 tosses young Lt. Luis Armador overboard, washing him onto Florida’s savage shores. Meanwhile, his silver-ladened Atocha galleon sinks at sea, with 260 going to a watery grave.
A desperate quest for survival now begins in the wilderness, amongst bold native Americans–a world few Europeans had confronted. Wrenched to have left his betrothed’s pleadings in Seville, he now feels a sense of remorse, but realizes he must gird up for the coming physical challenges.
Indian slavery humbles him, and he becomes obsessed with escape. It comes, but with a price, as his fellow escapees meet misfortune. Pieces of eight, carried from the ship, become resentful reminders of his plight, and a mission to cache them in an underground stream almost takes his life.
Though surrounded by tremendous beauty in the New World, he suffers further grief, both at an Indian mission and  then at St. Augustine.  However, brandishing his sword, he is dauntless in his quest, while maturing in the process.

Duggan’s novel has earned 4.4 stars out of 5 on Amazon.com. It has garnered such reviews as

This is one of the most captivating books that I’ve read in a long time. The research that must have gone into this book was most impressive as was the flair that the author had for putting the reader right into the middle of the adventure.

This writer has managed to give us not only an excursion through the history of Ole Florida, but also a fantastic story of a man’s struggle and determination to survive. This is truly one of those “can’t put it down” novels.

Get a look inside Silver’s Odyssey here. You can buy it here, download it to your Kindle reading app here, or even, if you are an Amazon Prime member, borrow it for free here. (But whatever you do, DO NOT loan it to your male companion/ partner/spouse first. I did that, and now I have to wait for him to finish it, he loves it so!)

But whatever you do, don’t miss this chance to meet and discuss historical research and novel writing with Henry Duggan at the next Brown Bag Book Lunch on Wednesday March 18. No reservations needed. See you at 11:30 in the Crocker Memorial Church, and remember to pack a lunch… this will be quite the adventure!

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Even the kids & the grandkids support Sarasota history!

The Historical Society of Sarasota County loves the Keith Farmhouse restoration!
Did you know that the Farmhouse Market, in Phillippi Estate Park, is managed by Friends of Sarasota County Parks? This non-profit volunteer organization improves the life of current-day Sarasotans and visitors as well as helps maintain our ties to our past history.

Bring your children to the 4th Annual Children’s Day in the Park, at Phillippi Estate Park on Wed. March 11th, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

In addition to the sights and yummy tastes of the weekly market, there will be games of skill and balance by Krisztina. Plenty of vendors in the Arts/Crafts, live music by Siesta John and local authors too.

You can even bring your pooch to this weekly Farmhouse Market, where you find over 50 purveyors of locally grown and produced fresh produce, fish, honeys, teas, pet items, and much, much more! No-hassle free parking.

Children’s Day has always been the biggest day at the Market, so come early and stay late!
Phillippi Estate Park is located at 5500 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota on the Phillippi River.

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Exploring Sarasota County History

It’s the perfect time of year, here in Sarasota, to venture forth and see some of the sights in our county that you have always meant to visit.

Put down the top and see the county!

Put down the top and see the county!

The History & Preservation Coalition has, for your print-out-and-take-with pleasure, a colorful PDF map of what THEY call Historical Resources and what WE call cool spots to see. Included are URLs, so be sure to visit the various sites of the sights to see when they are open to the public.

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County Park, food, art, and jazz. What more could we want?

The Historical Society loves how everything in the county is intertwined. Some of our volunteers are volunteers elsewhere. Perhaps members of the Wood family, who lived in the Bidwell-Wood House from 1896 until the 1960’s, visited the Keiths or the Prodies at the Keith Mansion. So we are proud to help our current-day peers preserve and protect history, and of course, we love food, art and jazz as well as history! So join us at an event on the Trail, just a few miles south of our Pioneer Park location:

 

Light Chasers at the Bidwell-Wood House

The plein air painters often visit our historic buildings at the Historical Society of Sarasota County.

On Wednesday February 25 the Phillippi Farmhouse Market, a venture of the Friends of Sarasota County Parks,  welcomes the Light Chasers (Sarasota’s Plein Air Painters) to a Quick Draw Painting Contest.  At 10 a.m. the air horn signals the start of the painting in the market and all over the park.  The painters have just two hours to create an original painting: will they paint the Farmhouse> The Mansion? The colorful kayaks bobbing in Phillippi Creek? You’re welcome to wander the grounds and peer over the artists’ shoulders as they strive to envision an award-winning artwork of this bit of Sarasota history!

 

Bill Farnsworth, Master Artist from Venice, will judge the paintings and award prizes. You can buy the paintings right off the easel right then or attend one of the art shows and sales at the Edson Keith Mansion on Friday, Feb 27 – 6 – 8 p.m. (Gala Opening Night – $25.00/ticket) or come Sat Feb 28, 5 – 8 p.m. FREE, or Sunday, March 1 – noon – 5 p.m. FREE.

 

Along with Sunday’s art show and sale will be Jazz in the Park, a free jazz concert from noon – 5 p.m. at the Gazebo, sponsored by the Jazz Club and the kickoff to Jazz Week in Sarasota.The Quick Draw Contest and art shows and sales in the Edson Keith Mansion will raise funds for the restoration of the Keith Farmhouse in the Park.  This was the original building erected on the estate in 1916 – 99 years ago.

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Brown Bag Book Lunch: Discuss & munch with the author of “Shade in the Sunshine State”

AAuthor Liz Coursenuthor, editor, and publisher Elizabeth H. Coursen will be featured at this month’s Brown Bag Book Lunch at the Historical Society of Sarasota County on Wed. Feb. 18, in the historic Crocker Memorial Church. She will be speaking on Continue reading →

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A Trip Down Memory Lane

Map of Sarasota, 1925

This October 1925 map of downtown Sarasota is from, we believe, the newspaper.

Dwell Real Estate has a blog entry with lots of fun Sarasota-in-the-past photos. Credit given: Photos and information courtesy of Yesterday’s Sarasota by Del Marth.

Take a look!

For actual copies of the Sarasota papers from 1925 on, visit here.

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Brown Bag Book Lunch: Discuss & munch with famed The Living Gulf Coast author

The Living Gulf Coast author leads a discussion at the Historical Society of Sarasota County January 21 2015Charles Sobczak, author of our favorite guide book, “The Living Gulf Coast – A Nature Guide to Southwest Florida”, will be the featured author at this month’s Brown Bag Book Lunch at the Historical Society of Sarasota County on Wed. Jan. 21st, in the historic Crocker Memorial Church.

Sobczak, a resident of Sanibel Island, has been a featured lecturer with ROAD SCHOLARS (formerly Elderhostel.) He is only one of two authors in the county whose books are used as companion guides to their local programs. His first novel, “Six Mornings on Sanibel is currently in its seventh printing. His nature guide, entitled, “Living Sanibel – A Nature Guide to Sanibel and Captiva Islands” quickly became the best-selling book on Sanibel and rose to #34 nationally on Amazon.com for nature guides.

His lectures are memorable for their relevance and his sense of humor and his Gulf Coast book has been a Best Seller at the Historical Society. If you have a copy, bring it to discuss… if you don’t, you can buy one at this Brown Bag Book Lunch!

Bring your lunch, drinks will be provided on the Back Porch of the historic Bidwell House. Join history, book, and nature lovers for this month’s BBBL Wednesday January 21 at 11:30 am Free to members, $5.00 per guest. The Historical Society is located in Pioneer Park, just east of Tamiami Trail, at 1260 12th Street . Plenty of free parking. Call the Society at  941-364-9076 during office hours, 10 to 2 Monday-Friday for more information.

(Can’t make this month’s meeting? Interested in our History Book Club as well? Read more.)

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This Day in History: Happy 45th, Van Wezel!

van wezel from louiswerycomOn this date in 1970, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall opened.

Designed by the late Frank Lloyd Wright’s firm, Taliesin Associates Architects, the building was called by its critics the “purple cow” or “purple people seater.”

How much do YOU know about the Van Wezel?

The Van Wezel was painted purple because:

  1. Purple was a good foil to the turquoise waters of Sarasota Bay.
  2. Mr. Wright’s widow suggested it.
  3. Purple is the color of royalty, and Sarasota looked forward to the “royalty of performers” appearing in the theater.
  4. The paint was donated by a local paint dealer, and that’s the color he chose.

Why did the One Eyed One Horned Flying Purple People Eater come to Earth?

  1. His spaceship crashed in the Grand Canyon.
  2. He wanted to get a job in a rock-&-roll band.
  3. He craved a Starbuck’s every day.
  4. He liked short shorts.

The first Broadway show in the Van Wezel was

  1. Cactus Flower
  2. Fiddler on the Roof
  3. Guys and Dolls
  4. The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd

Who were Lewis and Eugenia Van Wezel?

  1. They built the first year-round residence on Lido Key.
  2. Lewis was a diamond buyer for Tiffany’s.
  3. Eugenia’s brother-in-law was Gustaf Nobel.
  4. They built a downtown building known as the Eugenic.

Answers: In each case, the correct answer is #2, except for the last. All the choices are correct about the Van Wezels! You will be awarded extra points if you pronounce Van Wezel as “Van Way-zel”, not “Van Weasel.”

Did you know? Tours of the Van Wezel backstage areas and the Fine Arts Society art collection are offered to the public the first Tuesday of the month, October through May. More info.

And if you can’t remember all the lyrics of One Eyed One Horned Flying Purple People Eater, here it is on YouTube. Tequila.

With thanks to Yesterday’s Sarasota Calendar by J. Whitcomb Rylee, the Van Wezel web site and Sarasota History Alive! for these tidbits. Photo from LouisWery.com.

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25th Historical LeBarge Cruise

The Historical Society celebrated its 25th Historical LeBarge Cruise early in November, and were delighted to offer commentary courtesy of famed local historian John McCarthy.

If you couldn’t make the November tour with us, make plans now to join us in March! Email Linda Garcia, our Site Manager, at hsosc1@gmail.com for your reservations now.

Historical Bay Cruise by the Historical Society of Sarasota County

Our newest board member Virginia Hoffman (second from left) enjoyed her birthday celebration on the cruise with other board members (l. to r.) BrendaLee Hickman , Bill Kleber, and Meade Ferguson.

Funds raised help the private non-profit Society preserve and protect two of the oldest historic buildings in Sarasota County. Visit the Bidwell-Wood House (1882) and the Crocker Memorial Church (1901) Monday-Friday 10am to 2pm, or during any of our special events on our Calendar of Events.  Pioneer Park is located just east of 41 at 12th Street.

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Love to read? Love history? Join us with our new programs

The Historical Society of Sarasota County has two new programs beginning in December.

BBBL – Brown Bag Book Lunch!

This series of four get-togethers starts on Wednesday, December 17, 2014 from 11:30am to 1:30pm.  Local authors will discuss their books and offer insights in the Crocker Memorial Church starting at 11:30am followed by a question and answer period.  Then the group will have their BYOB brown-bag lunch on our serene Back Porch with beverages supplied by HSOSC.

On December 17 Bea Hartman will illustrate chapter sites from her “Florida Treasures – 55 Great Sites on the National Register of Historic Places“.  You will be able to purchase an autographed copy at the meeting.

The series continues with

  • January 21, 2015 – Charles Sobczak “The Living Gulf Coast“;
  • February 18, 2015 – Liz Coursen “Shade in the Sunshine State“
  • March 18, 2015 – Henry Duggan “Silver’s Odyssey: Florida Wilderness Survival From the 1622 Atocha Shipwreck“

These events are free for HSOSC members and $5 for guests.

The History Book Club

Jeff LaHurd's Sarasota: A HistoryAlso new beginning in January, HSOSC is starting a History Book Club headed up by president Howard Rosenthal and new member Anita Palladino.

First book reading is “Sarasota A History” by Jeff LaHurd.

These meetings will take place on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 1pm from January thru April in the Crocker Memorial Church.

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D E S I G N E R T A G S A L E

Saturday, Novmeber 15, 2014

9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Crocker Memorial Church

1260 12th Street  (Pioneer Park)

One block east of N. Tamiami Trail at 12th Street

941-364-9076

Presented by the Historical Society of Sarasota County in cooperation with area interior designers who have donated specialty items from their galleries and inventory.

Come and find custom toss pillows, lamps, occasional furniture, extraordinary designer fabric and wallpaper, tabletop sculpture, framed paintings and prints, mirrors, garden ornaments, silk flower and foliage arrangements and a special holiday section with gift items for the season.  Proceeds help maintain the historic Bidwell-Wood House (1882) and the Crocker Memorial Church (1901).

Shop for fun, amazing and gorgeous designer bargains and help support historic preservation in our town.  It only happens every other year so don’t miss out!

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Siesta Beach, July 4 1923

How hot were the sands of Siesta on July 4 1923?

112 mph, that’s how hot!

Mr. O’Neal came within 3 MPH of breaking the world’s motorcycle speed record as he roared down Sarasota (Siesta) Key Beach on his Harley Davidson at 112 MPH. This was the feature event in the American Legion’s July 4th Carnival.
— from Yesterday’s Sarasota by J. Whitcomb Rylee in conjunction with The Historical Society of Sarasota County

Harley-Davidson motorcycle almost beat the world record on Siesta Beach in 1923 ---HSoSC.com

Photo from antiquemotorcycle.org

More on the Independence Day celebrations in Sarasota on The Journals of Yesteryear at sarasotahistoryalive.com

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Oh no I forGOT!!!

Wonderful response from members and supporters on the 2014 Giving Challenge on May 6-7. Our biggest thanks to you all, as well as to those who preferred to use our “Donate” button here on our site, on the right margin.

But I’ve heard from several generous folk that they forgot, were busy, got distracted by the beautiful weather. Here’s how I imagine some of our supporters looking:

A young lady, just now realizing that she forgot to participate in the 3014 Gicing Challeng on behalf of the Historical Society of Sarasota County.So if this young lady reminds you of yourself, rest assured that you can donate securely with our Donate button, or you can donate this Saturday in person at our

Annual Meeting and Members Potluck

which starts at 11am and features yummy food, our annual election, and a peaceful friendly wrap up of the season at the Historical Society. I’m bringing two new dishes, so wish me luck in the kitchen, or I may look like that lady up there on Saturday! See you soon!