Sometimes, you just want to enjoy the beauty Florida has to offer.
There are wonderful online images of the nature in Florida to find. Remember, if you
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People & Places
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!
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What is, and what isn’t, a “white elephant”?
The origin of catch phrases can be bite-size history lessons. I ran across “white elephant” in my reading and wondered how that came to mean something you’d rather not own. Here’s what I learned.
Although a white elephant used to be considered a sacred and tremendously valuable animal in Siam (modern-day Thailand), being given one Continue reading
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Not your usual HSoSC Annual Meeting.
Our Annual Meeting on Saturday, while not the traditional potluck/ slide show/ awards ceremony, was fresh-air wonderful.
And Pioneer Park was filled with folks playing, picnicking, even another meeting going on, next door at the DAR, under the trees!
To learn how 2020-2021 went down at HSoSC (and a little taste of an exciting event coming up this summer!), visit https://hsosc.com/newsletters/
And hopefully as well, there will be a world-wide shortage of exclamation points so our blogmistress calms down a bit (this un-masked existence has her quite giddy.)
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Sunshine Springs and Gardens
Well, I was just going to share with you, the scans Rex Carr posted of the program for the opening of a Sarasota attraction you might never have heard of.
But the whole thing got a bit out of hand so I had to make it into a full-length article. It’s on our Articles Page now, and well-worth your time (and mine!) Go read. Enjoy.
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You wouldn’t recognize the place.
An Historical Society Facebook follower, Lynne Armington, sent us this neat photo of Bird Key’s raw development stage with this note:
Dad discovered Bird Key being dredged up out of Sarasota Bay, and decided to build on it in 1960. $48,000 for the lot and concrete construction three bedroom, two bath one-story home. We looked across the Bay to a little shack restaurant called Marina Jack’s.
Actually, the family’s view was of Marina Mar, the original name for what became Marina Jack’s. Here’s what Marina Jack’s has to say about their founding:
Back in the day, Marina Jack was actually Marina Mar. Marina Mar was built in 1963 with city-approved plans for an upscale restaurant, shops, snack bar, and 143 boat slips. The establishment soon failed and was taken over by Jack Graham in 1968, who created what is now known as Marina Jack.
Ain’t history grand? Let us know if you and your family have some unique and undiscovered views of our county’s past, and we’ll share them with others.
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Now’s Here’s a Family Story!
Shane McFarland shared on an FB page, his home-grown historical account of his grandfather. This is precious now, and imagine what a resource for future historians it will be, as well. What family tales could YOU document to save for posterity? Thank you, Shane, for sharing this terrific family biography!
“Mac” The Sailor Man – Sarasota Legend
My Grandy, Arthur Glenn “Mac” McFarland (1902 – 1965), moved to Fruitville in 1933 with 2 children and could only find work packing celery at the old Packing House. He also rolled cigars at Hav-A-Tampa Cigars in Ybor City. But after 5 years somehow managed to save enough to open his own business.
Mac started the Sarasota Archery Club by setting up targets behind his first Sporting Goods Store (opened in 1938) at 10th & 301. After-school kids would go there to learn Archery. It’s now “Sarasota Archers” on 17th Street. One of my cousins, who learned from him at a very young age, still only hunts with a bow.
He also owned a Sporting Goods store where today’s Wilson Building is, at State St. & S. Orange. I actually met Mr. Wilson in 2010, and he told me he bought the building because every day after school (Central Elementary, where the post office is now) would come into my Grandy’s store to look around – as he had many guns, knives, and trophy animals throughout the store. He showed me around and said he kept the original tile floors just to remember those days.
My Grandy also helped start the Sarasota Sailing Squadron, in 1949, and taught many youth to sail…including my mother, and my eldest cousin, who now teaches many more youth to sail. He also helped Hap Poneliet, his very good friend & riding buddy, to start the first Honda Motorcycle Club.
He loved to hunt & fish, and Myakka was his home away from home. My Uncle, Harold Abbott, and my Aunt, Joan McFarland, lived in the park – as he was a park ranger and she worked in the fire tower.
Mac on the old quay wall, circa 1949.
My Grandy was killed, in 1965, by a hit & run driver one early morning, while riding his motorcycle to fish in Myakka. His maternal Grandfather, Francis Marion Smith (1861–1953) is buried at Friendship Baptist Church, 5700 Palmer Blvd, Fruitville, Sarasota County. Mac is buried at Manasota Memorial Park.
As far as I’m concerned, he should have a memorial built for him in downtown Sarasota.
— Shane McFarland
What stories could you commit to paper, computer file, electronic sharing? And how wonderful would they be not only to your family, but to future historians? If you don’t know where to get started, search for “saving family history” and you’ll find inspiration to add your bit to the annals of history!
Shane: “The toddler on Mac’s lap is my aunt Joan, circa 1931. The little girl with the birthday cake is my mother on her 4th birthday, June of 1935, in Fruitville. The baby on Mac’s lap is me, 1962.”
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“They must be considered as weeds”
“Let it be remembered that there be no useless plants in this garden and if any prove to be such they must be
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Historical Society Society of Sarasota County Mourns a Great Loss
by Marsha Fottler, President
Marsha Fottler, current President of the Board of Directors, with Howard Rosenthal at the Historical Society of Sarasota County.
Our board was informed that Howard Rosenthal passed away on Wednesday night after a long illness due to heart problems and his need for a kidney transplant. His wife, Priscilla Waldron notified us.
Howard was a past president of this historical society, serving from 2011 to 2017 and he remained involved after his term by serving on the advisory board and by always being available to me, his successor, when I wanted to discuss some course of action or a proper interpretation of the bylaws.
Howard was a career lawyer and his reasoned approach to issues before our board was a hallmark of his tenure. He never said much at meetings, but listened as everyone else spoke. Then, he would sum up everything, give his opinion about what we should do and call for a vote and move on.
Howard joined HSOSC in 2009 after he and his wife Alice moved to Sarasota. Both he and Alice were Mensa members and loved history. Howard wanted to give tours of the Bidwell-Wood House and the Crocker Memorial Church and when he realized we did not have a formal docent program with a manual and a series of sessions for would-be guides, he promptly wrote the book and then taught the classes. To “graduate” each of us had to give a guided tour for him and the group with Howard making notes on both our stage performance and knowledge of the properties and of Sarasota history. He himself loved giving tours, enjoying the details as well as visually painting the picture of the evolution of the vintage properties. He had the proper experience. For many years Howard was an admired docent at the famed Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia. One year on a summer trip to Pennsylvania, my husband and I went to that museum/library, took the tour and mentioned Howard’s name. They knew him and had glowing things to say about his scholarship and his lively tours.
After Alice died, Howard remained with the organization serving on the board and moving into the presidency in 2011. Howard was an enthusiastic gourmet, loved trying new restaurants and he especially enjoyed our Holiday Party each December. He could always be relied upon for an impromptu restaurant review.
A few years ago, at a Mensa meeting, Howard met Priscilla Waldron and they were married at the Crocker Memorial Church on March 27, 2016. We think it was the first Jewish wedding in the building. They had a happy few years together, all the sweeter because their love and marriage were such a late life surprise to both of them.
Howard will be buried in New Jersey. He told Priscilla he didn’t want an obituary or a memorial service. He was a valuable board member and exemplary president of HSOSC and we miss him. But, the docent program he started and the good decisions he made have made HSOSC stronger and better.
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John Ringling’s Ghost Hotel
Visit the unfulfilled promise of a Longboat Key Ritz Carlton with “Bill and Nancy”… she’s wearing those shorts… wait… not Bermudas but Jamaicas! Isn’t it a gas to remember details like that? Click to watch this Florida Memory film:
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School days, school days
When I was a schoolgirl, school started the day after Labor Day. So our last beach day, last picnic, last chasing fireflies was bittersweet…. but oh, how excited I was with my new school supplies.
Okay, yeh, I was one of those kids, the ones who liked school, all the way through ’til graduation. I went to what was called a junior-senior high school, so I had 6 years in the same school.
We all have fond memories of what our high school looked like. Here’s Sarasota High.
What? that’s not the SHS you remember? Well, long before you were a twinkle in your daddy’s eye, that was the proud edifice overseen by Mr. Yarbrough.
Thomas Wayland Yarbrough was the standard-bearer for Sarasota schools for nearly four decades. He came to Sarasota in 1907 to lead the public schools and, with the exception of three years in Mulberry, remained until his retirement in 1945. Read about Mr. Yarbrough.
Our headline got you humming? Here’s the 1907 sheet music and song.
Have you seen our blog post honoring Mary McLeod Bethune?
Thanks for all this info are due to to Rex Carr, Larry Kelleher, and whoever took that beautiful, crisp and clear photo of SHS.
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The Greatest Show on Earth
A guest post from Sarasota’s beloved artist and historian, now relocated but still in our hearts, Deborah Dart:
It is still difficult for me to grasp the ending of The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. I lived most of my life in the city that was distinctly shaped by and benefited tremendously from their presence since 1927.
The Greatest Show on Earth ended Sunday May 21, 2017.
John Ringling knew what he was doing when the Florida building bust devastated the city in the 1920’s. Moving his circus winter headquarters to Sarasota brought visitors and business to the city while much of the state continued to struggle through heavily depressed times. With the winter quarters established in Sarasota it wasn’t long before every travel guide linked the city to the circus.
In the 1950’s entertainment attractions began popping up throughout Florida drawing visitors away from Sarasota and Ringling’s winter quarters circus performances. A grand metal entrance sign was erected to provide more visibility for attracting tourists to the quarters on what is today’s Beneva Road just north of Fruitville Road.
The circus became a favorite subject for me to paint and has given me some outstanding commissions from Feld Entertainment and The World Circus Federation. There are dozens of other circuses performing world wide but none will ever seem quite as great to me as the Greatest Show on Earth.
Love this art? Click to go to Deborah’s web shop.
You can visit my website to view more of my circus pieces and landscapes of Sarasota – www.dagdart.com
Stay safe and well!
Deborah Dart
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The Historical Society will help you through this historic time.
Okay, the Historical Society is gonna step up and take an historical stance on this historic event, the COV-19 crisis.
As you know, people have been through lots worse, under scarier conditions throughout history, and even within the lifetimes of most of us.
We will get through this. And with that in mind, HSoSC will be posting things on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/historicalsociety.sarasota/ that will help you through, will enlighten you, occupy you, amuse you and make you wonder.
Bookmark, like, share, comment, tell your friends that if they want some neighborly ideas, follow us… until COV-19 itself becomes history!
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Historical LeBarge Cruise – Sunday March 8, 2020
Coming on Sunday March 8, 2020 the Historical LeBarge Cruise 11a – 1p.
This is a wonderful way to learn our local history from the water view. Narrated by local historian extraordinaire John McCarthy. Includes a sweet and savory buffet and coffee. Tickets are $50 or $75 for VIP which also includes early boarding, a complimentary drink coupon and a thank you gift. Reservations a Must – call the office at 941-364-9076 to get on board!
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Choo choo said the train, binding Florida into one….
Does this sound * get your travel juices flowing?
Click (State Archives of Florida/Hutchins) to see full size.
Click (State Archives of Florida) to see full-size version.
If so, you must come to our Sunday Afternoon Social!
David Duncan discusses the history of the railroads in our next Sunday Afternoon Social, on Sunday February 16 at 2 pm in the Crocker Memorial Church. Ticking overalls optional.
Our Sunday Afternnon Socials are casual, cafe-style events. Light refreshments served. Interaction welcome. Members $5, not-yet members $10. Join at the door for a year’s membership (click to get the form to fill out ahead of time) for the member rate.
And let us leave you on this note.*
* Wav files from flrr.com
The Historical Society of Sarasota County 