Mother’s Day and carnations
“Traditionally, the colors of the flower carry different meanings on Mother’s Day: white carnations honor the mother whose mother has died, while pink ones celebrate a mother whose mother is living. ” Moms and grandmothers alike can thank Philadelphia activist Anna Jarvis for the carnation tradition — and even the holiday itself. On May 10,…
Keep readingAnnual Meeting and Elections
Held on April 1, 2023, the Annual Meeting of the Historical Society of Sarasota welcomed members and directors at the Crocker Memorial Church. Greg Dickinson was elected President. Distinguished Service Awards: Presented by Marsha Fottler, outgoing President, the active and enthusiastic recipients were
Keep readingA most flavorful garden occupant
April 16 is National Orchid Day. One of my favorite trivia questions is: “What part of an orchid do we commonly, maybe even daily, eat?” Answer?
Keep readingSarasota News, 100 years ago
How’s your year going so far? 2023 shaping up as interesting, is it? Here’s what you would have been thinking about 100 years ago in Sarasota. Top Headlines for 1923 “I am not especially anxious to build a hotel in Sarasota” Is it just me, or was this the start of something that looks a…
Keep readingA Day at Sea
Well, yes, red tide did cause a few coughs, but the continental breakfast buffet on our March 2023 Historic Sarasota Bay Cruise provided some soothing refreshments. Volunteers Sue Padden and Norma Kwenski made a lovely buffet table, and the Gentleman With The Legs added a little cheesecake to the menu. On land, before boarding, board…
Keep readingMy favorite library card.
Can I get a little personal here? The first thing I did when I moved to Sarasota two dozen years ago was to visit the library. The second thing I did was volunteer to help at an historic site. And both of those things have influenced how
Keep readingCarl Abbott: HSoSC Hero of History 2023
Trying to sum up Carl Abbott, the Historical Society of Sarasta County’s 2023 Hero of History, is like trying to freeze, in one moment, the earth and sea, sky and clouds. We cannot possibly say anything about the man and his work that has not
Keep readingMake Sarasota County Smell Sweet Again
It’s official: citrus is back for the home landscape! As Florida Master Gardeners writes: Since the introduction of citrus greening to Florida in 2005, homeowners have been discouraged from growing citrus at home. However, UF/IFAS is now recommending the planting of citrus trees again and has provided a new line of support for those who…
Keep readingDid the future turn out as expected 100 years ago?
I don’t know about you, but I remember figuring out, in grade school, how OLD I’d be in the year 2000. I think imagining the year 2022 was beyond my capacity (then and quite possibly now.) I never dreamed flowers would be emancipated. Or that we’d all have to wear glasses because skyscapers ruin our…
Keep readingPerfect Holiday Stroll
If your family would like an easy and interesting stroll in what promises to be invigorating December 24-25-26 weather, check out
Keep readingWatching history being made, Christmas-style.
Don’t you love getting those photographic Christmas cards from family and friends? To cherish the ability to watch history being made as the kids grow? Remember, history isn’t in dusty old books. Sometimes it arrives in a red envelope with a Santa postage stamp. Today we share with you a Sarasota memory…
Keep readingThe Day of Infamy. And its consequences.
This Day in History: December 7, 1941, of course, The Day of Infamy, as FDR called it. When the US went to war, it shaped the future development of our entire county. Sarasota County was slowly emerging from the Great Depression at the beginning of 1940. The city’s new
Keep readingHave a drink. It’s legal again.
This Day in History: On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment was ratified. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment of January 16, 1919, commonly called the Volstead Act ending the increasingly unpopular nationwide prohibition of alcohol. Why did Prohibition start? By the turn of the 20th century, temperance societies were prevalent in the United…
Keep readingIt’s Snowing in Sarasota
You know it’s time to start thinking about Christmas and other December-ish holidays, when you’re driving along and lo and behold! Is that SNOW???
Keep readingSarasota Honoring its Veterans
“Over 100 years ago, on April 8, 1917, a rainy Easter Sunday morning, “Sarasota’s Sailor Lads,” a well trained Naval militia, gathered at a downtown movie theater for religious services. They were leaving that day bound for Europe and World War I” …”To honor them, a flagpole was erected at the center of Five Points,…
Keep readingLookin’ good!
Our pretty campus in Pioneer Park got some extra lovin’ recently. Linda Garcia, our Site Manager, writes: We stacked up 32 bags during our few hours’ work on Saturday and they were all picked up on Monday! There will be a wedding in the Crocker Memorial Church on Saturday, so we made an all-hands-on-deck effort…
Keep readingRead Florida History for Free
Is your house overwhelmed with books? You just can’t resist the opportunity to learn more… but there are books “stacked on the floor, books kept in baskets” and so on? Well, we’re here to help you save some space. We’ve found some digital books that we think you’ll like, and all they occupy are some…
Keep readingWhat’s a penny, after all?
“Your penny at work.” That’s the slogan of the campaign asking voters to approve, on Election Day 2022, a continuation of the county 1% sales tax. Many wonderful things have been financed by this income since it was first authorized in 1989, but never before has the history of our county been addressed. And what’s a…
Keep readingHidden Treasures of Local History
It’s always a treat for anyone who loves local history to find a new artifact. And that’s just what happened during an engagement of a member of our Speakers’ Bureau this last spring. A member of the host club came up and said “My mother painted
Keep readingYou might not be a native, but your landscaping can be!
We all want our gardens, whether we have a multi-acre spread or a pot on the balcony, to scream FLORIDA! Well, here’s local folks to help, and to get native plants from. And their advice is wise, easy to get, and free. It’s available one day only, though.
Keep readingFirst Conversation @ The Crocker!
We’re so excited about the October 11 2022 Conversation at the Crocker coming up as a kick-off to our 2022-2023 season. Our speaker will be Dr. Josh Goodman, Sarasota County’s new
Keep readingThis Day in History: September 19, 1559
Just a little something to ponder as we enter the peak of the hurricane season, here in 2022. Pensacola was the scene of a massive hurricane that changed the history of North America forever, illustrating the pivotal role that such storms played and continue to play in human affairs. A weeks-old settlement of over 1000…
Keep readingHello, I’m a cabbage palm.
Are you as bad at names as I am? Don’t you wish everything, from people to birds, wore their names on their chests? Well, guess what…
Keep readingWhat’s coming at the Historical Society
The Board of Directors has announced our new Calendar for the upcoming 2022-2023 year at HSoSC. While there are still some events awaiting confirmation, you can plan on these events. See you there!
Keep readingIn their own words
The best kind of history? First-hand from people who lived it. You get a feeling for the times, see events through borrowed eyes, and have the opportunity to experience what life back then was like for those who lived through it. And the interviewers, who took the time and effort to create a slide show…
Keep readingHelp the History Center
Love local history? Get into it up to your elbows, suggests Marsha Fottler, President of the Historical Society. When important documents and artifacts are donated to the Historical Society of Sarasota County, we bring them to the History Center, where professionals can conserve and store them. Why? Because we do not have the proper security,…
Keep readingHappy National Dog Day!
August 26 is National Dog Day, and we here at the Historical Society of Sarasota County would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our Florida Dog! Yes, we do have a Florida dog.
Keep readingGonna make me some per-loo
You can’t get more Florida Pioneer than making some pilau (pronounced “per-loo”) for dinner, supper, or a get-together potluck. So what, you might well ask, is pilau? It’s really any meat and rice dish, and here’s what some historic figures have to say about it: In the 18th century, naturalist William Bartram wrote of eating…
Keep readingThis Day in History: August 4 1842 The Armed Occupation Act
1842 – The Armed Occupation Act was passed by Congress on this date. Each settler who would settle and cultivate five acres or more of land in eastern and southern Florida for a period of five years would receive 160 acres of land and one year’s rations from the Federal government. Settlers were expected also…
Keep readingHot History Part THREE!
We keep finding local history-related things for you to do. (Here’s the first installment, and Part Two…) It’s too hot to go traipsing about graveyards and boardwalks right now, but it’s always cool to learn a bit more about our local area. Up at the top there’s gotta be a breeze! One of our favorite…
Keep readingOld ladies? Huh.
A post from Facebook called “Walk down Memory Lane.” Mergatroyd ? Do you remember that word? Would you believe the spell-checker did not recognize the word, Mergatroyd Heavens to Mergatroyd!The other day a not so elderly (I say 75) lady said something to her son about driving a Jalopy; and he looked at her quizzically…
Keep reading“Learn everything good and throw away the bad”
We’ve spent the last several years comparing the COVID-19 pandemic to the 1918 Spanish flu* and people have been complaining about tearing down buildings since, well forever. (What was there before they built the Colosseum? Kew Gardens? The Great Wall of China?) Have we never had a boom/bust cycle before in the History of Mankind**…
Keep readingWouldn’t a new History Center be WONDERFUL?!
“Your penny at work.” That’s the slogan of the campaign asking voters to approve, in November 2022, a continuation of the county 1% sales tax. Many wonderful things have been financed by this income since it was first authorized in 1989, but never before has the history of our county been addressed. Understandably, we history…
Keep readingHot History, Part 2
It’s still too hot to do anything. If you visited our earlier post on brushing up on, or learning new things about, local history, we know you had a cool time. Here’s some more things that’ll keep you entertained and not all sweaty. The romance of ports. Tampa Bay History Center’s virtual event It’s on…
Keep readingHot History
We all know it’s too hot in July to do anything. But brushing up on, or learning new things about, local history, can be cooling. Here’s a few suggestions: Visit Manatee Village Historic Park in Bradenton to see their exhibit, Wars in Manatee. Explore how the pioneers and settlers of what became Manatee County experienced…
Keep readingIn fond remembrance
Harriet Burns Stieff The Historical Society of Sarasota County, indeed all who live or visit here, owe a great debt of gratitude to Harriet Burns Stieff, who passed away after 10 decades of gracious life. Her obituary: Harriet Burns Stieff, 99, the youngest daughter of
Keep readingFill ‘er up!
No, the Historical Society of Sarasota County isn’t offering a tankful of gas (goodness knows we don’t have the wherewithal to gift you with that!) but we’re talking about
Keep readingIn Flander’s Field…
When I was a child, we all bought and wore crepe paper poppies to honor the fallen of all wars. I haven’t seen a single poppy seller this year, but I still think of poppies on Memorial Day. Do you, too? The symbolism of the poppy started with a poem written by a World War…
Keep readingYour weekend reading!
We’ve made available to all, two small publications on Sarasota history that can be difficult to find. They’re available, along with a full weekend’s worth of reading, on our Articles page. Our thanks to Board Member Deb Walk for the tech work on these two new additions, which have a lovely surprise: For those of…
Keep readingLast Gathering this Season… a great one!
Our Sunday Afternoon Socials at 2 pm are casual, cafe-style events complete with wine and refreshments, and feature some of the most interesting people around. This month we welcome two historical writers who have turned their research into fish ranchos and early development into a fascinating tale of the 1840s-1900 Manatee and Sarasota areas. Peggy…
Keep readingRecycling… the Historic way!
We’re very excited to be joining forces with Historical Resources and Archives, commonly called The History Center, to offer our county an easy way to donate ephemera that you may have lying around, and never dreamed anyone would value it. Ephemera! Stuff published once, meant for the moment… only now YOU
Keep readingWhat the “Real Florida” looks (and feels) like
If you want to experience what this area looked like before you got here, try an EcoWalk. Book yourself into some nature walks with knowledgable guides from UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County. They provide “practical education you can trust, to help people, businesses and communities solve problems, develop skills and build a better future. This service…
Keep reading2022 Giving Challenge: Why Help?
Every two years, our community comes together for 24 hours to donate what we can to charitable organizations serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. Last time, in 2020, with the pandemic raging and our future unknown, the Historical Society thought the need for human services was more pressing than the need to save the…
Keep readingEverything you were afraid to ask about David
Word is, Sarasota city employees are thinking of replacing David on the city logo. And spending, according to that article, $25,000 for “design services” to do so. While it’s true, the original logo (still, apparently, the city seal) is rather, well, dated… is David dated? Them folks over in Italy don’t think so! If you’re…
Keep readingIf you couldn’t join us, you missed a treat!
Oh, if you weren’t there, #youshouldhavebeen! For our 37th Historic Sarasota Bay Cruise, the weather was glorious, narrator John McCarthy was awesome, and Capt. Eric of LeBarge took us to places we’ve never been before! How John knows all that stuff, how the valued volunteers Norma Kwenski and Sue Padden and board members Brenda Lee…
Keep readingWhat in heaven’s name is a viola da gamba?
Find out what a viola da gamba is, see the incredible
Keep readingMarch is for Lovers!
March is definitely for lovers. Lovers of local history that is. After so long apart, we’re thrilled to welcome you back on campus in Pioneer Park. Yes, the Historical Society is holding events in March. And not only are you welcome, you’re encouraged to attend! Come as you are. The only event requiring pre-registration is…
Keep readingOur tree.
Well, we have lots of trees surrounding our campus in Pioneer Park, but the one that shades our front yard is the one everyone remarks upon. Why pignut hickory? Well, the nuts are a main source of food for some species of sqirrels, bears, and of course… pigs! So what’s pignut hickory used for? I’m…
Keep readingSparkle, sail….
It’s time for Sparkly Saturday! On Saturday February 12, from 8am to 2pm, we’ll fill the Crocker Memorial Church with preloved jewelry, from costume to sterling, funky to fabulous, necklacesbraceletsearringsbroochesandmore, in conjunction with our fabulous supporter JewelrytotheRescue. And as always, we fill the porches of the Bidwell-Wood House with our “household sparkles” too. Come early,…
Keep readingMay we offer an alternative?
Being super-cautious, the Board has canceled February ‘s Conversation at The Crocker as well as February’s Sunday Afternoon Social. We are still holding Sparkly Saturday on Sat. Feb. 12, which is both indoors in well-ventilated space and outdoors on our Porch, and our traditional Historical Sarasota Bay Cruise on March 6 (spots filling up since…
Keep readingHistorical Musings at the Farmhouse Market
The best strawberries? Those from Plant City, just a little north of the Farmhouse Market at Phillippi Estate Park. So I start thinking, naturally, of history. (And strawberry shortcake but let’s stay on topic here…) Question: Why do they call it Plant City? A: Because Itchepackesassa was too hard to pronounce and Cork? Really?B: Because…
Keep readingJanuary Local History Events
I’m feeling bad about leaving you in the lurch here at the Historical Society of Sarasota County, what with our two upcoming events (Conversation on Jan 11 and Sunday Afternoon Social on Jan 16) being cancelled, so here’s some substitutes to keep you and your brain occupied until we meet again. Exercise your
Keep readingFabulous Fables & Fascinating Facts
Our second presentation of History is Fun was a hit! After a slideshow discussing the facts behind some of the more persistent fables about Sarasota history, our Hero of History, Sue Blue, as historian and raconteur, took the stage to relate to us the most wonderful fable of all… that of the doomed Sara deSoto.…
Keep readingSunday Afternoon Social: Sarasota’s last Lustron Home
EDIT Feb. 25 2022 Originally schedued for 2021, we’re happy to be able to present this event on Sunday March 20 2022. Bookmark our Events Page where you will find the most up-to-date info on gatherings at HSoSC. Sarasota is renowned for its mid century modern structures designed by nationally known local architects and collectively…
Keep readingA question that nags at all Floridians, native or new.
A nagging question that I never really articulated… but the answer popped up on my internet browsing one lazy Sunday afternoon: Are flamingos really native to Florida, and if so, why don’t I ever see them? Well, it turns out, I just wasn’t looking hard enough. Details? Lots. John James Audubon himself saw flamingos in 1832 near…
Keep readingJanuary 11 Conversation at the Crocker
EDIT Feb. 25 2022 Originally schedued for January, we’re happy to be able to present this event on Tuesday March 8 2022 at 7pm. Bookmark our Events Page where you will find the most up-to-date info on gatherings at HSoSC. This Conversation at The Crocker is an information-rich celebration of the recent project undertaken by…
Keep readingThe Holiday Party!
If you weren’t able to join us in the Crocker Memorial Church on Tuesday evening December 14 for our annual Holiday party, here’s some photos to enjoy, sent with our best wishes for a joyful season and a happy new year. Stay tuned: we have THREE events coming up in January, and even more in…
Keep readingHoliday Happiness
Don’t forget our Members-Only Holiday Bash on Tuesday December 14 from 6-8pm in the Crocker Memorial Church. We’re all decked out for the celebration, and it will be Supper-by-the-Bite with incredible homemade desserts to finish off with!It’s Members-Only, but you CAN join at the door… and that’ll save you money on all our other events,…
Keep readingThe Perfect Holiday Gift
Do you have someone on your holiday gift list who’s hard to buy for? Give them something they don’t have: A Brick! Yes, thanks to HSoSC, you can have your message etched on a genuine old Sarasota brick for all to see and admire, while helping us preserve an actual part of our past! These…
Keep readingHonoring Heroes
Finally! We gathered to honor our Hero of History, Jon Thaxton… after covid canceled our luncheon several times. May we present, first,
Keep readingNew, an afternoon event at the Historical Society!
Not everyone can attend our traditional 7pm Conversations at the Crocker, but we don’t want to make it hard to have fun and learn a little with us. So we’ve added “History is Fun!” afternoon events to our educational line-up. Our premiere event, our “Grand Opening” as it were, of these afternoon events will be…
Keep readingCome see our play!
On Tuesday November 9 at 7 pm in the Crocker Memorial Church, the Historical Society will be gathering at its first Conversation at the Crocker since the pandemic. To mark the county centennial, the filmed reading of “The Roads We Traveled to Sarasota County”, written and produced by our own Kathryn Chesley will be presented.…
Keep readingOur Forever Heroine
Coming up in 2022, there will be this wonderful “Forever stamp” to stock up on. If it weren’t for Dr. Eugenie Clark, what would our oceans and the Gulf of Mexico be like? Known as “The Shark Lady”… she transformed a dream into a multi-faceted research center, Mote Marine. Clark was a pioneer in the…
Keep readingWalking tour of Granada Neighborhood
Time for #whattodothisweekend, brought to you by the Historical Society of Sarasota County. See more, each week, on our Facebook page. Saturday morning, join our historic peers, the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, on their hour-long walking tour of the Granada neighborhood. Admission is $25. And don’t forget, next Tuesday, November 9 (finally, our first…
Keep readingDownright Spooky
Welcome to Hallowe’en Week! Today, a factoid that’ll get your teeth aching: How old is Candy Corn? Well, the stuff I have in my pantry’s at least 5 years old (no one will eat it!) but Candy Corn was actually invented
Keep readingThis Day in History is very moving….
In the wee small hours of October 18 2006, you could have seen two historic buildings moving slowly, oh so slowly, through the streets of Sarasota. That was the day in history when the Historical Society moved its buildings to Pioneer Park. Here’s the local news item: SARASOTA October 16 2006– The 1882 Bidwell-Wood House…
Keep readingPlus all the pignut hickory nuts your pigs can eat.
You might not have a pig (although any self-respecting Sarasotan would have had #backintheday) but if you do… what a harvest! If you didn’t
Keep readingBeautiful Florida
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
Keep readingSwept 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
Keep readingCentennial 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…
Keep readingOur 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…
Keep readingYes, 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…
Keep readingLet’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
Keep readingLet’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.…
Keep readingTiming 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…
Keep readingOur 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…
Keep readingWho’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…
Keep readingReading history with one eyebrow arched
“Don’t believe everything you read online.” –Abraham Lincoln 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…
Keep readingA Chatty Little Handbook
Tired of Tiktok, feeling fraught with Facebook? Explore the unpaved byways of the internet and step (drive?)
Keep readingCentennial 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: “We are ready with…
Keep readingStep 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…
Keep readingSo thrilled!
Celebrate! 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…
Keep readingHappy July 4 1921, Sarasota!
While Sarasota was still excited about becoming its own county on July 1st 1921, and celebrating the 4th in grand style, here’s the world they lived in. Some of these 1921 events might surprise you and others amuse. Isn’t history fascinating? On July 2, 1921, President Warren Harding signed a joint congressional resolution declaring an…
Keep readingWhat 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
Keep readingTaking a ride on Mr. Ferris’ creation
This day in history June 21 1893, features the debut of a monumental contraption that our very own Bertha Palmer , before she became the Legendary Lady of Sarasota, got the first ride on: The Ferris Wheel! It was big. Very big. Each car held 60 riders. It cost 50 cents to ride it. I’m…
Keep readingLet it be remembered
Don’t you love that phrase? I came across it in the written minutes of old-time meetings and it’s so evocative, it made me look up some info on how YOU can let it be remembered by guiding someone to create an oral history to be remembered. But I’ll be you have lots of questions on…
Keep readingWe have a wall!
The west wall of the church, with its custom-milled siding, is up! See that one white board? It’s the only one that didn’t need replacing! Since the above photo was taken, the wall’s been painted. Here’s an inside view. The window re-installation is next. And here’s a poignant photo: our Conversations at the Crocker chairs,…
Keep readingA 1926 View of Florida
“A rapidly increasing number whom habit has taken year after year to the Mediterranean resorts are coming to know that here in Florida is to be found a natural loveliness that is incomparable, coupled with a magnificence of architectural development, a diversity of entertainment, and a catering to creature comforts unobtainable elsewhere” Published in the…
Keep readingSummertime!
Traditionally, summer in the US runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Here are some things you can do in an American summer. Well, no, let’s get specific: in a Sarasota County summer: But this summer, 2021, we at HSoSC have something even more exciting going on! The Summer Challenge! It’s been quite a year,…
Keep readingNot 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…
Keep readingHelp an Eagle Scout help history.
Did you know that out of all the Boy Scouts in the USA, only 6% of them accomplish the highest level of Eagle Scout? Some people who did: Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13; Bill Gates; Sam Walton; and Mike Rowe of Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs. Daron Nouri of Sarasota is looking forward to being…
Keep readingAlways a bigger project…
You know how it goes. You plan just a little shoring-up, a minor refresh…. and then the project grows and grows. Here at the Historical Society, we want to do things right, so that the Crocker Memorial Church
Keep readingWith a lot of help from our friends…
For a large, seemingly stolid and stationary building such as our beloved Crocker Memorial Church, there sure seems to be a lot of moving parts, that is, people, contributing to this restoration of the west wall project! These folks are just the visible parts of many, many people working together. Betsy Lingenheld is our Director…
Keep readingSunshine 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…
Keep readingIt’s a Centennial CROWD!
Sarasota County is celebrating its Centennial in 2021. But we’re not the only ones. The spring of 1921 was a busy one up in Tallahassee. The General Assembly approved the creation of 6 new counties out of what had been 2… Manatee County got carved into two, thereby creating Sarasota County. But poor Desoto County?…
Keep readingWhen will we see you again?
Traditionally, we have held our Conversations at the Crocker once a month, at 7pm, in November and January through April. (Members’ Only Meetings in October, December, and May.) A few years ago, we added Sunday Afternoon Socials, a more informal gathering with refreshments, on (you guessed it) Sunday afternoons once a month.But if the pandemic…
Keep readingThere’s always one.
This Day in History, March 6 1917: Sarasota voters passed a bond issue by 59 to 1 to raise $40,000 to buy the Hover Arcade and Dock for the City of Sarasota. No one ‘fessed up to being the sole dissenter, but we know for sure it was a man. (Think about it.) Let’s discuss…
Keep readingSparkly Saturday Shebang March 27 2021
Sparkly Saturday Shebang, Sat. March 27 Our Annual Sparkly Saturday, with incredible jewelry in conjunction with Jewelry to the Rescue, is a Shebang this year, with a tag sale on the Bidwell-Wood House open-air porches and a lawn full of artists, crafters, and authors on our breezy campus in beautiful Pioneer Park. Don’t miss this…
Keep readingYou 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…
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