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THE place to be this weekend in Sarasota.

Pioneer Day at the Historical Society of Sarasota County is for all ages!Just back from pricing (oh such great prices!) table upon table of

great books

at the Crocker Church, getting ready for tomorrow’s Pioneer Day at Pioneer Park, Saturday Nov. 12, 10 to 4. Vendors inside and out, history tours, food, live music, games for kids and so much more!

Historical Society supporters Ginger Mermin (an incredible artist, working in

oils and watercolors

) and celebrated craftsperson Marie Rowe (wonderful

hand-spun and hand-woven soft goods

) and so many more! (Perfect holiday gift-shopping!)

Musicians?

Our constant supporter, Robyn Blue, promises Sara Nelms, Sarah Loeser, James Cademan, Dean Johanesen – the Human Condition, Randy Tracy.

Crafts demonstrations.

Food

the tastiest from Nealski’s BBQ. The most incredible

soaps and candles, locally-made.

Games for the kids? Yup.

Old fashioned ones like 3-legged races, corn toss, sack races and more. Learning?

Docented tours

:CEMETERY Tour at 11AM and 1PM; docented HOUSE TOUR at Noon and 2 PM

Details, location, and the only thing you need to bring, click here.

PS Look for your beloved Editor in the straw hat, personifying 1915 Lizzie Webb Guptill, one of the first Sarasota pioneers. Tell her you saw this, and get a free hug!)

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A personal peek into a famous family

Don’t you love to see renowned people looking, well, regular?

MableRingling

Mable Ringling with her parrot and miniature dog. Don't you love how she's been careful to include her pretty hat in the photo?

The Historical Society’s November meeting Continue reading →

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Be a part of the Historical Society. Help make Pioneer Day a success!

Be a part of the Historical Society. Help out now.

We are so grateful to all our members and supporters who help us conserve and curate two of Sarasota’s oldest buildings in one of our pristine parks, and who participate in our monthly meetings, special events and fund raisers.

This month, we could use some specific help. They range from easy-as-pie to lace on your working shoes. Please choose Continue reading →

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All aboard the magical Sarasota Time Machine!

Narrated trolley tours of downtown Sarasota by the Historical Society of Sarasota CountyThe Historical Society’s Historic Downtown Trolley Tours are very popular, so be sure to make your reservations quickly! This year’s dates are on our Calendar of Events, which is here.

Have you ever wondered what Sarasota was like before now?

Where people gathered, how they lived, where everyone came from and what they thought and what was here when and what they did…

and why we are so different from the average Florida town?

Well, hop onto our Historic Downtown Sarasota Trolley Tour, AKA the Time Machine, and let our favorite tale-spinner tell you!

These tours are a must for native, resident, winter resident or visitor. A wonderful activity for house guests and business travelers, and part of their education for anyone who makes their living in Sarasota. If you haven’t been privileged enough to participate, do it now!

HISTORIC TROLLEY TOURS: Two hour Historic Trolley Tours. 10:00 AM – Noon. Depart from the Crocker Memorial Church at Historical Society of Sarasota County in Pioneer Park, 1260 12th Street (just east off Tamiami Trail). Parking is free. Seating on the Trolley is limited, so grab your spot now. Advance reservations REQUIRED: email hsosc1@gmail.com

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Showman: Ron McCarty on John Ringling (and Mable too of course)

ron mccartyHaven’t you always been intrigued by John and Mable Ringling, their magnificent home, their art gallery… and their influence on Sarasota?

Well, prepare to be excited and amazed at the stories Ron McCarty will tell at our November meeting on Tuesday, November 8, at 7pm. You’ll want to come grab a seat early for this presentation in the Crocker Memorial Church at the Historical Society in Pioneer Park.

Ron McCarty has been a member of the Curatorial Department at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art for the last 30 years. He is the Curator and Keeper of Ca’d’Zan, the 36,000 square-foot historic Venetian-Gothic mansion seated on Sarasota Bay.

In addition to being a world-renowned curator, Ron is an actor, playing John in a PBS presentation, a writer, and has been a professional painter specializing in watercolor since the early 1970’s. Read more about Ron’s love for Ca’d’Zan in this magazine article, and see some of his amazing art on his web site.

But above all, Ron is a raconteur sans pareil* and will keep us spell-bound.

Don’t miss this meeting, which is free and open to the public… and bring friends!

And, don’t forget that our Museum Gift Shop will be open for your shopping pleasure at 6pm that evening, and a gift purchased here is a gift not only to the recipient, but towards the upkeep and preservation of a home humbler than Ca’d’Zan, but just as important in Sarasota history!

* That’s French for as much fun as a three-ring circus.

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Long-range forecast: Perfect weather for the Historical Sarasota Bay Cruise!

If you missed your chance at a spot on the last

Sarasota Bay Historical Cruise

le barge and passengers

Grab a seat, enjoy the Bay, hear some local stories, and help the Historical Society preserve Sarasota’s past!

better mark your calendar now for the November cruise on Sunday November 4 2012,  from 11a-1p… we tend to fill up the comfortable LeBarge boat (ship?) fast! Everyone loves the weather, the ride, the narrated stories of Sarasota’s past, and the fruit and pastries.

Photo courtesy of LeBarge.

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People & Places: Dinner on the Back Porch

Over 40 guests attended Dinner on the Back Porch, our event that welcomed people to the Historical Society for one-on-one tours of the Bidwell-Wood House and the Crocker Memorial Church and on our incomparable Back Porch, a wonderful buffet dinner  provided by Broadway Bar. This event was Continue reading →

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Could The New York Times have gotten it wrong?

When HSOSC President Howard Rosenthal called our attention to Alfred Bidwell’s  obituary in The New York Times, we were thrilled to add it to our collection.

Alfred Bidwell built what we know call the Bidwell-Wood House in 1882. He was a local merchant, and the house, in 1882, was considered a fine home by the Tampa newspaper.

But could The New York Times have erred? Long-time HSOSC member Ed Orr, a studious history buff, thinks so. Ask Ed about it, next time you see him (he’s the one with all the collectible cars!)Alfred Bidwell's obituary

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This Day in History: October 14

A catch worth catching on film, Sarasota 1903

A catch worth catching on film, Sarasota 1903

The town of Sarasota was incorporated today in 1902, although the incorporation did not become effective until January 1, 1903. (All those ducks had to be put in a row, right?)

The hoosegow, Sarasota FL 1903. No A/C, no screens.

Scofflaws in Sarasota lodged here.

SarasotaHistoryAlive has a great essay on their site by Ann Shank on what the laws were like then. Click the photo of the Sarasota jail, 1903, to read.

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Festivities under the pines on Sarasota’s Pioneer Day

Pioneer Day in Pioneer Park at the Historical Society of Sarasota CountyCommunity gatherings in historical Sarasota County happened anywhere a few folk met, but especially on the shaded porches of pioneers’ homes or the church grounds. These events were full of music, good food, trading and swapping, and fun for the children.

Join us on Saturday, November 12, from 10 to 4 as the Historical Society continues this grand, yet informal and relaxed tradition, once a year on our grounds in Pioneer Park. Pioneer Day in Pioneer Park at the Historical Society is eagerly awaited every year. Stroll among vendors, tap your toes to some wonderful music wafting off the breezy front porch, and enjoy the shade of the pines and hickories. Wander down to Hog Creek, watch historic crafts demonstrations, take a peek at the 1882 Bidwell-Wood House (the oldest in the county!) and admire the local crafts, art, and antiques in the 1902 Crocker Church. Join us on SatNarrated trolley tours of downtown Sarasota by the Historical Society of Sarasota Countyurday, November 12, from 10 to 4.

Print out the flyer and post a few in your community gathering places.

As the perfect start to a perfect day, hop on the Trolley at our front door for a renowned, narrated tour of downtown Sarasota right at 10am: reservations a must. $25.00 per person, call our Site Manager Monday – Friday   10:00AM – 2:00 PM  at  941-364-9076 to assure yourself of a spot on this wonderful tour.

After the tour, visit not only our vendors both inside and out, but our Museum Shop in the Bidwell-Wood Kitchen building. The Shop is filled with local handcrafts, art work, vintage linens, books by local authors, jewelry, toys and more. It’s a perfect place to get your holiday gift shopping started, since all proceeds help us preserve and cherish two of Sarasota’s most historic buildings. Your holiday gifts can do double good!

Join a tour of the Pioneer Cemetery next door and tours of the oldest house in Sarasota. Feel free to bring a lawn chair and spend the day enjoying the swirls of activity, entertainment, and good companionship. Nealski’s BBQ will be cooking on-site.

There is no admission fee, but, in keeping with our special display of USA “Historic Foods” that your grandmother would have found on her grocer’s shelves and are still found in today’s supermarkets, bring a donation of canned or dry food. All food will be be donated at 4pm to the Mayor’s Feed the Hungry Campaign.  Mayor Suzanne Atwell, Vice Mayor Terry Turner and Commissioner Willie Shaw will be on hand to accept our donations.

Parking is free. Donations accepted, to help with the upkeep of two of the most prized buildings of Pioneer Sarasota. And of course, when you join the Historical Society, you help preserve not just the past, but the future of Sarasota County.

Click for the Google map

Click for the Google map and directions

Want to help the Historical Society of Sarasota County reach out to the community? Great! Print out this flyer and post a few in your community gathering places… and we’ll see you and your friends at Pioneer Park, just east of Tamiami Trail and 12th Street, Saturday, November 12!

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US FLAG – Half Mast

Half mast flag on a fixed pole at the Historical Society of Sarasota CountyYour Historical Society will be putting our flag at the proper half-mast whenever we have a proclamation to do so. We have purchased the black ribbon to put on our flag to be doing it correctly.

FAQs on flying the US flag at half-mast

How to fly your flag at Half Staff depends on what sort of flag pole you are using

When raising the flag to half staff on a vertical pole, always raise it briskly to the top of the flagpole for a moment before lowering it. When taking it down for the night, raise it to the top of the flagpole again & lower it to the bottom.

With a telescoping flag pole it is acceptable to put the USA flag on the second set of rings instead of the top set. In this case the top set would be left empty.

When the United States flag is flown at half-staff, State & other flags should be removed or flown at half-staff too.

For flags that can’t be lowered, such as those on many homes including our historic Bidwell-Wood House, the American Legion says that attaching a black ribbon or streamer to the top of the flag is an acceptable alternative. The ribbon should be the same width as a stripe on the flag and the same length as the flag.

Photo from here.

 

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Love kitsch? Me too!

Definitely making my way to Venice for THIS exhibit!Vintage Florida postcard from the Historical Society of Sarasota County

Wish You Were Here ~ Florida Tourist Souvenirs 1900s-1960s Opens Sept. 26:  4 – 6 p.m. at the Venice Archives and Area Historical Collection at351 Nassau St. S,Venice, FL  34285, (941) 486-2487 Hours:  Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
 
Kitschy, vintage Florida souvenirs often reflect the history and trends of early Florida tourism. Rarely tasteful, mostly whimsical and often just plain tacky, these souvenirs were popular gifts for children and as reminders to the folks back home of how much better life was in sunny Florida. Wish You Were Here is the first guest-curated exhibit at the Venice Archives, a new tradition we plan to implement each September. Our first guest curator is Nancy Eaton, a Nokomis resident whose partial collection of vintage Florida memorabilia is on display here through November 23.

The Venice Archives, part of the Venice city government, can be accessed here.

If you love historic Florida tourist stuff, you absolutely MUST take advantage of the wonderful e-postcards offered free by the gentlemen of SarasotaHistoryAlive.com.  They are especially fun to send “back North” as the weather up there deteriorates. (The postcards, not the gentlemen. We’re keeping Larry and Lee right here.)

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Le Barge Historic Sarasota Bay Tour date set!

The Historical Society’s Historic Sarasota Bay Tour is always a sellout,

so call the HSOSC office at 364-9076 to charge your tickets on VISA or Mastercard and reserve your sunny, breezy, pastry-laden seat! UPDATE: The last Bay Tours were sell-outs. The first one of the season will be Sunday November 4, 2012; call for your reservations now!  Always a Sunday, always from 11am to 1pm, always delightful.

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