Photos: Sarasota History

One of the ornately decorated automobiles in the first Sara DeSoto Pageant in 1916.

This lunch counter could have been anywhere in the country, however this photo is of one in Ringling Shopping Center in the 1960s.

Badger Drugs was at the Southwest corner of Main Street and S. Pineapple Avenue. It had great hamburgers and was a hangout and meeting spot for people of all ages.

Originally this was developer Owen Burns' Realty office. In this photo, Maderia Bickel, wife of Karl Bickel sits out front facing Broadway Avenue.

This the second location of the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. The first one was on State Street. Currently it is located on Fruitville Road.

The Diana Shops store was located in Ringling Shopping Center, one of Sarasota's first outdoor shopping centers that came about in the late 1950s.

A photo of the first Chamber of Commerce in Sarasota, Florida. It was located on State Street where a parking lot is now located.

The El Vernona Hotel was built by Owen Burns for his lovely wife, Vernona. It later became the John Ringling Hotel, and after that John Ringling Towers.