This Week Newsletter - Febuary 3, 2010
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The Children's Parade
One of the highlights, was the Children's Parade. Photographer, Earl Burnell, whose recollections are presented in the column to the left, was one of the persons who captured this chapter of our local history. We have prepared a slideshow of the kids, and in some shots you can see Mr. Burnell taking photos. Click here to bring a moment of joy to your soul. Kids will be kids; or their mothers will sure make a go of it. (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center) Tales of Sarasota
This week, Diane tells us of an experience she had in her and Pete's long standing business, the Sarasota Cycle and Key shop. Seems she was trying to get an expression across to a delivery man who would have no part of that. He was bent on getting his money, and she was trying to inject some history into their conversation. Sometimes it is a good thing to recall historical dates, and other times it just isn't worth the effort. To read all about it, Click here.
The Sarasota Times(The Sarasota Times newspaper was our area's first. Rose Wilson was the publisher and editor for many years after her husband passed away. Sarasota History Alive! would like to share artices from this paper with you that reflect on our heritage. Today we have chosen one in honor of the Bertha Palmer Centennial Celbration.) Chicago Paper Tells of Mrs. Palmer's Winter Home on Sarasota Bay - February 23, 1911
With the foresight equal to that one might expect from the shrewdest financier of modern times, Mrs. Potter Palmer has just closed a deal that gives her complete control of 70,000 acres of Florida’s richest virgin soil. Yes, I know what you are going to say: “Some clever businessman closed the deal for her.” Nothing of the kind! To be sure she employed an experienced surveyor to ‘cruise the land’ and make an estimate of the value of timber contained on the entire tract. No one will question the fact that she employed an expert to analyze the soils, to ascertain the percentage of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and sulphur it contained, without which elements not a grain of wheat or kernel of corn can be raised. It is a foregone conclusion that all of these figures were submitted to Mrs. Palmer before a legal document was signed. Furthermore, she inspected personally the entire tract before instructing her attorney to pass on the titles. Since the legal documents were recorded that transferred this great body of land to the leader of Chicago’s smart set, there has not been the slightest rumor afloat among the ‘knowing ones’ that would discredit Mrs. Palmer’s judgment in closing up this big land deal on the basis mutually agreed upon. On the contrary, it is generally understood that Mrs. Palmer has demonstrated shrewdness in handling business propositions that some of our Napoleons of finance might adopt and at the same time improve their financial standing. Mrs. Palmer has traveled from coast to coast and visited nearly all the dreamland spots on this continent, in search of an ideal location to build a beautiful winter home and beautify a great landed estate to be handed down to posterity. She has not only investigated the natural beauties and resources of America’s most famous resorts and witnessed the great golden sunsets and sapphire skies from the deep blue waters of the bay of Naples. Read more... (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)
The Gulf View Inn
The Gulf View Inn was built as the Sarasota Beach Lodge on the Gulf side of Siesta key at the beginning of 1925. The Sarasota Beach subdivision had been platted in late 1924 by the Crescent Beach Development Co. and included the area approximately bordered now by Ocean Blvd., Avenida Del Mayo and Avenida Del Mare. The use of Spanish street names reflected the Mediterranean theme in much of Sarasota's 1920s development. Although divided into more than 800 lots, the subdivision was largely undeveloped until after World War II. Perhaps a disincentive to visitors, the road out to Sarasota Beach was reportedly awful sandy, narrow and bumpy. A small item in "This Week In Sarasota" in early 1925 stated that the county, had used a road drag, to smooth out some of the ruts and holes, but the dangerous curves and narrow spots remained. "This Week In Sarasota" reported the lodge had been built in 16 working days for Traylor and Whipple, a real estate company which needed a place, to entertain and house potential buyers. To introduce Floridian's to the beauty of Sarasota Beach, Traylor and Whipple hired buses to bring the curious and the interested to Sarasota. What better place to house them than in a company hotel on the beach! The above 1925 photo was in the collection of Carlos "Red" Massy, pianist and leader of a band which played at the Gulf View Inn "Lodge" dining room at night. In the afternoons they played at the Mira Mar Hotel (then on Palm Avenue) to attract real estate buyers to Traylor and Whipple's (and then Whipple and Kenny's) real estate offices in the Mira Mar complex. Read more... (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center) The Very Thing to Send (Electronically)
Oh, how perfectly convenient! Vintage e-Postcards of Sarasota to send to friends and family with a quick thought from you. Nobody has much free time to write and stamp a card these days, so check out our postcard service. It's fun and as 'easy as pie'. Click here to view the postcards, and try out this 'good time' feature.
The 8th Annual Lemon Bay Fest - Englewood History With ZestThe eighth annual "Lemon Bay Fest: Englewood History with Zest!" will be celebrated February 6 - 13, 2010. This event is a weeklong celebration of Englewood's past, featuring tours, a series of informative Englewood history programs, and a day-long "Cracker Fair." The "Cracker Fair", a celebration of old Florida history, will be held on Saturday, February 13, 2010 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Dearborn Street. After the "Cracker Fair," continue the festivities by joining Dearborn Street merchants as they celebrate "Saturday Nite Live" from 6 - 9 p.m. Merchants stay open for your shopping and dining pleasure while live entertainment provides a festive atmosphere. For a full list of events, visit our website at www.lemonbayfest.com or contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000. |
Earl Burnell - From Undertaker to Famous Photographer(An interview with Doris Davis in 1959)
My name is Earl Burnell. I was born of talented parents January 4, 1880 in Castile, New York. I mention this because the talent of each parent was inherited by me and was instrumental in guiding me in many ways through my span of life. I feel the Lord has been very kind to me to allow me to walk in a path that has created happiness for many years. Mother was an artist, making free-hand pastels and crayon portraits. From her I received my liking for things beautiful, such as art, music and so forth. Father was an inventor and mechanic. In those days it meant he was a blacksmith. I suppose he could shoe horses as all blacksmiths did. But, primarily, he built fine carriages and wagons. To do this, iron had to be hammered into various shapes to support the body and wheels of these fine vehicles. From him I inherited a very strong liking to invent and create. Read more... (photo credit: Earl Burnell, Sarasota County History Center) Yesterday's Sarasota CalendarEvery day of the year we highlight what took place in Sarasota's history, thanks to Whit Rylee and Tom Payne's extensive research and sense of humor. Frequently check our website's homepage to find out what occured today. Also, be sure and check out Whit's website at: www.ChickenHillNC.com.
(photo credit: Sarasota County History Center) (Editor's note: In our last e-Newsletter we published an excerpt from 'Yesterday's Sarasota Calendar', courtesy of Whit Rylee and Tom Payne. The quote from their calendar mentioned the opening of the Asolo Theater in 1953. We received some very interesting comments on this entry, and we would like to share them with you.) I am very familiar with the Asolo, having been inside it on the night it first opened. Although often reported as opening in 1958 in its own building, the Asolo had actually first opened inside the museum proper, back in 1952 [or 53?, according to Sarasota History Alive!]. Several of us Sarasota High School girls were ushers at this historic event: myself, Petey Dunn, Duane Garrison and – I think – Susan Lee; and maybe one or two others. We wore formal dresses with ballerina-length tulle skirts, and once having ushered the audience to their seats, we had nothing much to do for a while. So Petey and I thought it would be fun to sneak into the art galleries on the other side of the entrance hall and explore them alone at night. It got darker and darker the farther we went, and by the time we got to the 17th Century Dutch gallery with all those portraits staring down at us we were terrified. We turned around and ran likity-split, ballerina skirts flying, all the way back to the lighted entrance hall and the opera on the other side of it. That was the last I saw of the Asolo until six years later, 1958, when I graduated from college, came home, and got my first job: as lecturer at the museum. Seeing that 1958 date over and over again, I had begun to wonder if my own memory was delusional until I finally found a more detailed source (guess which?) that mentioned the earlier event. --Jill Sullivan Spelman Thanks Jill, someone needs to get things straight! I know that we often went to foreign (thus cheap) movies with Nancy Thompson and Arpia Von Lazar at the old Asolo prior to being married in Jan 1958!! So many people writing our history that haven't lived here very long or as long as many of us!!!! So many of the really old timers just don't seem to care about our history consequently do not participate. Some time when you all are down here we will go to our History Center, very small and underfunded but still important. Not many communities can claim John Ringling and Bertha Palmer as our founding parents....or ones that put us on the map! --Mollie Cardamone History LocatorToday we are honoring the the Venice Apartment District marker. It reads:
In the mid-1920s, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers implemented much of Nolen’s plan and built mostly single family units. The Apartment District provided multiple-family residential units, and illustrated Nolen’s commitment to residential diversity. The District is bounded by Granada Avenue, Harbor Drive, Armada Road, and Park Boulevard, and surrounds a park. In 1926, M.G. Worrell, a Tampa builder, constructed eight 8-unit apartment buildings on Armada Road and Menendez Street, each valued at $22,500 in 1928. The BLE Realty owned two more 8-unit buildings. These 10 apartment buildings make up the bulk of the multi-family homes in the District. Some of the characteristics of the BLE-mandated Mediterranean Revival Architectural style found in these apartments are tile roofs, stucco exteriors, covered porches or loggias, and decorative medallions. (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center) Where Am I?The winner from our last quiz was Chuck Resh. We would like to thank our generous sponsors for providing prizes. You too, can become a sponsor (see below). Click here to review the photo, question and the correct answer of last week's challenge.
In the center of the photo you see the Tip Toe Inn - a quaint eatery back in its day in the 1920s. I wish I was still there with my very charming facade, but alas modernization hits every town. So, my friends, you not only have to guess where I am but what popular place of business followed in my footsteps? I am feeling generous, so here's a hint: A well-known baseball great shopped there frequently. Click here to submit your answer. (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)
If you would like to be a sponsor of our "Where Am I?" quiz, please call us at (941) 951-7727. It only cost $25 per week for us to set up your ad, and then you only have to provide a prize for the winner. What could be easier?
Ain't Life Grand?
Women's fashion comes and goes, but now and then you see something in nature that could find its way into any sizable walk-in closet. This lovely bathing beauty has found an outstanding root assortment to consider for her dress collection. Formal, no, off the rack, no, but definitely casual and interesting. Have anything in a size 5? (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)
How About a Free House?
We Need Your Help for a Good CauseSarasota History Alive! has been approached by the good folks putting on Spring Fest 2010 to organize a huge tent featuring our local history. Several Sarasota County historical nonprofits will join us in featuring live exhibitions, videos, and many displays of what our heritage means to all of us. In order to help defray the expenses of our exhibit area, we are requesting you to sponsor a booth of your own for $175, or make any contributions to the cause. See below for details, and please mention that we referred you:
Sarasota SpringFest! 2010 is Saturday, March 20th at Sawyer Loop Road & Northridge Road off Clark Road. This Family Expo celebrates children and benefits the Child Protection Center of Sarasota. The day starts with a 5K Family Walk/Run and 12K run, register at www.active.com, sanctioned by the Manasota Track Club. Admission and parking for the Expo is free with a full day of activities including entertainment at the Sarasota County Showmobile stage; children’s “Kid Zone” full of interactive exhibits and performances by “Musicians Out of the Box”; a Healthy Living area; Sarasota History Alive!; Environmental exhibits; Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department SWAT obstacle course for kids and helicopter landing at 1:00 p.m. with many safety services exhibits. Don’t miss this day full of entertainment, tons of fun and food for the whole family. To reserve a display space for your company or organization visit www.sarasotaspringfest.com or contact Rick Barth at 941.922.3866 or email prma.president@verizon.net.
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Everyone loves a parade, and the residents of Sarasota are no different. The Sara de Soto Pageant was a rousing success, year after year from 1916 to the 1950s. 
I am really thrilled to be asked to give a recording of my life history. Of course, what I have to tell is very interesting to me; I can’t see why it would be interesting to others. My life has been filled with thrills. I have had people tell me that life had no thrills. To me life without thrills would be very drab indeed. 
Tomorrow in 1930, John Ringling's yacht, Zalophus, sinks in Big Pass. Among the passengers were New York Mayor Jimmy Walker and actress Betty Comton (with whom he was reputed to be having an affair - where was the "Enquirer" when we needed them) and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Gumpertz. (And who, you may ask, is Sam Gumpertz? You've heard of Ringling Brothers, Coney Island, and Harry Houdini? He managed all of them at one time or another.)
John Nolen, world renowned city planner, designed the City of Venice so residents could work and relax in harmony with nature and with each other. A central business area, outlying farms, open green spaces, and a wide variety of housing choices helped create an environment for a balanced lifestyle.
This Week's Clues: 
Your editor spends a great deal of time at the Sarasota County History Center finding interesting information for you to ponder. While there, he also comes across many photos that depict life at an earlier time in history. With that in mind, check out this week's mage. 
Act now, and you can have this house for the cost of the move. It is located at 1631 Hillview Street, and if you are interested, contact Joyce Waterbury at the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation for more details. She can be reached by email at: 
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