This Week Newsletter - January 28, 2009
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This Week
With President Obama and his family just getting settled in at the White house, it gave rise to us thinking about Malia and Sasha attending a new school. It's usually tough on kids having to make a transition during mid-year. Also, the two girls have to settle on the dog question. They were promised one, and the White House is very suitable for the pup to romp on the grounds. What does that have to do with this week's video you wonder; well it is time to do an encore of Southside School. Heck, it even has a heroic dog named Mickey to boast about after he saved his master from a poisonous snake. Click here to watch the video. Tales of Sarasota
This week, Pete talks about how a lodge, a barge, tourist season, sandspurs and 'stick-tights' all came together on Lido Beach, and then all came apart. Condo-mania to the rescue. Click here to get to his blog. The Appleby Family Home
The Appleby Family Home is a one-story house designed as a modest example of a Craftsman Style Bungalow. It is located at 1958 Adams Lane in Towles Subdivision, in recent years, popularly referred to as the Artists' Colony at Towles Court. The house was completed by August of 1925 and is a well-preserved example of a period bungalow with distinctive exterior Colonial Revival influences. Towles Subdivision was one of numerous subdivisions that were platted throughout an expanded city limits in Sarasota during the 1920s. W.C. Towles, of the R.G. Dunn & Co. of Chicago, for which Towles Subdivision was named, began wintering in Sarasota in the late 1910s. He owned a home into the late 1920s on Mira Mar Beach . Minimal biographical information could be located on Towles other than Towles platted Towles Subdivision along with Jessie B. Adams.
Something Ventured - Nothing Gained
All too often these days we see 401k's decimated, stock portfolios crippled, homes foreclosed, unemployment rise and developments that don't get off the ground. That is a sad comment on how things are going for now, yet this sort of thing happened even to people we thought were immune from losing their dreams. One of those greats, who made Sarasota his home, was John Ringling. He sank entirely too much money of his (and others) into having a Ritz-Carlton Hotel on the southern end of Longboat Key. Pictured above is a stock certificate from this failed enterprise. Ringling, as all too many others, got caught up in the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s. If he were alive today, perhaps he could advise us on when to get into development, and when to lay low. We as committed Sarasotans, will get through these challenging times; however, it will take a lot of energy and committment for us to asses our talents and resources so we may successfully utilize them to stabilize our economy. Once that is done, we will prove that "history happens everyday". (Editor's note: An example of how a person can pull himself up after a big setback is exemplified in the Frank Higel article in this e-Newsletter) (Stock Certificate courtesy of the Sarasota History Center)
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Frank Higel was Entrepreneur and Pioneer
He explained the process to Hamilton Disston, a Philadelphia saw manufacturer. Disston, along with a group of wealthy businessmen, had purchased millions of acres of land in Florida for speculation reasons. Looking for a way to capitalize on their investment, Disston sent Higel to Venice in the winter of 1883-84, to try out the process. Higel arrived in Venice in 1883 with his wife and six sons. He purchased choice land in the Roberts' homestead for $2,500 and set up his homestead. He began growing large quantities of cassavas and tested his process. With his process a success, he wrote to Disston to tell him that it worked and that he should inspect the area. Equipment for manufacturing was shipped down to Higel and Disston arrived in Tampa in 1885. Unfortunately for Higel, Disston had arrived in Tampa during the coldest winter on record. Disston decided, after spending several very cold nights in an unheated Tampa hotel, that Florida was not the place to grow semi-tropical plants. Within a month the equipment was shipped back to Philadelphia and Disston pulled out of the venture. Higel returned to Venice and decided to start over. He began to develop high grade cane syrup, which would later be in great demand in the Sarasota region. He invested in grinders, cookers and driers for his products. He also made citrus and guava jellies, marmalades and canned fruits. To make his products appealing, he had gold labels printed up. His trademark was a manatee with the slogan, "Put up in the Grove" on each label. Read more... (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)
Yesterday's Sarasota Calendar Also, be sure and check out Whit's website at: www.ChickenHillNC.com. This Friday in 1929. George P. Parr and Wilhelm Von Der Gerr were arrested in the Rosemary Cemetery by Officer Le Gette. Seems they had been drinking what they now thought was poison liquor. However, because of the high cost of living and dying, they both refused to call either a doctor or undertaker. Things haven't changed much have they? They had to face Mayor Bacon in Police Court when they recovered later. Probably didn't feel too well then either.
History Locator This week we are honoring the Seaboard Railway Depot in downtown Sarasota close to where Lemon Avenue and First Street intersect. On this site in 1903, the U.S. and West Indies Railroad and Steamship Company built a depot. The railroad, subsequently incorporated into the Seaboard Air Line Railway, provided great impetus to the town's turn-of-the-century progress. Trains brought passengers and manufactured goods to Sarasota and took local products such as fish, citrus, lumber, and vegetables to northern markets. The tracks entered the town along Lemon Avenue, crossed Main Street and curved south to terminate on a pier extending into the bay where commercial fish houses were built. Read reverse side... Where Was I?
I was a great tool for the Chamber of Commerce, and wish I was still standing. A lot of people took photographs of me while they posed and pointed to how far a location was from Sarasota. I'll give you a hint: I stood just next to a great old hotel. Click here to find my location.
Wowser BrowserWith the launch of our new and improved website (www.sarasotahistoryalive.com) last week, we are happy to report some of the new features that are now available for your viewing pleasure.
Look for more features over the next few months to keep Sarasota History Alive!
"Clang, Clang, Clang Went the Trolley..."
Historic Downtown Sarasota Trolley Tours, featuring a hometown guide. Saturday Mornings 10:00 a.m. - 12:00, February 21st, March 14th and April 4th.Depart from/return to Pioneer Park on 12th Street, just off the North Tamiami Trail. Reserve your seat today - Call Brenda Lee @ 921-9392. $25 per person
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Born in Philadelphia, Francis "Frank" Higel was a skilled chemist and discovered a process by which starch could be obtained profitably from the roots of the cassava plant. This plant had been grown in the Venice area successfully by early pioneers. Higel saw the money-making potential in this process and went looking for investors.
Every 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 
Sarasota History Alive! is spotlighting our county's historical markers for you in our weekly e-Newsletters. No sense in trying to read them as you drive by at 40 miles per hour any longer.
Where shall I go on vacation? How far is it to Timbuktu? Not all your questions were answered by me, your favorite signpost, but I surely caught your eye, as you drove past me.
We are in the process of switching all our history videos into the 
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