2010 is Bertha's Year

In 1910, Bertha H. Palmer arrived in Sarasota to have a look-see at our area, and was totally taken with what potential she saw. Good thing for us in 2010, since she had a tremendous impact with her brilliant vision.

Bertha Honore Palmer dined with Kings and Presidents, talked Impressionist Art with Monet at Giverny, fed milk to Chicago orphans, invented Sarasota 'snowbirding', revolutionized the Florida cattle industry, ignited the Women's Rights Movement, and bought lots of jewels!

On the right side of this column, you will find an overall summary of her impact on all of Sarasota County. You will also be able to understand how this independent and world-renowned socialite was able to transform herself into woman who was not afraid to get her hands muddied.

As a special treat, the Parks Project co-directors, Ed and Pam Lottero have prepared a wonderful talk and presentation of Bertha's life, both in Chicago and Sarasota. It is titled, Mrs. Palmer - American Royalty -A Pictoral History Presentation. They have permitted Sarasota History Alive! to show you some of their photos that will be utilized in their lecture.  Click here to view a brief slideshow.

Their free lectures are to be held on January 27th, February 24th, and March 24th; all at 7:00 p.m., in Myakka River State Park, 13208 SR-72 (Clark Road), Sarasota, 34241. For ticket information, please phone (941) 361-6513, or email them at ParksProject@gmail.com. They are also available to speak at venues outside of the state park system.

Tales of Sarasota

Lolligaging on a raft, ain't what it used to be! The week Pete tells a funny tale (well, not too funny for his brother, Ray), that involves the Lido Beach Municipal Casino lifeguards and a rescue mission.

Seems some new fangled binoculars were at the root of the cause of the mishap, that caused a big stir at the popular spot. Kids will be kids, but frantic adults sure can cause a fuss.

To read all about it, Click here.

The Main Street Reporter

We would like to extend our thanks to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune for permitting Sarasota History Alive! to reprint excerpts of Helen Griffith's Main Street Reporter column from the 1940s and beyond.  Please visit them online at, heraldtribune.com for up-to-date news and a lot more.

Aftermath…Main Street represented by humans still having plenty to say about the storm. Morning after the blow with no electricity to make coffee, some folks seen in town substituting beer for their breakfast java! Rudy Bundy, who declared he wasn’t going to shave until it stopped raining, seen whiskerless at last. He wasn’t the only male about here to appear with that five o’clock shadow…and they were making the most of their plight, “We couldn’t use our electric razor…no power you know.”

Dan Boyd, still looking for that calf of his, wonderin’ if the wind was strong enough to have blown it away!

Sir Walter Raleigh a la Florida…attractive woman starts to leave car, finds thick mud between fender and curb. Handsome escort gathers some palm branches and covers muddy road with same. Woman walks across, pretty shoes unspoiled.

Junior miss on bike, riding along South Orange Avenue against the wind, intent on keeping an appointment in town. Man calls out from passing car, “Why not try going the other way!”

Phone rang at doctor’s residence during the wind storm. Woman at other end of wire, in distressed tones, told of her hearing aid having been blown away. The doctor said he would gladly bring her another. But on the way to her home, while battling the forceful gusts, the substitute hearing aid met the same fate as the other…blown right out of his pocket, just as he reached her front door!

Per usual, Max Hammond was away when hurricane was threatened here. Up in Augusta, Ga., he heard the news, jumped in his car and made for Sarasota. “I covered 450 miles, traveling faster than the storm did. I wasn’t going to miss this one! So came on home to meet it…never having been rightly introduced to one, chuckled Max.

“Shucks, I got here in time all right, but it never turned up. Why, I’ve heard traveling salesmen blow harder than that plenty of times” he added.   

(photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)

The Siesta Key Beach Pavilion

The Siesta Key Beach Pavilion, designed by architect, Tim Siebert was dedicated in 1960. Published in Architectural Record of August 1963, the building was recognized as notable for its use of low maintenance materials like reinforced concrete, and concrete block. According to this same article the pavilion was constructed using columns that were pre-cast on site then hoisted into position, and beams that were poured in place. Pre-cast, pre-stressed, double tee joists, were laid across the frame, to form the roof of the shade pavilion. An underground concrete bulkhead wall was put in place at the time of construction to protect the facility against storms.  

According to Walt Rothenbach Jr., former Recreation Supervisor for Sarasota County, by July of 1963 the public restrooms were through the concession stand, requiring that the restrooms close when the concession stand was closed. Later, access to the restrooms was changed, with the entry to the men’s room on the Beach Road side of the building and access to the women’s room on the Gulf side. Late in the 1980s when the building was renovated, access to the restrooms was changed again, this time to its present configuration, with both doors on the Gulf side of the building. 

Over time Siesta Key Public Beach has expanded. According to Mr. Rothenbach Jr., in 1965 land was acquired to the north of the beach pavilion adding an additional 300’ of beach frontage. A series of beach cottages were included as part of this acquisition, one of which was moved to Turtle Beach and still serves as restrooms and meeting rooms there. During the 1970s the land holding was expanded to the south with the purchase of approximately 30 acres of property owned by the Gregg family. Mr. Hugh Gregg was the former Governor of New Hampshire who retired to Siesta Key and built the Summerhouse restaurant there in 1976. Read more...

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.