This Week Newsletter - March 3, 2010
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The Ads of the Day
The other day, your editor was looking for some information in a copy of a 1913 Sarasota Times newspaper, and he could not keep from browsing the advertisements. There is an interesting connection when you read and see photos about places that once existed in our downtown. However, when you see those place's ads, a whole new perspective comes to light. So, why not show you some examples of what he came acoss? Click here to view an advertising slideshow of our town's merchants of long ago.
Tales of Sarasota
This week, Pete tells us all about 'Friday game night.' Anybody who went to Sarasota High School, or Riverview, knew fully well the world stopped revolving once that weekly evening came 'round during football season. Pete gives us a glimpse of that special time, and how important it was to the whole town! Click here to read his blog.
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 Celebration.) Appreciation of Mrs. Potter Palmer
It would be a special pleasure to find some adequate means of showing Manatee County’s appreciation for the large measure of highly desirable citizens whose advent followed her choice of a home at Osprey on Sarasota Bay most of the year, and the enterprise displayed in heralding South Florida’s attractions abroad. Those who followed Mrs. Palmer’s distinguished example have ample reason to be grateful; and the good influence is spreading fast with the preparation of new lands for profitable use. Like Carlyle’s wave, it may circle the globe; for interest in South Florida is becoming international.
Sarasota History Alive! to proud to support the Bertha Palmer Centennial Celebration. Please click here to learn more about the upcoming schedule of events. (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)
The Westmore Tenant House & Smith/Freeman Home
The Westmore Tenant House & Smith/Freeman Home is located at 1913 Datura Street in DeSota Park Subdivision. The Mediterranean Revival/Spanish Eclectic Style was the most popular style built during Florida and Sarasota's Land Boom. What was known in the 1920s as the "Spanish Boom" incorporated stylistic qualities of Spanish, Colonial, Byzantine, Moorish, Mission, and Italianate styles of architecture making the Mediterranean Revival, sometimes referred to as Spanish Eclectic Bungalow, typical of the style of many homes built during 1920s Sarasota. The Spanish Colonial and Mediterranean Styles popularized by Henry Flagler in St. Augustine and Addison Mizner in Palm Beach were reflected in Sarasota regional architecture. Motivated by several national exhibitions, the Mediterranean Revival style first gained prominence in California during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This style was popularized by the Pan-American Exhibition in San Diego in 1915 and the work of transplanted architect, Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. Goodhue authored a detailed study of Spanish Colonial architecture but he wanted to go beyond the then prevalent Mission interpretations to emphasize the richness of Spanish precedents found throughout Latin America. The style was adopted by Hollywood stars of the era, its architectural forms were popularized in films, and it was used for many building types. The Mediterranean Revival Style proved a perfect Florida marketing device for resort communities such as Sarasota, conveying the exotic beauty of the area, while also drawing upon a remote link to its Spanish Colonial heritage. The style soon became as popular in Sarasota as it was in California and other developing areas of south and central Florida. Its success may have been the result of its allure to Sarasotan's sense of history and the association, though inaccurate, with what the early Spanish explorers and settlers most likely built. A connection or comparison was probably made between the mild climate of the Mediterranean coasts and of Sarasota, and that the climate and architecture were suitable together. Whatever the reason, the Mediterranean Revival style was soon the prevalent design idiom for most of the major and many of the minor buildings in Sarasota during the 1920s. 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.
National History Day Contest
Last Saturday, February 27, 2010, the DeSoto Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution hosted the annual National History Day contest. Many students from local middle and senior high schools participated with an amazing array of talented entries. This year's theme was Innovation in History, and the students did not disappoint. Your editor was priviledged to be a judge for high school websites. In the photo above, Matt Minton (center) was chosen the winner in this catagory. On his left is County Judge candidate, Tom Beach, and on his right is DAR member, Karen Hartrampf. For more information about this national event, please visit their website, http://www.nhd.org. |
Bovine Battle Proved to be Tough
It was a time when town leaders were trying to create a new image for their community. By the time of the 1910 federal census, the population had grown to 840. Voters had approved the first bond issue for paved streets in 1908. Following in quick succession were sea walls along Gulf Stream Avenue, water lines to the business and central residential areas, and the first sewer pipe along Main Street and several hundred feet into the bay. The custom of giving livestock a free rein within city limits, as in the above photo showing the intersection of Main Street and Palm Avenue, no longer fit the picture of a modern town. In spite of increasing complaints, however, the issue was not easily resolved. In "The Story of Sarasota," Karl Grismer described the situation as one in which the cattlemen and their supporters for a quarter-century had been able to prevent any action detrimental to their interests. He quoted their position: "The good Lord created the grazing grounds of the Land of Sarasota - and the good Lord does not want the cattle which graze thereon to be molested. To prevent those cattle from wandering wherever they desire would be flaunting the Lord's will!" The Town Council began to grapple with the problem by passing an ordinance in September 1911. It provided that any horse, cow, goat or other grazing animal within the town limits must be kept in a house, shed or yard that would be kept constantly clean and free of any accumulation of manure and from any offensive or unhealthy odors. Violators faced a fine not greater than $25, or prison for not more than 10 days. The exception to these rules was the milk cow, which could roam freely from sunrise to 7:30 p.m. As is to underscore the need for enforcement of this ordinance, the Sarasota Times in November reported on two accidents caused by roaming cows. A Seaboard Air Line work train wrecked after running into some cows "just within the corporate limits." Three cars derailed, five cows died, and the flagman broke his leg and severely injured his hand. In the second accident, three well-known citizens ran over a cow near the bayfront as they left town for a day's hunting trip. The car flipped over and the men were tossed out, heavily bruised but not seriously injured. Read more... (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center, George I. "Pete" Esthus Collection) Yesterday's Sarasota Calendar
Also, be sure and check out Whit's website at: www.ChickenHillNC.com. Tomorrow in 1856, While his soon-to-be parents took refuge from the braves of Billy Bowlegs in Branch Fort on the Manatee River, little Furman C. Whitaker was born. Son of William Whitaker, Sarasota's first white settler, Furman became the first native Sarasotan to become a doctor and return to Sarasota and practice medicine. (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)
History Locator
The fragile lands surrounding this pass were settled thousands of years ago by prehistoric Indians. Over time, storms and currents changed the land, and the original Floridians' villages were lost. The 1851 U.S. Coast and Geodetic chart labeled Casey's Pass. Later, a military map slipped the name onto the island to the north, and it remains Casey Key. These place names honor John Charles Casey, U.S. Army captain and Indian agent. A graduate of West Point, he came to Florida in 1835 and aided in the removal of the Seminoles. He built a spirit of trust with Billy Bowlegs (Holata Micco), a chief of Florida Seminoles. Read more... (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center) Where Was I?The winner from our last quiz was Bob Carroll. 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.
Well, my dear friends and history buffs, I was a pretty gingerbread house, and I belonged to Col. John Hamilton Gillespie and his lovely wife, Blanche (pictured on the far left). Now, the Colonel had several homes over the years, and I was his second. So do tell, where was I? A hint you ask? Let's see, I was a private school at one time, before I was demolished for a parking lot. Sigh... 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?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.
Is this an example of pilates on the beach? This photo was taken in 1922, but I have no idea who this limber lass is; perhaps someone practicing for Ringling's circus? Guess we'll never know, unless one of our local bathing beauties is willing to fess up. (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)
The 20th Annual Homes Tour
The five homes featured on the tour are located in the historic Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores area neighborhoods that includes the John Ringling Estate. The Sarasota Trolley will be available to transport you from home to home. You may enjoy the beautiful sites along the way, while learning about the history of the neighborhood presented by the knowledgeable Sarasota County Historic Preservation Specialist, Lorrie Muldowney, and others. For ticket information to this very popular annual event, click here.
Master Gardener Coming to Sarasota to Speak
This special event takes place on March 11, 2010 at 10;30 a.m., and will be held at New College's Mildred Sainer Pavilion, 5313 Bay Shore Road. Tickets are $35. For more information please call the New College Foundation at (941) 487-4800 or email www.foundation@ncf.edu. Mr. Rushing’s visit is sponsored by New College of Florida and the New College Foundation and is supported by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA). Ca'D'Zan Marker Gets Fresh Look
The Daughters of the American Colonists, the Sarasota County Historical Society and the Sarasota County Historical Commission, have outdone themselves by restoring the deteriorated Ca'D'Zan historical marker. The gleaming refurbished marker was dedicated on February 19, 2010, and is directly in front of the Ringling main entrance. Stop by and see it, and while you're there, step through the grand arch and spend some time enjoying the beautiful mansion and museums. (photo credit, Lorrie Muldowney, Sarasota County Preservation Specialist) |
Under this heading on the editorial page of Tuesday The Tampa Times pays a well merited tribute to the lady whose choice of our portion of Florida has proved its greatest factor for good. Having her home and by far her largest landed interests in Manatee County, it is sincere pleasure for The Sarasota Times, on behalf of our people, to heartily concur in the gracious suggestions from Tampa, and to bespeak a share in whatever testimonial may be undertaken to evidence our good will and good wishes for Mrs. Palmer. 
Ninety-nine years ago, Sarasota ceased to be an open town - open that is, to livestock roaming through town at will. 
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 
Today we are honoring the the Casey's Pass marker. We apologize for not having a picture of it sans the seagull droppings. It reads:
This Week's Clues: 
The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation is proud to announce their 20th Annual Historic Homes Tour on Sunday, March 7, 2010, from 11 AM to 5 PM.
Felder Rushing is a 10th-generation American gardener whose pioneer ancestors settled across the Southeast, bringing many plants with them. The author or co-author of 15 gardening books (including several national award winners) and former Extension Service urban horticulture specialist has written thousands of gardening columns in syndicated newspapers, and has had hundreds of articles and photographs published in regional and national garden magazines. 
"Sarasota History Alive!" is a part of the "Florida History Alive!" network
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