This Week Newsletter - September2, 2009
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This Week
School has begun, and we are not (yet) threatened by a hurricane, so what better time to make a movie about the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus! Oops! Guess that has already been done here, and with much aplomb and finesse...you guessed it, "The Greatest Show on Earth". Your editor, born and raised in Sarasota, almost got to be in one of the downtown parade scenes, but alas, he instead had a date with the measles. Aargh! So, to compensate for his loss, and for your gain, we are presenting a slideshow of some of the local shots that were taken during filming of that epic tale. Mr. DeMille, you 'done good!' Click here to view the slideshow. (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.
Tales of Sarasota
Easier said than done, when the Spanish one speaks is not of the same variety of the locals. Check out Pete's blog to see how this dilemma was resolved. Click Here to read his blog.
The Main Street Reporter
August 31, 1947 (SH-T) Beauty-Seeking Tampans Upset By Sarasota Wash - Consternation reigned in Tampa Saturday - and all because some very clean Sarasota washing was hung to dry along Tampa's most dignified roadway, Bayshore Boulevard.The story, told as quick as you could wash John Doe, it this: Four Amish tourists, who had been in Florida only two days, but had sense enough to spend one of them in Sarasota, were en route to Lancaster County in Pennsylvania to visit relatives. Friday night they washed their clothes in a home laundry at Sarasota. The clothes failed to dry and fearing they would mildew if packed wet, the group stopped at Tampa to dry them on a line strung up between four royal palm trees along the boulevard. Tampans and tourists stopped and gaped. A crowd formed, and finally police appeared on the scene. The laundry was packed, and the Amish family proceeded to Pennsylvania.
(photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)
Harrison and Laura Watson Residence
The Harrison and Laura Watson residence, at 3106 North Lockwood Ridge Road was constructed in the Neoclassical Style. Its wood frame is supported in part by a pier foundation of poured concrete, and in part by a continuous brick foundation. It stands two stories in height, and is crowned by a gable and hip roof, covered with metal sheeting. The walls are clad with asbestos shingle, vertical wood siding and clapboard. The main entrance consists of a fifteen-light wood door with a wood screen and elaborate door surround composed of five-light sidelights and a six-light fanlight. It is located on the west elevation, within a two-level porch consisting of a full-height entry porch topped with a gable roof with a pediment supported by two concrete Tuscan-style columns and a lower three-quarter width porch with a hip roof. Original windows include six-light over one-light double hung sash, placed independently, paired and in ribbons of three. Exterior ornament includes wood window and door surrounds, corner boards, gable vents, deep overhanging eaves and fixed wood window shutters. The interior is characterized by a mostly symmetrical plan with a central staircase and hallway with rooms flanking either side. The staircase itself consists of a molded handrail with turned guardrails. The living room contains a segmental arch entry into the adjacent room flanked by pilasters with a simple capital. Rooms on the second level retain the original hardwood floors and decorative molding. Read more...
(photo credit: Sarasota County public records)
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Sarasota Goes From Boom to Bust in the 1920s
 By early 1924, the great land boom in Sarasota was in full swing. Real estate values were beginning to skyrocket. Land transactions occurred so quickly that there was not enough time to get an abstract on a lot or parcel of land. Real estate agents began to arrive in Sarasota on a daily basis. Land was being platted so fast that the Sarasota Realty Board published an atlas of subdivisions so potential buyers would know where they were.
According to Karl Grismer's book, "The Story of Sarasota," full-page ads were appearing in the Sarasota Herald every week. An example of these ads would be "Washington Heights Subdivisions prices will advance $500 to $1,000 a lot within a week; East Sarasota, a city in the making, invest $1,000 now and you will make $5,000 within a year; Vamo, the gem of the bay, ran a special 10-page section to tell of its attraction and Pine Vista Estates, only 20 minutes from Five Points, where beautiful home sites can be purchased at the ridiculously low price of $3,600. Sarasota County government added to this real estate boom. In 1924, the county passed government bonds to build new schools all over the county, including Sarasota High School, Bay Haven School and Laurel School. They also passed road and bridge bonds for new roads in sections of Venice, Myakka, Osprey and an eastern section of the county. New bridges were built at Stickney Point, Blackburn Point, Albee Road and so on. The once small fishing village was becoming a true city. Read more... (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center) Ain't Life Grand?
Well, this week, instead of a photograph, we are giving you a 'head's up' about the flu season just around the corner. Seems like one way to get the word out was to have government warnings for the public at large. It is odd though that the warning pictured came from the Treasury Department. Somehow, I don't see how Timothy Geithner would be involved in the prevention of spreading disease; more likely he is involved with the spreading of money. (image credit: 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.  This Sunday, in 1869, Samuel W. Gumpertz was born in Washington, D.C. From a career as an acrobat and a Rough Rider with the Buffalo Bill Show, he introduced Flo Ziegfeld to show business, helped to develop Long Beach (Long Island) Coney Island, and Brighton Beach. Later he became general managerof Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows in Sarasota. He brought the Giants to town, aided in the building of Lido Beach Pavilion, and assisted in developing Ringling Isles.
(photo credit: Sarasota County History Center)
History Locator
The naval stores industry provided employment for workers leaving the plantation system following the Civil War. Some laborers were leased by private companies from state or county prisons. This leasing system brought about conditions of peonage to many workers. Following public outcry, the state legislature prohibited the leasing of convicts. Turpentine processing and lumber milling reached this area around 1910. One of the early stills and prisoner stockades operated by the Hall and Harrison Turpentine Company was located west of the Seaboard Air Line Railway in Nokomis. The still worked land north of Nokomis and south of Venice. Read reverse side...
Where Was I?
Our winner from last week's quiz was Jim Toale. 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. This Week's Clues:
And your question this week is: On what 'welcoming' street am I on in this photo? Please submit the form that allows you to guess the answer. Click here to fill it out, and next week we will announce the winner, and give the solution to the question. Answer early, since the first person with the correct answer, claims the prize. Contestants may win only once per month. (photo credit: Sarasota County History Center) Sponsored By: This week Sarasota Architectural Salvage is our sponsor. The winner of the contest will receive a $20 gift certificate to be redeemed at the store.
As a BONUS, Jesse White, the owner, is also offering a great discount coupon to all of our viewers. Just click here to see what's in store for you! Simply print out the coupon, and take it shopping in a one-of-a-kind cool place. 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?
New Schedule
We at Sarasota History Alive! are always seeking ways to improve our website and e-Newsletter for your enjoyment. In order to accomplish that goal, we need more time to "build" other features and services. We will produce our e-Newsletter two times a month. You can expect your newsletter every other week until further notice. As always, it is a pleasure to share Sarasota's history with you, and request your understanding in this matter. -Editor-
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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, 
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, we are now going to show you some of those photos that all of us can relate to in one way or another. Enjoy!
Today we are honoring the Laurel Turpentine and Lumber historical marker. It reads:
Believe it or not, I used to run regularly in downtown Sarasota. Parents used to try and drive their cars on my tracks, and the kids in the back seat loved it! There was an Alamo Chicken place nearby, and the delicious smells of braised/broasted chicken made your mouth water at dinner time. 
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