Buchan Airport

During the heyday of land speculation in the 1920s, a development of slightly less than 100 acres was planned west of (now) Old Englewood Road at N. Indiana Ave. Designed as a mecca for vacationing stars and the wealthy, it was to be called Hygeia. Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford reportedly would build here.

On the subdivision plat that was filed April 21, 1925, the streets were given Native American names. Today, the remaining street is Osceola Drive. When the Great Florida Land Boom suddenly ended, Hygeia was forgotten.

In April 1949, on the advice of Peter E. Buchan, Sarasota County purchased 93 acres of the Hygeia land for an airport. The new mosquito eradication program planned to use the airport for aerial spraying in the southern part of the county. The County Commissioners named the airport to honor Buchan's "long and efficient service to the county."

Beginning in the 1960s, homes with hangers were built along Osceola Road. After neighbors raised safety concerns, the county commissioners adopted the Buchan Airport Master Plan in 2003.