Lets start at the very beginning as that is a good place to commence the origin of Sarasota County.
It is questionable as to how the name of the city was established, but one legend connects it with Sara, the daughter of the conquistador, DeSoto. Others wonder if it originated with an Indian word, "sara-se-cota" which means landfall easily observed. The other myth is that there was a fishing camp and Indian trading post at the end of the Long Boat Key area named "Saraxota".
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John Greene Webb |
The Swampland Act reduced the effectiveness of the Homestead Act, and there was a drastic halt in more settlers living in Sarasota. The Florida Mortgage and Investment Company of Edinburgh selected Sarasota as its key point for development and purchased 60,000 acres. In 1885, John W. Gillespie arrived and brought his company, Florida Mortgage and Investment Co., Ltd., to revive the city by establishing steamboat and railroad connections, Mr. Gillespie also built the DeSoto Hotel and perhaps the first golf course in the United States.
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The DeSoto Hotel |
Sarasota became a town on October 14, 1902, and Mr. Gillespie served as its first mayor. John and Charles Ringling, of the famous circle family, invested a large Sarasota property in order to bring their family's entertainment business to the area to attract even more tourists. Sarasota was incorporated as a city on May 13, 1913. While the city experienced struggles during the Great Depression, it flourished in tourism during the 1960's and later in the 1980's and 1990's. Now Sarasota is one of the most thriving counties and cities in the state because of the beauty of the environment and the thriving tourist attractions offered for the entire family.
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Photo Credit: Jennifer McElroy |
Source: History of Sarasota
Up next will be my experiences with working in one of the historic buildings of Sarasota County.
Thank you!
J.M.