Osprey in Sarasota County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
South Creek Trestle / Oscar Scherer History
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 5, 2012
1. South Creek Trestle / Oscar Scherer History Marker
South Creek Trestle
In early 1900 Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) controlled 2,600 miles of track stretching from Virginia to Florida. In 1911 SAL constructed a 16.5-mile extension from Sarasota (Fruitville Junction) to Venice. The bridge over South Creek is one of the remaining trestles built in 1911. The trestle is located at mile-marker 897.6. Approximately 125 feet long, it is an open deck, timber trestle. The current length of the new bridge is 175 feet and supports The Legacy Trail. As you traverse The Legacy Trail, note the mile markers present to reflect the original railroad mile markers starting from north to south. Mile marker 0 is located in Richmond, Virginia.
Oscar Scherer History
In her will, Elsa Scherer Burrows (1884-1955) left the family's 460-acre South Creek Ranch to the state in memory of her father Oscar Scherer (who invented a process for dyeing leather in 1872). After a year of preparation, Oscar Scherer State Park opened to the public in 1956.
Three decades later, local environmentalists began campaigning for the state to purchase and protect adjoining Florida scrub habitat. With help from The Nature Conservancy, Sarasota County and wide public support, the state purchased an additional 922 acres from Palmer Ranch in 1991.
The park now preserves more
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.
Location. 27° 10.529′ N, 82° 27.48′ W. Marker is in Osprey, Florida, in Sarasota County. Marker can be reached from Oscar Scherer State Park Road, 1.4 miles east of South Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41), on the right when traveling east. Marker is located on the Sarasota-to-Venice Legacy Rail Trail, about 1/10 mile south of the gate at the east end of Oscar Scherer State Park which connects to the trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1843 South Tamiami Trail, Osprey FL 34229, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Oscar Scherer State Park (approx. 1.1 miles away); Laurel Turpentine Company / Blackburn Sawmill Quarters (approx. 2.6 miles away); Osprey School (approx. 2.7 miles away); Historic Spanish Point (approx. 2.7 miles away); Johnson Chapel / Albee Quarters (approx. 3.1 miles away); Shakett Creek / Estuary "the cradle of the ocean" (approx. 3.4
2. Marker detail: Seaboard Air Line Railroad Map
More about this marker. Marker is a large laser-printed metal plaque, mounted horizontally on a waist-high post.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Oscar Scherer State Park
Also see . . . Seaboard Air Line Railroad. The Seaboard Air Line was another of the South's notable railroads, competing fiercely against Atlantic Coast Line and Southern Railway. The SAL was somewhat smaller than the ACL and never as wealthy as the Southern. The company struggled in its early days and later experienced a bankruptcy after the Great Depression. It eventually got back onto its feet, pulled through these troubled times, and spent its final three decades as a profitable railroad. When the streamliner craze hit the nation Seaboard beat its rival in launching the Silver Meteor, which began a highly successful passenger business to the Sunshine State until Amtrak in 1971. (Submitted on October 15, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Marker detail: Pine Flatwoods
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 5, 2012
4. South Creek Trestle / Oscar Scherer History Marker (tall view)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 5, 2012
5. South Creek Trestle / Oscar Scherer History Marker (wide view; marker/trestle left of trail)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 5, 2012
6. South Creek Trestle (Legacy Trail on the right)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, December 5, 2012
7. South Creek Trestle (view from near marker)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 15, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 283 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 15, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6. submitted on October 30, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 7. submitted on October 15, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
