Since the late 1800's the deceased loved ones of Englewood's pioneer settlers have been laid to rest on this high sandy ridge. The land for the cemetery was deeded to the citizens of the Lemon Bay area, by means of trustees, by John H. and Florence . . . — — Map (db m15669) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m11815) HM
Byron Corey was one of the first homesteaders to be awarded land by the U.S. Government on Longboat Key. He was given 154 acres of land on Sarasota Bay in 1895. Until 1921, he had some of the finest tomatoes, guavas, limes and other produce for . . . — — Map (db m79430) HM
Side 1
After the Civil War, many Georgians moved their families to Southern Florida. Joseph Daniel "Jody" Anderson, born in Georgia in 1867, was a child when his father moved to the Tampa/Sara Sota area. In 1884, Joseph became the head of the . . . — — Map (db m156335) HM
The Miakka School House was built in 1914 by J.B. Rogers for $1,390. It was the first school in Manatee County to be built using school bonds authorized by the Legislature of 1913. This area was part of Manatee County until 1921.
The two . . . — — Map (db m97078) HM
Curry Family
Roberts Bay was named for Robert Roberts, who arrived in the area in 1871 and acquired property at the mouth of the bay. His land extended southward along the coast to the southern limits of the present City of Venice. Curry . . . — — Map (db m124899) HM
History of Nokomis
The early community between Dona Bay and Roberts Bay was part of a larger community known as Horse and Chaise. The name came from clumps of trees that reminded sailors of a horse and chaise (two-wheeled horse-drawn wagon). . . . — — Map (db m124898) HM
The original Johnson Chapel building, located on Church Street in Laurel, was moved in 1947 from the Missionary Baptist Church in Osprey to become the sanctuary for the Johnson Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Laurel. Naming the church for their . . . — — Map (db m124875) HM
Side 1
Knight Memorial
The original settlers of the area were Jesse and Rebecca Knight who came to the Venice area in 1868 with their children and 300 head of cattle. The Knight family settled south of Shakett Creek and north of . . . — — Map (db m146124) HM
Laurel Turpentine Company
As the turpentine industry spread through southwest Florida, landowners leased turpentine rights to contractors who hired operators for camps that would harvest gum from thousands of acres of pine woods. The Laurel . . . — — Map (db m125006) HM
One of the area's oldest educational institutions, the Nokomis School, was built in 1924 on Nippino Trail. The photo shows the two-room Mediterranean Revival style school.
Originally, children in grades one through eight attended the . . . — — Map (db m38372) HM
Shakett Creek
The naming of Shakett Creek dates back to the arrival of Jesse Knight's family to Nokomis in the late 1860s. They traveled overland from northeast of Tampa with covered wagons, buggies and mounted horses. When the group reached . . . — — Map (db m125018) HM
Turpentine
Early in the 20th Century, turpentine camps were established in Nokomis and Venice. Typically black laborers cut a V-shaped “cat face” in the bark of pine trees, from which gum oozed into a clay or tin pot nailed to the tree. . . . — — Map (db m124982) HM
Side 1
This marks the location of the Post Office established July 3, 1888 to serve the pioneer community of Horse and Chaise, begun in 1868 by Jesse and Caroline Varn Knight on high ground east of Dona Bay near Shake It Creek. The Post . . . — — Map (db m146019) HM
The waters of this unusual archeological and paleontological site have yielded preserved human skeletal remains and artifacts dating from 10,000 to 3000 B.C. Animal fossils have also been recovered. Including species of extinct tortoise, sloth, . . . — — Map (db m128665) HM
Prehistoric Man Lived Here
More than 10,000 years ago prehistoric man, sabre-tooth cats, giant sloths, mammoths and mastodons lived in this area of Florida which eons later became a part of Sarasota County. Warm Mineral Springs, here, and . . . — — Map (db m128664) HM
This 30-acre preserve includes prehistoric shell middens and a burial mound dating from 3,000 B.C. to 1,000 A.D., buildings from the homestead of John Greene Webb, and gardens from the winter estate of Mrs. Potter Palmer. In 1975, it became the . . . — — Map (db m60326) HM
Bequeathed by his daughter
Elsa Scherer Burrows 1884-1955
in memory of her father 1856-1923
"That man may last, but never lives,
who much receives, but nothing gives;
whom none can love, - whom none can thank,
creation's blot, . . . — — Map (db m125017) HM
The Osprey School served the Osprey and Vamo communities from 1927 through June 1976. It was one of four boom-time schools which were designed by Tampa architect M. Leo Elliot and built along the Tamiami Trail between 1926 and 1928.
The land . . . — — Map (db m38423) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m125012) HM
Dora Foster famously known all over the world as the “Baroness of Balance” who with her unique sword balancing act on a high swaying ladder amazed circus and variety audiences across all continents. Also known as one of The Famous . . . — — Map (db m147161) HM
Dr. C.B. Wilson was one of the first doctors to establish residence and practice medicine in Sarasota. His practice was established in 1906 and he served the community as a doctor until his death in 1941. The late 1800s and early 1900s saw great . . . — — Map (db m218558) HM
Individual Variation
As you walk through Rosemary Cemetery, examine each of the markers carefully. They offer clues about the former lives of the deceased and the thoughts of those who buried them.
(sidebar)
Rosemary . . . — — Map (db m148071) HM
Trained from age 13 at Karl Hagenbeck’s renowned Stellingen Zoo, Albert Rix became one of the World’s foremost authorities on the breeding, care and training of bears. He was featured for many years on Ringling Bros., beginning in 1950 when he . . . — — Map (db m147051) HM
Famed as the performer for whose services John Ringling North traded an elephant, he is the fabled patriarch of a family whose circus roots go back 160 years in Italy. His classic bareback equestrian act was featured in C.B. DeMille’s “The . . . — — Map (db m147566) HM
A Ringling Bros. superstar of the 1920s, he was undisputed “King of the Flying Trapeze.” At a time when few had attempted it and even fewer had succeeded, he made the difficult triple back somersault a highlight of every performance, . . . — — Map (db m147667) HM
His love of the circus came from his parents, both of whom were circus people. He began his career selling peanuts, popcorn and cotton candy under the big top and rose to become one of the youngest showmen ever to own a large show, Allan C. . . . — — Map (db m147040) HM
Allen Bloom worked with Irvin Feld beginning in the 1950’s as his partner. During the birth of Rock and Roll prior to Feld’s ownership of Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus, he was Vice President from 1967-95 responsible for marketing and . . . — — Map (db m147143) HM
American National Bank
Built 1926
Francis Palmer Smith - Architect
Adair & Sentor – Builder
Has been placed in the
National Register of Historic Places
&
Designated A Historic Structure By
The City Of Sarasota, . . . — — Map (db m148224) HM
Known as the “Queen of the Flying Trapeze,” she was the second woman to perform the difficult triple somersault. For many years she was the star female aerialist with the “Flying Concellos” who were considered to be one of . . . — — Map (db m147230) HM
(side 1)
A 41-mile Tampa Southern line, "The Fort Ogden Extension," was constructed in 1925-1926 from Sarasota southeasterly to a junction at Southfort on the Lakeland-Naples line of the Atlantic Coast Line. A pair of daily passenger . . . — — Map (db m146103) HM
In December 1913, Oscar and Alice Burton joined real estate developer and future Sarasota mayor Arthur B. Edwards (1914-1915 and 1920-1921) and his wife Fannie in selling the land south of Hudson Bayou to the Sarasota Improvement Company. In . . . — — Map (db m92861) HM
Among modern-day circus clowns, he ranks in the very top echelon. As “Grandma,” an impish, red-attired solo clown, he has bestowed his feel-good merriment on 25 years of Big Apple Circus audiences and elevated physical comedy to a new . . . — — Map (db m147421) HM
Side 1
Bay Haven School is one of two elementary schools built in Sarasota from identical plans to accommodate population growth resulting from the 1920s real estate boom. Bay Haven and Southside Elementary were designed by architect M. Leo . . . — — Map (db m146087) HM
Side 1
Beaches, a cherished asset to Sarasota County, were not always welcoming to Sarasota’s African–American communities. Prior to Brown vs. the Board of Education and Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat to a white . . . — — Map (db m146250) HM
Side 1
The Bee Ridge Woman's Club has been an integral part of the growth and development of the Bee Ridge community, providing social outlet, community pride, and staunch support for many public interest projects since the early 1900s. Organized . . . — — Map (db m136014) HM
Seventh generation member of one of the circus world’s royal families, his upswept red hair and daredevil aerial high jinks set him apart as one of the preeminent clowns in recent history. His mastery of such apparatus as the swaypole, highwire, . . . — — Map (db m147510) HM
In 1882 this "handsome residence" was under construction for Alfred and Mary Bidwell on land Mary purchased from the State of Florida for one dollar an acre. Before construction the Bidwell's apparently occupied the detached kitchen-dining room . . . — — Map (db m97086) HM
Jackson and Katherine Bispham started a dairy in 1922 north of Sarasota with Sarasota County Dairy Permit No. 2. Later that year Bispham moved his operation to the area of present South Tamiami Trail and Fiesta Street, named it Bayside Dairy, and . . . — — Map (db m101064) HM
This Venetian Gothic palace on Sarasota Bay, palatial home of John and Mable Ringling was completed in the mid-20s.
The mansion and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, surrounded by lovely gardens and embellished with Italian statuary . . . — — Map (db m146125) HM
As a rider and trainer of high school horses, he had no peer. A former Dutch Cavalryman, he came to the U.S. in 1936 to join Ringling Bros. where, his steed, Starless Night, he set new standards for presentation of the classic Spanish riding . . . — — Map (db m147047) HM
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the live entertainment circus spectacular, was brought to the big screen by movie director Cecil B. DeMille in “The Greatest Show on Earth.” The winner of the 1952 Academy Award for Best Picture, the . . . — — Map (db m147378) HM
Cedar Point/Sunset Park
Cedar Point, a hook of land on Sarasota Bay, was platted in 1899 and recorded as an addition to the Town of Sarasota in 1900. Split into north and south sections by North Gulf Stream Avenue, Cedar Point was home to . . . — — Map (db m97107) HM
Creator of the world-renowned Universoul Circus, Cedric Walker is a preeminent pioneering force in urban influenced circus arts, theater and new generation, cutting edge productions. His skill, insight, diversity and veracity have earned him his . . . — — Map (db m147136) HM
Legendary highwire walkers who escaped war-ravaged Czechoslovakia during World War II and became some of the most innovative, daring and influential performers of the post-World War II period. Known for their imaginative, original routines they . . . — — Map (db m147372) HM
(Side 1)
Charles Ringling, along with his wife Edith and their children, helped Sarasota become a dynamic, thriving West Coast community. Born in 1864, he was actively involved in the operation of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey . . . — — Map (db m145879) HM
As graduate and teacher of its famed Clown College, Chucko was named “The youngest boss clown in history” by RBBB, touring North America and Japan. After appearing for ten years in various capacities in Japan, he returned to Sarasota to become . . . — — Map (db m147114) HM
Few in American circus history have led as many circus bands in as many performances. Born into a musical family with ties to the circus, it came as no surprise in 1958 when he and his trumpet joined the Cristiani Bros. Circus Band. Three years . . . — — Map (db m147446) HM
In the Post-World War II era he was one of the world’s preeminent animal trainers. For 19 years Ringling audiences were awed by the beauty of his superb Royal Bengal Tiger Act which included one of the most difficult of all circus feats in . . . — — Map (db m147257) HM
On a bright spring morning in 1885, a surveying team from the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company cleared a ten foot area in what is today the center of Five Points. The group was led by Richard Paulson who announced: "We will lay out the . . . — — Map (db m97142) HM
His hands-on managerial style and tireless work ethic helped him build Circus Vargas into one of the great circuses of the modern era. Starting from scratch with three trucks and eight animals, by the time of his untimely death 20 years later the . . . — — Map (db m147570) HM
Clyde Beatty, master trainer of wild animals presented the largest group of jungle beasts ever seen in the circus – 40 lions and tigers in one cage. His spectacular showmanship won him center ring stardom with Ringling and other major . . . — — Map (db m147052) HM
Known as the “Wizard of the Silver Thread,” his remarkable acrobatics were unmatched by any other low wire performer and made him one of the premier stars of the Ringling Bros. shows of the 1920s – 1940s. His singular . . . — — Map (db m147220) HM
“Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Children of All Ages! Welcome!”
This grand greeting was heard worldwide during Count’s
illustrious 50 years in show business. Born in Greece, he traveled
to America as a boy. In 1927, at . . . — — Map (db m147331) HM
Born of Portuguese nobility, experts acclaimed him to be the foremost exponent of classical horsemanship. His career evolved in the great circuses, music halls and theaters on three continents and culminated with the 1963-4 tour by Ringling in . . . — — Map (db m147243) HM
He was one of the few little persons to gain stardom as a performer. Born Pasqualino Rizzi, he came to the U.S. from Italy in 1948 with the Zoppe Bareback Equestrian Riders to join Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus. Among his notable . . . — — Map (db m147182) HM
Their contribution to the preservation of the traditional circus is enormous over six decades. They launched their tented shows to towns and cities throughout the nation, compiling the longest record of continual ownership in the annals of the . . . — — Map (db m147619) HM
He was the first clown in the history of the American Circus to gain nationwide fame. His talents were unmatched: animal trainer, equestrian, writer and singer of comical songs, owner or manager of circuses bearing his name. He appeared without . . . — — Map (db m147042) HM
De Sota Park
During the Florida Land Boom of the 1920's, many new subdivision were platted, both within the City of Sarasota and within expanded city limits. On September 10, 1924, Lewis Combs (1892-1943), a native of Illinois who came to . . . — — Map (db m146044) HM
De Sota Park
During the Florida Land Boom of the 1920's, many new subdivision were platted, both within the City of Sarasota and within expanded city limits. On September 10, 1924, Lewis Combs (1892-1943), a native of Illinois who came to . . . — — Map (db m146045) HM
A juggler who for six decades has astounded audiences with his trademark routine in which, while mounted on a slackwire, he uses his foot to toss as many as ten pairs of cups and saucers, plus spoon, teapot, and sugar cube, into a stack atop his . . . — — Map (db m147509) HM
He clowned for a lifetime while helping raise a half-dozen future circus stars. Paired with his wife, Connie, who was one of the first performing female clowns, the couple amused audiences on more than 30 shows over half a century while also . . . — — Map (db m147491) HM
The premier aerial performer of the 1980s and 1990s, her spectacular skills on the Roman Rings have earned her the title, “Queen of the Air.” The daughter of clown, Lou Jacobs, she joined Ringling Bros. as a teenager and became a solo performer . . . — — Map (db m147062) HM
For over 40 years he was veterinarian of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus looking after the world’s largest traveling menagerie. He is recognized as an outstanding authority on the care and feeding of circus animals.
Charley’s . . . — — Map (db m147679) HM
The Edwards Theatre was the dream of Sarasota County’s native son and early notable mayor, Arthur B. Edwards, who dedicated himself to the proposition that a modern city be built on the shores of Sarasota Bay. He was born October 2, 1874, and . . . — — Map (db m146140) HM
Her feats on the high trapeze have never been duplicated by a female performer. Her act was climaxed by standing on her head while the trapeze swung in a 60 foot arc with no safety net. A native of Russia she began her career as a ballet dancer . . . — — Map (db m147026) HM
Emmett Kelly, the most famous clown of his time, will always be remembered as the creator of “Weary Willie” a clown whose sad face and original antics delighted circus audiences here and abroad. Thanks to Kelly’s rare gift for . . . — — Map (db m147792) HM
Recognized as one of the most accomplished artists of the flying trapeze. Performed with the “Flying Concellos” with Ringling and later formed the “Flying Alexanders.” His artistry has been seen in the movie . . . — — Map (db m147623) HM
He is remembered as the clown who in grotesque costume and makeup, paraded around the circus tent with a small trained pig. Their antics were classic examples of so-called clown gags. Adler became so popular that he was called “King of the . . . — — Map (db m147071) HM
(side 1)
This Black community grew as businessmen, fishermen, physicians, nurses, teachers, farmers, contractors, carpenters, laborers, drivers, masons, blacksmiths, laundry workers and railroad workers made this area their home. Along . . . — — Map (db m146209) HM
On January 12, 1929, Sarasota dedicated its first municipal airport located on 160 acres just west of Oriente Avenue, now Beneva Road, and north of Fruitville Rd. Pilots performed aerial maneuvers and stunts for the crowd, many of whom felt an . . . — — Map (db m218405) HM
In a 60-year career that began during the circus’s Golden Age and extended into the 1970s, he was one of the great circus men of his time. He started as a candy butcher and worked as an agent before launching his own circus with brother Howard in . . . — — Map (db m147070) HM
A brother and sister who became two of the greatest of all jugglers.
He is renowned for his incredible speed, for using his entire body to direct the movement of objects and for being the first ever to juggle ten rings at a time. In his . . . — — Map (db m147067) HM
Born in 1916 Hungary, he became one of the great impresarios of our time. In 1955, he and his wife Ilona, created Circus Tihany Spectacular, Latin America’s largest traveling circus. In a half-century of touring South and Central America and . . . — — Map (db m147612) HM
Franz Unus, an equilibrist of unequaled skill. Originated and perfected the spectacular one-finger stand in which he balanced his body on his right index finger atop a large electric light bulb. He was a center ring star with Ringling for 13 . . . — — Map (db m147217) HM
As newlyweds, they joined the great Barnum & Bailey Circus, launching careers in which both would attain super stardom. The quintessential equestrian director who became the model for nearly every ringmaster, he directed the daily performances of . . . — — Map (db m147207) HM
Author, journalist, historian, biographer and lover of all things circus. Friend to trouper and fan alike, his fascination with the circus began as a child and consumed his life for the next seventy-five years, including forty-nine as editor and . . . — — Map (db m147350) HM
The first church in Sarasota County was organized by John Hendry July 6, 1875. Charter members of the Friendship Baptist Church were E.R. and Emiline Foster, Rebecca Lowe, Mrs. L.F. Rawls, Martha Reaves, I.A. and Eleanor Redd, John Tatum, Serene . . . — — Map (db m128653) HM
(Side 1)
Fruitville Elementary School, the largest elementary school in Sarasota County in 1989, began as a converted corn crib in the late 1880's. Charles L. Reaves, a pioneer of the Fruitville area with his wife Martha Tatum of Tatum . . . — — Map (db m150432) HM
Over seven decades she thrilled audiences with her remarkable riding skills, her outstanding animal presentations and her theatrical productions. First gaining fame at 18 on Cole Bros. Following World War II, she became one of a very few to ever . . . — — Map (db m147550) HM
A one-of-a-kind act that his never been duplicated and the most recognized comedy act in circus history, George and his partner the mule Nebraska performed over 25 years together. George, along with his beloved wife Catherine and family came to . . . — — Map (db m147269) HM
Side 1
Built by 1950, the Gulf Beach Motel was part of the post World War II motel construction boom that addressed the needs of a growing number of tourists to the area. With the end of war-time gas rationing and the resumption o auto . . . — — Map (db m146331) HM
The most versatile and admired animal trainer in Circus History. As a youth Circus Williams in his native Germany he demonstrated a rare rapport with animals especially tigers, elephants and horses. After becoming Europe’s leading circus . . . — — Map (db m147039) HM
:
Renowned artist, entrepreneur, and visionary, Guy Laliberte founded Cirque Du Soleil in 1984. To this day, he is the creative guide behind some 50 awe-inspiring shows that have pushed the boundaries of human performance above and beyond what . . . — — Map (db m147083) HM
His life-long enthusiasm for the patronage of the circus arts culminated in his founding of the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo. Unsurpassed in its grandeur, this annual event has become the world’s largest and most prestigious . . . — — Map (db m147339) HM
Hailing from Broumana, Lebanon, George, Sr., an acrobat, arrived in America in 1908 with Buffalo Bill Wild West and was taught to read and write English by Annie Oakley. He opened his first circus at age 17. This was the first circus in the . . . — — Map (db m147301) HM
For seven decades, he has performed in and produced some of the world’s most exciting thrill acts. While he is widely known for the motorcycle incline, the Winn repertoire has included more than a dozen sensational aerial and ground acts, all of . . . — — Map (db m147428) HM
In 1923 circus magnate John N. Ringling (1866-1936) purchased St. Armands Key, an uninhabited, 150-acre, oval shaped island. He planned a community of fine residences with a central circle park surrounded by shops. The park was named in memory of . . . — — Map (db m32407) HM
On a thin sliver of wire, 60 feet above the ground he performed more near-suicidal feats than any other wire walker in circus history. With the Ringling Show he danced, skipped rope, and walked where angels fear to tread, flirting with death twice . . . — — Map (db m147685) HM
Along with his brother, Ring of Fame inductee John Ringling North, he was co-owner of the RBBB Show from 1936-1967, overseeing much of the management of the circus, and acted as consultant to the show after its sale to the Felds. He deferred the . . . — — Map (db m147162) HM
Historic
Palm Tower
From livery stable, fish house and pool hall in the 1800’s to
Sarasota’s First “Skyscraper”
Construction began in 1924, was completed in 1925, expanding upwards from a 2-story boarding . . . — — Map (db m148205) HM
His dazzling performance on the tightwire won him center-ring stardom with “The Greatest Show On Earth.” He began his act impersonating a drunken man who, after staggering and stumbling on the wire, accomplished feats which only a . . . — — Map (db m147031) HM
A highly respected showman, circus owner and animal trainer. He took over a struggling Garden Bros. Circus following his father’s death and built it into an entertainment giant and Canada’s foremost major circus that rivaled Ringling Bros. in some . . . — — Map (db m147354) HM
(side 1)
5,000 years ago, prehistoric Indians seasonally came to these shore, drawn by freshwater springs, bays teeming with fish and shellfish, and woods rich with game. By 1000 A.D. their middens, ceremonial mounds, and a village plaza . . . — — Map (db m60327) HM
Father and son owners of the Greatest Show On Earth, Irvin Feld and Kenneth Feld rebuilt the circus in America. Irvin acquired a faltering Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in 1967, restored it to glory and secured its status as the longest . . . — — Map (db m147056) HM
Italo Fornasari, one of the circus world’s most esteemed comedic talents, and his family have influenced the art of clowning in virtually every field of entertainment. Benefiting from Italo’s comical antics, the family, including Italo’s wife, . . . — — Map (db m147549) HM
Trapeze artist extraordinaire, French-born Jacqueline is known for her spectacular heel catches and one toe hangs, all without safety devices. Her versatility extended to training and presenting eight species of animals, including her fantastic act . . . — — Map (db m147346) HM
Foremost circus manager of all time began his career as a bill poster. He rose rapidly in the circus world and became the leading challenger to the mighty Barnum. In 1880, Bailey joined Barnum to create “The Greatest Show On Earth”. A . . . — — Map (db m147033) HM
Swinging into the ring, attired in a loincloth, he was “Tarzan Zerbini, Lord of the Jungle” in one of the most innovative and crowed-pleasing wild animal acts of the 20th century. His dedication to the circus led him in 1980 into . . . — — Map (db m147447) HM
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