[sugarmamma]

Palmer also purchased a 30,000 acre ranch in eastern Sarasota, Meadowsweet Pastures, which is today’s Myakka River State Park. Palmer helped to define the county of Sarasota, but did so in a quiet way, much in contrast to John Ringling, whose name is tied closely with the legacy he left to Sarasota.

John Ringling, of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus fame, made an indelible mark on the community of Sarasota in a variety of ways. In the 1920s he and his wife, Mable, built a magnificent Venetian-style estate on Sarasota Bay named Ca d’ Zan (House of John in Venetian dialect). They then built an art museum to house their ever growing collection of works by Peter Paul Reubens and other masters of 17th Century Italian and Flemish art. In addition, John was a developer. He used his circus elephants to help build the first bridge from the mainland to St. Armands Key, which he developed as a commercial and residential center. The circus’ winter quarters were moved to Sarasota in 1927 – thus creating a new worldwide identity for Sarasota as a “circus town.” Today’s visitors can enjoy the Museum of the Circus on the Ringling grounds.

In the late 1920s the Tamiami Trail (connecting Tampa to Miami) was completed in time for the collapse of the economy and Florida’s land boom. For more information the Department of Historical Resources publishes a list of National Historic Register buildings, a list of Historical markers which can be found in Sarasota County and a walking tour of bayfront and downtown buildings with historical significance. (Information compiled from: “Sarasota Over My Shoulder,” by Janet Snyder Matthews and the Sarasota County Department of Historical Resources)

Cultural info:

Sarasota is recognized as Florida's Cultural Coast and is home to two professional symphonies, a ballet, and an opera. In addition, more than 10 theaters and 30 art galleries are located in Sarasota. The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art is Florida's State Museum and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, known for its architecture and great acoustics, seats 1,700 people and features a dazzling season of music, shows, and programs for all ages.