Charlotte County Centennial 2021

The Lemon Bay Historical Society invites the public to the Historic Green Street Church Museum Tuesday, November 16 at 7pm for a special presentation on Charlotte County’s 100th Anniversary.

Our speaker will be Dr. Jennifer Zoebelein, the  historian for Charlotte County. Her presentation will celebrate Charlotte County’s centennial by examining its history before and after its creation in 1921, highlighting those individuals, places and events that have contributed to the county’s development over the last 100 years.

 

A native of Long Island, Dr. Zoebelein received her Ph.D. in History from Kansas State University in 2018 and joined the staff of Charlotte County Libraries and History in November 2019 after working as the Special Projects Historian at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City.

Passionate about history since high school, Jennifer has worked for the New-York Historical Society and the National Park Service.

For more information on Charlotte County’s Centennial, visit: charlottecounty100.com

Save the date: Tuesday, November 16 at 7pm at the Historic Green Street Church Museum, 510 Indiana Ave., Englewood.

Admission is free but donations for the upkeep of the iconic building will be greatly appreciated.  CDC guidelines will be followed.

4 War Vet, Ft. Ogden and More

The Lemon Bay Historical Society has again opened the Historic Green Street Church to the public for monthly community events.

Thomas Kreidler

Our next event will be on Tuesday, October 26 at 7pm. Thomas Kreidler, historian and Civil War re-enactor will do a presentation on Francis Calvin Morgan Boggess, a pioneer settler of Fort Ogden, a soldier, schoolteacher, cattleman and civic leader.
Our speaker, Thomas Kreidler, is a former Army officer, Vietnam veteran and retired professor. His hobby is cleaning veterans’ headstones and has spent many days at Indian Creek Cemetery in Punta Gorda, which has more than 100 veterans’ graves.
“It’s time alone to think about their stories,” he says. “I introduce myself and tell them I’m there to give them a haircut and spruce them up a bit.”
He’s even cleaned the graves of prominent men like Albert Gilchrist and Joel Bean.

Learn about Calvin Boggess and more Tuesday, October 26 at 7pm at the Historic Green Street Church Museum, 510 Indiana Ave., Englewood.

Admission is free but donations for the upkeep of the iconic building will be greatly appreciated.  CDC guidelines will be followed.

 

Surviving Sarasota

September 28, 2021  7:00 pm

Author and Poet Clarissa Thomasson will be speaking at the Green Street Church in Englewood as the Lemon Bay Historical Society again opens this historic building to the public. Due to the COVID Delta variant masks will be required. 

Thomasson will showcase her book Surviving Sarasota which highlights the lives of Sarasota County’s first American settlers from 1851 – 1865 as they endure the Third Seminole War, the American Civil War, and its aftermath. She has also written a poem for Sarasota County’s Centennial which can be viewed HERE.

Her first two novels, Defending Hillsborough and Reconstructing Hillsborough were chosen by the North Carolina Association of Public School Librarians for use in the high school study of the Civil War. Lorinda’s Legacy was “pick of the month” at Greensboro, NC Barnes and Noble.

In 2000, Thomasson returned to Florida and now resides in Venice, FL. where she has written five children’s books in her Little Green Monkey series, four novels: Florida Shadows, Florida Secrets, Florida Sunset and Surviving Sarasota set in Southwest Florida, a World War II novel—Over the Bridge—and Venice Dreamers, which highlights Venice’s original settlers.

Thomasson’s stage plays, Over the Bridge and Florida Shadows, each won first place in the Clarence “Bud” Jones Playwriting Competition at the Firehouse Theatre in LaBelle, FL, in 2014 and 2015.

Thomasson is also a freelance writer–having written for GRAND magazine, Yesterday in Florida—where she won a 2005 Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Award for her contributions to Florida history—and Eastside Venice Neighbors—where she wrote monthly articles on Florida history. She is also a contributor for the Venice Gondolier.

The Lemon Bay Historical Society is pleased to be resuming its monthly community programs and has additional speakers lined up for October and November plus the traditional Holiday Sing-Along in December. Don’t forget your mask.

MOTHER’S DAY SING-A-LONG!

A benefit for the Lemon Bay Historical Society and the upkeep of the Historic Green Street Church Museum in Englewood will be held on Mother’s Day, May 9, 6 PM, at the Englewood Methodist Church Sanctuary, 700 E. Dearborn, Englewood.
Pastor Don and Mary will lead the Sing-A-Long. Face masks and social distancing will be required.
Pastor Don Burlock is an accomplished musician, playing organ, piano, accordion and alto horn. Don is married to Mary Lynn from Baltimore, Maryland. They have three children.
Englewood United Methodist is a “servant church” that makes its campus facilities available for a broad range of community activities as well as open to all for its numerous ministries. It has been a focal point for Englewood and the surrounding area for over 100 years. The large Sanctuary serves as a well-equipped venue for such quality productions as those of the annual EUMC Music Ministry Concert Series and Englewood Performing Arts Series (EPAS).
The Englewood Methodist congregation’s first church was on Green Street. Built in 1928, this building, recognized by the Sarasota County Register of Historic Places, was moved and saved by the Lemon Bay Historical Society. The Green Street Church Museum is now located next to the historic Lemon Bay Cemetery on Indiana Ave., Englewood. Admission to the Sing-A-Long is FREE but donations are welcome.
Note that the Sing-A-Long will be held at the Methodist Church located at 700 E. Dearborn Street (not at the Green Street Church).

Cracker Fair 2020

A LOOK BACK TO 2020

18th ANNUAL CRACKER FAIR SPONSORS
These great businesses and organizations helped make the Cracker Fair possible. Please visit them. Shop local!

Arts Alliance of Lemon Bay Inc.

Tony Babington Realtor Keller Williams

Bigfoot Cooling and Heating

Brian Faro Paradise Exclusive Real Estate

FPL

Ivy’s On Dearborn

Jeff Joyce A Sound Beginning

Key Agency, Inc.

Lasbury – Tracy Realty

Lemon Bay Garden Club

Michael J. Looney Electrical Contractor

Joe Maxx Coffee Company

Merrill’s Heating & Air Conditioning

Olde Village Publix

Pioneer Days Committee

Pope Insurance

Sarasota County Community Redevelopment Agency

Janet Shawen PA Paradise Exclusive Real Estate

Jonathan Varner Wampler Insurance & Financial Group

The Windsor of Venice

 

On February 8, 2020, the 18th Annual Cracker Fair, a celebration of Old Florida, was held at  Dearborn Street Plaza. Organized by the Lemon Bay Historical Society, it is our gift each year to the community. Admission is free. The Cracker Fair is the culmination of the Lemon Bay Fest, a week of celebrating Englewood’s history. The Fair is also a fund-raiser for our community programs and our mission to preserve the rich history of the Lemon Bay area. 
There are food vendors, live entertainment, crafts, demonstrations, authors, artists and activities for children. In past years attendees enjoyed lemon desserts, sampled swamp cabbage, watched the Bit of Hope Ranch give a whip-cracking demo, learned how to throw a cast net and interacted with animals brought by the Peace River Wildlife Center. Become a Sponsor of the Fair to help celebrate our historic Englewood community!
The Society is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation founded in 1985. Our purpose is to preserve Englewood area’s history and to educate the public about our past through our programs, books, and open houses. One of our latest and most successful area restoration projects was saving the Historic Green Street Church by moving it from leased land to property we own on Indiana Ave.
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (1-800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. OUR REGISTRATION NUMBER IS CH49480. www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com.

Cracker Fair 2019

Food Vendors, Artists, Authors, Local Merchants, Crafts, Music, and more

Kids Zone 

 Lemon Dessert Baking Contest

Located in Pioneer Plaza, Dearborn Street, Englewood, Florida.

Delicious lemon desserts in the Baking Contest served by the Lemon Bay Garden Club
Why lemons? They played a role in Englewood since 1894 when the Nichols brothers purchased 2000 acres of property to develop a town with surrounding lemon groves. The land sold for $30 an acre. If you were interested in a 1-acre home lot, you had to also purchase a 10-acre grove lot. Unfortunately, 2 hard freezes in 2 consecutive years doomed the lemon crops.

The 2019 CRACKER FAIR was pleased to present the following musical artists:

We are pleased to have John Tuff and Friends return again this year. Enjoy the very best in Classic Country Music!

 

New to the CRACKER FAIR is singer-song writer DOUG BURNS. He’ll be doing Americana and Alt-Country styles of music with inspiration from the likes of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Social Distortion, Guy Clark (and so many more). His sound is unique and fresh with one foot in the past and one in the future.

 

A unique experience will be on hand when James Hawkins performs on our sound stage. James specializes in crafting and performing songs about our rich local history. A perfect fit for the CRACKER FAIR.

CLICK PHOTOS FOR LARGER VIEW:

CRACKER FAIRS THROUGH THE YEARS


(CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW)


CLICK TO SEE THE 2018 CRACKER FAIR HIGHLIGHT VIDEO


A great crowd on a great day at last year’s Fair watching a whip cracking demonstration by Isabella Park from the Bit of Hope Ranch. (See video below.)
Cracker whip demonstration by Isabella Park of Englewood’s Bit of Hope Ranch
John Tuff and Friends are back with great county music.

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2019 CRACKER FAIR

DOWNLOAD VENDOR FORM FOR 2019

Food Vendors, Artists, Authors, Local Merchants, Crafts, Music, and more 

 Lemon Dessert Baking Contest

Located in Pioneer Plaza, Dearborn Street, Englewood, Florida.

Enjoy Classic Country Music with John Tuff and Friends at the 2019 Cracker Fair!

 

New to the Cracker Fair, enjoy Singer/Songwriter James Hawkins!


 

CRACKER FAIR 2018:

(CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW)
(CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW)

CLICK TO SEE THE 2018 CRACKER FAIR HIGHLIGHT VIDEO


A great crowd on a great day at last year’s Fair watching a whip cracking demonstration by Isabella Park from the Bit of Hope Ranch. (See video below.)
Cracker whip demonstration by Isabella Park of Englewood’s Bit of Hope Ranch
John Tuff and Friends will be back with great county music.  (Video below)

We thank our 2018 Cracker Fair Sponsors! Please support them:

OLDE VILLAGE PUBLIX
PIONEER DAYS COMMITTEE
RON A. SMITH INSURANCE
Sarasota County Community Redevelopment Agency

Thanks to all who helped make the 2018 CRACKER FAIR a success!

We are proud to list, in no particular order, the vendors, artists, merchants and organizations who were at the 16th Annual Cracker Fair: Variety, Food, Fun and new discoveries.

Pioneer Days Committee: Kids’ Free Arts & Crafts Tent

Catharina Bearse: pastel paintings

Angler Pocket Guides

FurBaby Beds

S&K’s Nice Stuff

Les Caraher, mountain music

John Tuff and Friends, classical Western music

Hazy’s What Knots

Shabby Chic Boutique

RJ Coons: Southwest Florida mysteries Blaine Sterling novels

D.L. Havlin: Florida action mysteries, historical fiction, thrillers

Brenda Spalding: adult mystery novels

Southern Yankee Foods

Jane Deutsch: painted visors, jewelry

Young Living Essential Oils

Artist Karen Dukes, LMC Outdoors

Uniqpottery

Glassy Lady Jewelry

925 Fabulous Jewelry

Mermaid Jewelry

Sons of Confederate Veterans

Trinkets & Treasures

Blasé Van Thomme: pens, key chains

Pat Vettese

Eden East

Wagon Wheel Décor

Pretty Girl Cosmetics

Morgan’s Goat Soap

Punta Gorda Historical Society: swamp cabbage

Peace River Wildlife Center: birds of prey

Susan Klaus: fantasies & thrillers; part owner of a thoroughbred horse farm
and cattle ranch

Clarissa Thomasson, Salt Marsh Publications: Florida historical fiction

Bob Fuqua: books, fossils, sharks teeth

Sarasota County Mosquito Management

Elsie Quirk and Charlotte Libraries

S.H.O.R.E.: fresh lemonade

Sarasota County Englewood Community Redevelopment Agency

Designs by Patrice

Sweet Leaf Relief (wellness foods)

Englewood Masonic Lodge 360

N&G Cornhole

Paradise Hot Dogs

G & E Concessions: funnel cakes, fresh fruit smoothies

Manasota Key Archaeological Site

VIEW VIDEO courtesy ABC7 mysuncoast.com

About 7,200 years old and buried 21 feet deep below the Gulf of Mexico, 350 yards off Manasota Key is an extremely well preserved human burial site. Archaeologists are exploring what has been termed a “globally significant” discovery. National Geographic calls it an “unprecedented” find.

John McCarthy, Executive Director, Historic Spanish Point

On Tuesday, March 27 at 7pm the Lemon Bay Historical Society will host a presentation at Fellowship Hall, Englewood United Methodist Church, 700 E. Dearborn St., Englewood, on this incredible find. Our guest speaker will be John McCarthy, Executive Director of Historic Spanish Point. A native Floridian, John has spent his entire adult life learning about and bringing awareness to the power of nature, heritage, recreation and civic engagement to build community identity, value and pride. He is best known for his passionate lectures and unconventional management style. John, also a tour guide and author, served as Sarasota County’s official historian (beginning at the age of 19) and went on to have a 32-year-career in County Government, serving 10 years as an Environmental Specialist

Nichole Grinnan measures a section of a 7000-year-old archaeological site found in the Gulf of Mexico off Manasota Key (Photo: Ivor Mollema/Florida Department of State)

How was this site discovered? A diver picked up a barnacle-crusted jaw from a shallow spot off the shore of Manasota Key. The specimen sat on a paper plate in his kitchen for a couple weeks before he realized it was probably a human bone. The diver sent a picture to Florida’s Bureau of Archaeological Research, where it landed in front of Ryan Duggins, the bureau’s underwater archaeology supervisor.

“As soon as we were there (at the site) it became clear that we were dealing with something new,” Duggins recalls. First, he spotted a broken arm bone on the seabed. Then, when he noticed a cluster of carved wooden stakes and three separate skull fragments in a depression, Duggins realized he might be dealing with a Native American bog burial site—one that had been inundated by sea level rise, but was miraculously preserved.

“What we currently are thinking is that when an individual passed, they would have been wrapped in handwoven fibers and sunk to the bottom of the pond,” he explained. “A series of fire-hardened and sharpened stakes would be pounded into the pond bed around the body with the tops of those stakes protruding above the water line.”

A notched stake discovered at the Manasota Key Offshore site.

Despite the murky water, several aqua archaeologists measured and marked the ocean floor with the help of laser guided equipment. Each waterproof white tag marks intricate details of this sacred ground below the sea.

The site, which measures roughly 0.75 acres dates back to the Early Archaic period, over 7,000 years ago, a time when Florida’s hunter-gatherers were living a more sedentary lifestyle, researchers say.

Learn all about this unprecedented find at the first public presentation on this significant and sacred burial site.

John McCarthy is Executive Director at Spanish Point as well as a writer for Sarasota Magazine. He served over 10 years an an Environmental Specialist for Sarasota County responsible for providing environmental and development review for coastal resource protection and coordination of resource monitoring and enhancement projects. Mr McCarthy was Sarasota County Historian from 1982 to 1988.

Join us on Tuesday, March 27 at 7pm at Fellowship Hall, Englewood United Methodist Church, 700 E. Dearborn St., Englewood. A $10 donation is requested to help save Englewood’s historic Green Street Church.