How much do you know about Manasota Key? Did you know the name “Manasota” is a combination of Manatee and Sarasota, and was given to the key by a Maryland-based timber company that set up a nearby sawmill with the same name? Can you name 3 famous residents?  What was built there in 1902 by a Swedish immigrant?

Learn the answers to these questions and much more when noted historian John McCarthy will talk about the history of Manasota Key.

Presented by the Lemon Bay Historical Society, John’s talk will be on Monday, May 6 at 6pm at Fellowship Hall, 700 E. Dearborn St., Englewood. Known for his passionate speeches, John will tell us about Native American sites, early settlement, development over the years, and some very interesting facts about Manasota Key.

Join us Monday, May 6 at 6pm at Fellowship Hall at the Englewood United Methodist Church, 700 E. Dearborn St., Englewood, Florida. A $5 free-will donation will be welcomed to help support community programs and historical preservation efforts of the Lemon Bay Historical Society.

John McCarthy is currently the Executive Director of Historic Spanish Point. A native Floridian, he 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.