Back in the late 1930s, three gentlemen got a room overnight at the Hotel Sara Sota, for thirty dollars. Later, the desk clerk decided that was too much, so he gave the bellhop a five dollar bill to take and give back to them.

The bellhop figured the guys wouldn't be able to split the five dollars three ways, so he gave the guys three ones and he pocketed the other two dollars.

This means instead of the ten dollars each, the guys paid nine dollars each. Nine times three equals twenty-seven, and the two that bellhop kept makes twenty-nine.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER DOLLAR??

Life was good...

 

 

I've been reminiscing with some friends about South Gate Plaza and its evolution. Pat Keefe and I spent time on the phone one day trying to remember as many stores as we could. We came up with quite a few but then Pete went to the History Center and gleaned a bucket of information from past R.L. Polk Co.City Directories. Polk published city directories annually for years and they have been such a valuable research resource. I'm not sure if they are still publishing or if the internet has made them obsolete. I hope not.

While I can't list all the stores through the years I'll list some and maybe it will trigger your own memories.

In the first book (1956) we noticed there was something different on the South Trail, other than Minute Maid Groves. It showed a Southgate Plaza Inc. real estate office with a Ringling exchange telephone number (remember that?). The 1957 directory was the first that listed stores ie: Coach Butterfield Toys, Canadian shoe repair, Glamour Shop, Thom McAn, Woolworth, South Gate Hardware, Cinderella Bootery, Lad n'Lassie, W.T. Grant, Liggetts and of course the anchor stores, Publix and Kwik Chek to name a few.

Many of the same stores appeared in subsequent directories. At some point in time J.C. Penney opened in an out building that is now a spa. Also in an out-parcel Morrison's Cafeteria appeared in the 1962 edition. That was located in the northwest corner of the plaza and they were there for a number of years and later it became The Brown Derby. Also in the 1962 edition a few new stores were listed: South Gate Camera Shop, Durfee's Television, Karmelkorn & Candy, House of Gadgets, Crane's Book Store, Naylor's Hardware, Sewing Circle Fabrics, Bob Francis Apparel, Stich Typewriter Co. to name a few.

Moving to 1964 we find: Shrode Jewelers, Francis Brown Realtor, Big Phyl's plant nursery, Zales Jewelry, Preston Knapp, optometrist. Henry Bryant shoe shiner

I think I will continue our stroll through SouthGate, through the years, in a subsequent blog but I'm sure this will stir some memories.
Pat Keefe also mentioned that she remembers the swarms of parakeets that used to gather in the trees along Siesta Drive and you could hear their chirping. I remember many times we'd hear them on State St. near our shop too. What a cheerful sound it was. To be continued.....

1. What was the name of "St. Armands Circle" before it became known as  "St. Armands Circle"? (Hint: Many streets out there are named for U.S. Presidents)
2.  In the mid-1920s, the son of a prominent local bank president was a gun-toting volunteer un-paid sheriff's deputy and fireman. What was his family's name? (Hint: The bank opened at downtown Sarasota Five Points in 1929)
3. What was the name of the circus that moved its Winter Quarters to Sarasota in 1927?
4.  In 1959 where did the circus move to for Winter Quarters?
5. What was the name of the unfinished hotel on the southern tip of Longboat Key started in 1926 by John Ringling? (Hint: A luxury hotel with the same name is now in downtown Sarasota)
6. What was the name of the county-wide Pageant celebration held here from 1936 through 1957? (Hint: It was named for the legendary daughter of Hernando de Soto)
7. What was the name of the frolics celebration from 1964 through 1886? (Hint: Think of Poseidon, God of the seas and Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom)

(See Diane's blog for the Answers)

 

1. "Harding Place" or "Harding Circle"
2. Family name was "Palmer"; Potter D'Orsay Palmer
3. "Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Combined Circus"
4. "Venice, Florida"
5. "Ritz-Carlton Hotel"
6. "Pageant of Sara de Sota"
7. "King Neptune's Frolics"

 

When our children were in elementary school at Alta Vista they had an annual Halloween Carnival on the school grounds with games, fun rides, and yummy food. It was a fun evening for all. Every child won a prize at every game.

I think at some point someone complained about it being a "Halloween" event because it denoted some kind of pagan ritual so they renamed it a Fall Festival and still the kids had fun.

One year I co-chaired it with my next door neighbor, Helen Valentich. We spent hours planning and coordinating all of the games, food, drink and rides. We made a trip to St. Pete to buy hundreds of prizes and Pete pulled a hay wagon behind our old gray Jeep and gave kids rides around the school yard. What fun memories. LIFE WAS GOOD!