Founder/Publisher/Editor

 

Priceless!

 

 A Chat With Sarasota’s

Own Jeff LaHurd

Author/Historian

By: Teri Franco

 Q.  Where are you originally from, and how long have you lived in Sarasota?

A.  I was born in Akron, Ohio, but I moved here with my family in 1950. Left the Rubber Capital of the World for the Circus City. Soon all my aunts, uncles, and cousins were here, and then my paternal grandparents retired to Sarasota. So I had very close family ties with an extended family. By the way, Sarasota in those years was an absolutely idyllic place to grow up in. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, there was no real fear of crime, no drugs, none of the drama that families face so often today. You got on your bike after school and on weekends, and as long as you were home by dinner, all was well. In high school, it was a case of soda, at the Trail Drive-In or at the beach. Nothing heavy.

Q.  Tell us about your upbringing and current family life.

A.  I was raised in a traditional Catholic family with a heavy Lebanese influence from my grandparents, with whom I was very close. The whole family gathered each Sunday at my grandparents’ for a Lebanese dinner and general get-together. My grandmother was a fabulous cook. I have a brother and two sisters, plus twenty-one cousins, and all of us were close. Still are. I went to St. Martha’s and then Cardinal Mooney. I graduated from Sarasota High in 1964, went to MJC and then the University of South Florida, where I got a BA in history and an MA in counseling.

     My wife, Jennifer, and I have been married for twenty-eight years and have four children and two grandchildren. I’m very lucky in so many ways, but most particularly with my family. I was fortunate to marry someone who is as sweet and kind as she is beautiful.

Q.  What is your position at the Sarasota County History Center?

A.  I work as a history specialist. I help people research the history of Sarasota County. I retired from the criminal justice system after thirty-two years, and I’ve been here for nearly four years, and I love it. For me, it’s a job made in heaven.

Congratulations on publishing Sarasota, Roaring Through the ’20s.

Thank you, and I must tell you how much I enjoyed working with you and Julie Ann on this project.

Q.  What other books have you published prior to this one?

A.  My first book was Quintessential Sarasota, which is now in its third printing. Then I did Sarasota, A Sentimental Journey, republished as A Sentimental Journey in Vintage Images; Sarasota Then and Now; Gulf Coast Chronicles; Lido Casino, Lost Treasure on the Beach; Spring Training In Sarasota; and Sarasota, A History. The last is my most comprehensive, covering the county from its earliest days up to the present time. It and several other of my books have been published by The History Press.

Q.  Your passion for research from the historical perspective is apparent. How did this interest begin?

A.  I started gathering photos of the places I loved as a kid: the Lido Casino, Ritz Theatre, Smacks, the old City Hall building, and a lot of other places that were, often, foolishly demolished. Then I began researching them. One day, I saw Pam Daniel and Dan Denton of SARASOTA Magazine on TV and decided to send them an article about the Lido Casino. After that, I started writing regularly for them, Clubhouse Publishing, and they did the Quintessential Sarasota book. I had always wanted to be a writer, but getting published is difficult. I found my niche and stuck with it. Now I write articles for the Sarasota Herald, SRQ, Steve Rabow’s Sarasota, Downtown and Beyond. It’s really been enjoyable.

Q.  While writing this book, what did you discover about the ’20s in Sarasota that was a complete surprise to you?

A.  For one thing, there are so many parallels between that boom and bust, and today’s version. In each case, it was full throttle ahead, and then, like someone pulled a lever, the bottom fell out. In the 1920s, though, the bust was followed by the Great Depression and then World War II, and most activity ceased until after the war. Today’s bust will undoubtedly be shorter lived. For another thing, it is amazing how much was accomplished in that handful of 1920s years. For all practical purposes, the city of Sarasota as many of us remember it came together in about six years, and stayed mostly intact into the 1960s. If you visited Sarasota in 1925 and came back in 1965, it was basically the same place. If you came to Sarasota in 1997 and came back in 2007, you wouldn’t even recognize the place.

Q.  From your viewpoint, what event or events occurred during the ’20s that made a lasting imprint on Sarasota?

A.  During that era, Sarasota achieved the goal of its progressive-minded citizens to become a major tourist destination for snowbirds. It shifted focus from its cattle, farming, and fishing roots to become a bona fide go-to place for wealthy northerners. Another event was the arrival of the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus in 1927, allowing us the claim of being the Circus City. The winter headquarters of “the Greatest Show on Earth” was the biggest tourist attraction in the state until Disney World opened.

Q.  What person from this time frame greatly influenced the direction of Sarasota in that era, and how?

A.  Two come to mind, and for a while, they had many projects in common. Owen Burns and John Ringling did a gargantuan amount of work here: hotels, housing developments, golf courses, apartments; Ringling’s museum and mansion helped set the stage for the cultural reputation we enjoy today. There are other men, of course—A.B. Edwards and Charles Ringling among them. But Burns and Ringling were key players. It was John Ringling’s bridge to Lido, and Owen Burns built it. Also, Burns built Ca’d’Zan and the El Vernona Hotel, which Ringling later acquired.

Q.  Were there any famous literary figures that visited or lived here during the ’20s?

A.  Sarasota has always attracted writers and artists, sports figures, movie stars, politicians, and other famous people. I cannot name a literary person from that era, but beginning in the 1930s, we had a whole colony of renowned writers: MacKinlay Kantor, John D. McDonald, Joseph Hayes, Walter Farley, Borden Deal. And internationally known artists like Syd Solomon, Ben Stahl, and so many others. Sarasota, during its slow-paced days, was very inspirational. It was so laid back and beautiful.

Q.  If it were “back in the day,” and you were in your Model T, showing Sarasota to a visitor, what five locations would you visit?

A.  I would have taken them to Lido Beach, immaculate and pristine in those days. To Payne Park to watch the mighty New York Giants during spring training. To the Edwards Theatre for a show or movie. To the El Vernona for fine dining. Then I’d stop in to see my buddy John Ringling at Ca’d’Zan and sip some of his pre-prohibition bourbon, smoke one of his fine cigars, and talk real estate.

Q.  What was the average cost of a home during the ’20s?

A.  I’m not sure of the average price. They had homes and property for every pocketbook. Many people who bought land in those days had no intention of building on it. They purchased a binder and turned it over as quickly as possible to someone who jacked up the price and turned it over again. Kind of like today’s condo flippers. Couldn’t lose until the bottom fell out. After the bust, you couldn’t give property away. At the end of 1925, you could have bought an acre on Longboat Key for $5,000.

Q.  Over the years, you have seen so many remarkable changes take place here. What are you the most excited about regarding Sarasota’s future?

A.  From my perspective, many of the changes have been negative. Granted, we live in a beautiful and dynamic city, but so much of what made us unique has been squandered away. One city commissioner remarked in the 1950s that we could have sentiment or progress, but not both. That seems to be the prevailing attitude, and consequently, we have lost some dramatically beautiful and useful buildings. Sarasota’s theme song could be “They Paved Paradise.” My hope for the future is that they preserve what is left.

Q.  Now that Sarasota, Roaring Through the ’20s has been published, have you begun working on another book project?

A.  I’m thinking of moving to Bradenton and kicking off with Quintessential Bradenton. Then maybe Bradenton, A Sentimental Journey. Maybe not.

 

It has been such a genuine pleasure for us to have met you and to have experienced your passion for Sarasota and its history. We now have a fresh, new understanding of the ever-changing fabric of this beautiful community. For that insight, we thank you and wish you the very best with Sarasota, Roaring Through the ’20s.

 

For information on how to pick up your signed copy of Jeff LaHurd’s book, please give The Pepper Tree office a call at: 941-922-2662.