History of Sarasota and the outlying Beach areas

It was really John Ringling and the wintering circus that put Sarasota on the map as a vacation destination. Ringling's real estate ventures were responsible for the development of Lido and Longboat Key.

Exploration of the American Southwest - apart from coastal discovery - began with the ill-fated De Soto Expedition that landed and began its extraordinary adventure at the mouth of the Manatee River in Bradenton.