Local History-Bertha Honore Palmer (Sarasota, Country Club: hotel, wedding, living in)

[theurbanfiles]

Anyone familiar with this name?

So, to back up, I booked a weekend in Chicago over MLK at a steep discount on air and hotel (prob because of timing/season, lol), and for the primary night we are there, we are staying at the Palmer House-Hilton Hotel. It's a place that's absolutely gorgeous, and would almost certainly be out of our budget were we not visiting in the dead of winter (not cheap as it is, but reasonable at $122 plus tax).

This is what the interior/lobby looks like: It's a stunner.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pa...!4d-87.6267388

Anyways, I was reading a bit about the building and came across the fact that the founder built it as a wedding present for his wife, Bertha Honore Palmer. Anyways, after building the first one, it fell 13 days later (Great Chicago Fire of 1871)-he built another one even nicer, and so on. But, as interesting as his story and this building is-her's might be even more fascinating-it's one that basically shaped much of what we know as Central Sarasota to this day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Palmer

I've been living in this region for several years and I don't think I've come across a more fascinating individual to read into from the area to this date.

And I mean... to this date: https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20...arasota-empire

When she started pursuing land here... it was during the first official census count for Sarasota... 840 people. Last parcel of land sold off... LAST YEAR.

Anyways. Interesting, and thought I'd share.

[beach43ofus]

She was quite a lady. I recall reading that her last 2 property's (2 large residential lots in the Oaks Golf & Country Club) sold recently. I think her heirs sold them, and may still be in this area...I'd guess in the Oaks.

Many of the roads in Sarasota are named after Bertha Palmer's family members. She donated the land for what is now known as Myakka River State Park, and once owned about 1/3rd of Manatee County along with huge swaths of Sarasota County.

She initially used the land for agricultural purposes, and the Palmer family later began selling it off for development as demand rose over a 109 year time span 1910-2019. Bertha was the first person to bring Brama Bulls/Cows to this area, so when you see them, it's because she brought them here from Texas; knowing they could survive the Florida heat.

Her husband, Potter Palmer was a wealthy developer, retailer, hotelier who lived in Chicago. His stores eventually became Marshall-Fields, which is now part of Macy's.

There's a book about her we picked up at the Spanish Point Library near the old Palmer residences out on Spanish Point. My wife read the whole book, but I just skimmed it. Here's the Cliff Notes from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Palmer

She was just 21 when she married the 44 year old Potter Palmer. After Potter's death, she never remarried, and doubled Potter's fortune, which was a remarkable feat for a young woman in the early 1900's.

Imagine what it would have been like to be part of that family.

[theurbanfiles]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

She was quite a lady. I recall reading that her last 2 property's (2 large residential lots in the Oaks Golf & Country Club) sold recently. I think her heirs sold them, and may still be in this area...I'd guess in the Oaks.

Many of the roads in Sarasota are named after Bertha Palmer's family members. She donated the land for what is now known as Myakka River State Park, and once owned about 1/3rd of Manatee County along with huge swaths of Sarasota County.

She initially used the land for agricultural purposes, and the Palmer family later began selling it off for development as demand rose over a 109 year time span 1910-2019. Bertha was the first person to bring Brama Bulls/Cows to this area, so when you see them, it's because she brought them here from Texas; knowing they could survive the Florida heat.

Her husband, Potter Palmer was a wealthy developer, retailer, hotelier who lived in Chicago. His stores eventually became Marshall-Fields, which is now part of Macy's.

There's a book about her we picked up at the Spanish Point Library near the old Palmer residences out on Spanish Point. My wife read the whole book, but I just skimmed it. Here's the Cliff Notes from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Palmer

She was just 21 when she married the 44 year old Potter Palmer. After Potter's death, she never remarried, and doubled Potter's fortune, which was a remarkable feat for a young woman in the early 1900's.

Imagine what it would have been like to be part of that family.

Glad to get some additional context-and I agree, truly remarkable-someone who should get more press and noteworthiness for the many things she achieved.

I have it directly on my list to visit Spanish Point at some point in time.