Sarasota, Florida in the late 1880's

Sarasota, Florida in the late 1880's

Henry Flagler

Henry Flagler

General Store in Barberville, Florida

General Store in Barberville, Florida

Fishing the Gulf Waters 1880's

Fishing the Gulf Waters 1880's

Morgan Bonapart Mizell,  1880's

Morgan Bonapart Mizell,  1880's

Pioneer family in the Myakka area. 1880's

Pioneer family in the Myakka area. 1880's

HOWDY,

This here is a program that I have put together called “Turn Back Time”. It’s a musical presentation of stories and song about the people, places and events I have heard about around the many campfires.

    In the old days there were folk singers that would travel from town to town with a knapsack and a guitar or a banjo slung across their shoulders. And with each town these troubadours would carry with them the news of the day or maybe a tale of some local legends and for the price of a meal would gladly share it all with a song, story or even a poem.  Now days they say all you need to know is on the internet, TV or maybe radio.  So, I guess as time passed by all the stories, tall tales, songs of people, places or events were collected and deposited into a book and placed on some shelf somewhere just to gather dust an wait patiently for someone to stumble upon it and start turning the pages.

 

        I guess that's kind of what "Turn Back Time" does.  It found those old tales and blew off the dust to share it with all who will listen.   "Turn Back Time" is a presentation filled with stories and songs about Venice, Sarasota and this beautiful Land of Flowers that we call home.  Come pull up a chair and have a seat as we tell you about Chief Billy Bowlegs, Captain John Casey, or the amazing Bertha Palmer and all that she did for Sarasota and the surrounding areas.   Let us tell you about Jessie Knight, William "Bill" Whitaker the first settler in these parts.  We invite you to slow down an listen to the tale of the Massacre of Indian Key or of the hardest working men Venice ever knew "Pistol Pete" Edge.

 It's not hard to imagine any of these people or events if you just "Turn Back Time"!

Here are a few songs of Florida history

 
 
The amazing Bertha Palmer

The amazing Bertha Palmer

Chief Bill Bowlegs

Chief Bill Bowlegs

An actual covered wagon used by Florida settlers,  Barberville, Florida

An actual covered wagon used by Florida settlers,  Barberville, Florida

Kids ion a boat.jpg
Mrs. Harris with the Blackburn boys.  1908, Blackburn Bay

Mrs. Harris with the Blackburn boys.  1908, Blackburn Bay

"Pistol" Pete Edge with his bride Hatte Dawes January 29 1927

"Pistol" Pete Edge with his bride Hatte Dawes January 29 1927