April 2024 Recap & Upcoming News

The month of April brought us two speakers that we haven’t had the opportunity to learn from recently. At the South Manatee Library during our evening session, David Breakfield spoke about the history of Manatee County’s theaters. This talk really brought out the nostalgia for many folks as they thought back on some of the great theaters that are no longer standing locally, like the Trail Drive In.

Postcard of the Trail Drive In from 1952, courtesy of Manatee County Public Library System’s Historical Digital Collections

At our luncheon, Emily Lane from Habitat for Humanity presented a history of the organization and all the good that they do today. This is our last luncheon for the Spring as we take a short break.

This week we present our Roger Williams Memorial Scholarship to a talented history-loving Manatee County high school student! We will provide more information about our recipient next month.

This Saturday, May 11th, is our annual picnic at the Manatee Village Historical Park. Bring a snack and catch up, enjoy a tour around the village, and learn more about what the society does. Please reach out to Peggy Veeder ([email protected]) with any questions.

Looking for more local history this summer? Our evening talks will continue with new speakers and topics. This month, Katie Fleck will be presenting about the Rough and Tumble Women of Manatee County on May 14th at 5:30pm at the South Manatee Library.

March 2024 Recap & Upcoming News

You may have noticed there was no update for February. Unfortunately part of last month’s recap was running into several website issues which have fortunately been resolved!

In February we had the pleasure of hearing from a young, new historian, Madi Frick, a student at USF who has a passion for the history of Rye Preserve. Even avid visitors to the park learned a new bit about its past. At our Lunch and Learn, longtime historian Cathy Slusser highlighted the interesting history of the County.

In March, local authors and society members Peggy Donoho and Ron Prouty gave us insight on researching for their book, Miguel’s Bay, and gave us a hint at their future writing endeavors.

This month on April 9th at 5:30pm, join us at the South Manatee Library for a talk with David Breakfield on the history of Manatee County’s movie theaters. 

On April 17th we will have our Lunch and Learn at the Red Lobster at 11am. The speaker is still to-be-announced. 

In March we also awarded our annual Roger Williams Memorial Scholarship! Stay tuned to learn more about the promising young student receiving this award.