7 Historic Ways Sarasota Became a Destination

The development of Tamiami Trail was a project that took 13 years to span its 284 miles to connect Tampa to Miami. In its early days, Sarasota’s roads were no more than two deep ruts in the sand. In 1914, the “Sarasota Good Road Boosters'' sought to connect Sarasota to Venice, thus creating a 9-foot wide ribbon of asphalt parallel to the Gulf Coast. When the idea to create Tamiami Trail came about, Sarasota’s civic community was enthusiastically involved. Several local leaders were members of the Tamiami Trail Blazers - a group of supporters throughout Florida that drove in a caravan when the highway officially opened on April 26, 1928.

As traveling by car became more affordable and accessible, camping and trailering enthusiasts known as the Tin Can Tourists of the World (T.C.T.) sought to provide its members with safe and clean camping areas, wholesome entertainment, and high moral values. In 1932, after a vigorous campaign by then-Mayor, E.A. Smith, the T.C.T. hosted their winter convention for the next six years at a campground just east of the Payne Park baseball field. These conventions drew thousands of campers, culminating in a parade along Main Street.

George Chapline published the “Legend of Sara de Soto” in 1906, retelling a tragic tale of a young native warrior, Chichi Okobee, and the daughter of Hernando de Soto, Sara. In a matter of a few years, the fable became the basis of a multi-day celebration. For nearly 5 decades, the Sara de Soto Festival celebrated the legend with sporting events, dances, a coronation ball, parades, and a reenactment of the tale, which drew hundreds of thousands of visitors and locals each year.