A Stroll Through Venice

A short 10,000 years ago, Florida’s land mass was twice as big as now. Its earliest inhabitants, like us their modern counterparts, built their communities along the coast. Melting polar ice caps left many of those societies under water, on what is now called the continental shelf. There, just off the coast, are the remnants of those sites as well as a old river bed filled with fossils and teaming with fish today. It’s a secret spot on many a captains chart and will continue to be so until someone spills the beans. The earliest Floridians often made their communities along river banks. The rich variety of environments in prehistoric Florida supported a large number of plants and animals. The animal population included most mammals that we know today. In addition, many other large mammals that are now extinct (such as the saber-tooth tiger, mastodon, giant armadillo, and camel) roamed the land. During the period prior to contact with Europeans, native societies of the peninsula developed cultivated agriculture, traded with other groups in what is now the southeastern United States, and increased their social organization, reflected in large temple mounds and village complexes. Florida was settled long before Europeans had discovered the peninsula. Some estimates suggest that Native Americans had arrived in Florida as early as 10,000 years before the first Europeans.

European voyages of discovery began when Columbus discovered the islands of the “New World” in 1492. Spanish exploration of Florida began in 1513 with expeditions near present day St. Augustine, the Florida Keys and Tampa.

After the Civil War, the Homestead Act of 1862 opened the door for a new wave of emigrants to Florida. The Knights migrated from what is now Hillsborough County, Florida. They purchased some 600 acres, from the state for about 90Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ per acre. Their lands included the areas that became Nokomis and Venice on both sides of the present-day Dona and Roberts Bays. Roberts Bay, named after Robert Rockford Roberts, owned a plantation of at least 120 acres of bananas, sugar cane, corn potatoes and tobacco on his land. Blackburn Point, Blackburn Road and Blackburn Bay were also named for early settlers. Arriving in the fall of 1881, John Selman’s Backburn, with his wife filed claim to 188 acres of land and his son, Benjamin, filed for an additional 80 acre homestead as a neighbor. One of the Blackburn’s still eats at a local restaurant for breakfast every morning here in Venice.

With ‘The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers’ providing the investment capital to build a city and the inspiration of highly respected planners like John Nolen to put together a sophisticated plan for the city, a Northern Italian style City of Venice was born. “Venice is just not a new city but a city built on new lines,” wrote planner John Nolen in 1927.

As the crow flies Venice is located about 18 miles south of Sarasota, Florida. Following Business 41, (Tamiami Trail), is the most direct route to our downtown. Three well-marked exits on I-75 allow easy access to the city if you are traveling on the Interstate south from Tampa or north from Fort Myers.

Venice offers something for everyone of every age from fishing to shelling. We offer Venice Municipal Beach, Caspersan Beach and to our direct north across the jetties Nokomis Beach. Surf and jetty fishing for those who wish to purchase a fishing license if your from out of state or try fishing out with us, ‘The Island Anglers’, without the need for a license on our new City Pier; located at Sharky’s Restaurant, where you can grab a bite to eat before feeding the fish! Both Caspersan and Venice beach offer excellent shelling and yields of shark’s teeth. A treasure worth the find! Strolling our quaint downtown after a day on the beach with shops adorned with antiques to souvenirs and fine dining to an old fashion ice cream parlor. If you are planning a move to Venice, Florida this site will have multiple links for all of your vacation or real estate needs coming soon.
Again, Welcome to Paradise!