Beginning with the Spanish explorers in the 16th century, the English Colonist, and the early American settlers, these men all  dreamed of a cross Florida canal from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.  It was not until 1932 that concrete plans were developed for this canal.  In March of 1826, Congress authorized $20,000 for a preliminary survey of canal routes by the Army Corps of Engineers. From the 1840’s until 1932, the Army Corp of Engineers considered 28 routes for the canal.  They drafted plans for a 30 foot deep waterway for large vessels to cross the state along a circuitous route from Jacksonville to Yankeetown.  The route began at Jacksonville and followed the Saint John River to Potlaka and then along the Ocklawaha River to Silver Springs then westward across land below Ocala to Dunnellon and finally along the course of the Withlacoochee River to the Gulf of Mexico.  

     In 1935 during the Roosevelt administration, construction began on the canal.  The justification was that it would be a job creator.  The construction only continued for a year.  In 1942, Congress passed a bill authorization a canal along the 1932 route.  

     However, money for the project was not appropriated.  The proposed canal was modified from the original plan.  It would be a barge canal 12 feet deep and there would be locks and dams. Nothing was done on the project until 1964.  Funding was authorized during the Lyndon Johnson administration.  This was touted as a national defense project. The construction continued for 7 years.  Approximately 1/3 of the 200 mile project was finished during this time period.

     Conservatives and conservationists mobilised to block the project.  They were able to convince the courts and President Nixon to halt the project on January, 1971.  These activist were not content with their successes.  They also sought to have existing canal structures in the Ocklawa River removed. These consisted of the Rodman Dam and adjacent reservoir without success.

     

     The Elion Hitchens Building is located on Cornwallis Road in Research Triangular Park, North Carolina.  Burroughs Wellcome and Company was founded in 1880 in London.   They established research and manufacturing facilities in the 1920’s in New York.  Burroughs Wellcome moved its headquarters and research facility to Research Triangular Park, North Carolina.  Construction started in 1969.  It was completed in 1972.  The architect selected was Paul Rudolph.  Architectural style was Brutalist.  This style emerged in the 1950’s. This type of building is characterized minimalist constructions that showcase bare building materials and and structural elements over decorative design.

     The building design was an A frame with terraced floors and angled walls and windows with an eccentrically loaded trapezoidal frame with columns inclined at 22.5 degrees.The entrance has three levels with columns.

     The original building was 300,000 square feet of space.   In 1988, 130,000 square foot wing with more offices was added.  This building was named the Gertrude Elion and George Hitchens building.                   

    Glaxo PLC acquired Wellcome PLC in 1995.  GlaxoWellcome merged with SmithKline Beecham in 2000 to form GlaxoSmithKline.     The merged corporation moved its operations from Cornwallis Road and Maughn Road to Moore Drive in in 2011. In 2012, United Therapeutics bought the building from GlaxoSmithKline along with 140 acres of land and two other buildings. The new owners tore down 400,000 square feet of the buildings in 2014. They pledged to save the remaining 150,000 square feet; this is a promise that they never fulfilled.

     United Therapeutics received a demolition permit in September, 2020. They claimed that it was too expensive to renovate.  A campaign to save the building went nowhere.  The building was demolished in January, 2021.

    This line was 16.5 miles.  It was built from 1910 to 1911. The first passenger service was in November, 1911.  This extension helped business development, residential growth and tourism in the local communities of Venice, Laurel, Nokomis and Osprey.  The last passenger train departed Venice in 1911.  The railroad continued freight service until 1992.   The abandoned line was the site of the Legacy Trail.

    Nokomis Beach is Sarasota’s oldest public beach.  The Beach Plaza was designed by Jack West in the 1950’s.  The amenities at the beach include: the beach, swimming, life guards, boardwalk, canoe/kayak launch, boat ramp, picnic shelters, playground, and public rest rooms.

     Joe Farrell was born in 1932 in Gastonia, North Carolina.   The family relocated to Sarasota in 1947.  Between 1950–1954, he attended the architecture program at the University of Florida.  During this same time interval, he worked part time for architect Paul Rudolph.  From 1955-1957, he served a tour of duty in the U.S. Army in Europe. From 1957–1959, he completed the architecture program at the University of Florida.  He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Architecture in January, 1959.

     In 1959, he worked with Carl Volmer, Sarasota.   He entered into an association with architect William Rupp. This lasted for 2 years.  Their projects included Farrell Commercial.Building, Caladesi National Bank, Dunedin, Florida, Uhr Residence, Sarasota, Florida, Scott Office Building Sarasota.

     From 1961 to 1975, he worked as a designer and then associate in the office of Lemmon, Freeth, Haines, and Jones Honolulu. From 1975, he was the design principal in office of Hawaii Ltd. (Formerly Lemmon, Freeth, Haines, and Jones Hawaii.

     1993 Joseph Farrell Architect was founded in Novato, CA

     The bridge over South Creek was built in 1911.   It is located at mile marker 897.6.  Its length is 125 feet.  The type is an open deck wood trestle bridge.

     The Legacy Trail Bridge crosses US 41 near Venice, Florida.  It was built in 2011.  The project cost 2.9 million dollars.  The bridge is 574 feet long and has 7 spans.

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    This addition was located at 1000 S. School Street, Sarasota. It was built in 1958–1960. Cost was.$1,038, 000. Paul Rudolph was the architect. It is an all white building. It is adjacent to the old 1926 building