November 10, 2010

Owen Burns Week


No, this isn't Owen Burns.  This is the guy who wrote the book on Owen Burns.  Literally.  Jeff LaHurd, a favorite local historian, just published a new book on Burns -- and the Friends of the Sarasota County History Center hosted a book signing party the other evening.  (50 copies were sold in the first hour!)  Jeff has written about a dozen books on the history of Sarasota, including spring training baseball, the Gulf Coast and now Owen Burns, the man who is considered the developer and visionary of Sarasota.  Burns arrived in Sarasota 100 years ago.  For $35,000,  he purchased 75% of what would become the current city limits.  So, to pay hommage, this week has been declared Owen Burns Week in Sarasota.  And, let's not forget the historian who has a knack for making Sarasota's past interesting and readable.  Congrats, Jeff!

4 comments:

B SQUARED said...

A real visionary.

Birdman said...

Interesting post today.

Virginia said...

Bravo Jeff and Owen! Nice portrait of the author.
V

Jack said...

Most interesting. Back when he bought it, his buddies probably thought he had been taken. We need people with vision.