Venice Florida Timeline
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, located on the Southwest Coast of Florida about 70 miles south of Tampa International Airport and 60 miles north of Ft. Myers International Airport.
Venice
Get to know our slice of Paradise - located on the SW Coast of Fl.
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Venice Map
Venice Historical Timeline
1800's
1867 - John & Eliza Webb and children settled at Webb’s
Point, Osprey
1868 - Rev. Jesse Knight, wife Caroline, and family arrived
1871 - Robert Roberts established residence on the south side of the
bay named for him
1881 - Frank Higel came to the area
1881 - John S. Blackburn settled in the area now called Nokomis
1888 - Establishment of Venice Post Office in area now called Nokomis
1896 - First permanent school erected near what is now Jesse Knight
Memorial Cemetery
1900 - 1950's
1903 - Laurel Post Office began operations (closed 1909). Rev. Jesse Knight deeded property for Knight’s Chapel (Methodist Episcopal) the first church
1910 - Bertha Honore Palmer acquired 140,000 acres (including most of current Venice) in what was then known as South Manatee County
1911 - Seaboard Airline Railway extended to current Venice
1912 - A waterway dredged from Venice to Sarasota
1915 - Sarasota-Venice Company had a plat surveyed and filed for the town of Venice. A bond issue was passed to construct a permanent road from Sarasota to Venice
1916 - Eagle Point Camp began operating
1917 - Dr. & Mrs. Fred Albee purchased land from Sarasota-Venice Company
1918 - Community of Manasota founded
1921 - Manasota renamed Woodmere by the Nocatee-Manatee Freight Company
1925 - Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers purchased land from the Albees and began development of Venice
1927 - City of Venice incorporated by Florida Legislature
1928 - Tamiami Trail opened. - Florida development boom ended and Venice “became a ghost town.”
1930 - Venice-Nokomis High School's first graduating class had eight students. - Fire destroys Woodmere Sawmill and property is abandoned
1932 - Kentucky Military Institute moved its winter headquarters to Venice.
1933 - Florida Medical Center opened in converted Park View Hotel
1937 - Venice Jetties constructed and channel between them dredged
1942 - Venice Army Air Base established and airport built
1946 - Gondolier printed first issue of newspaper
1952 - Development of South Venice began - Venice Hospital dedicated
1953 - Venice Elementary School opened
1955 - Venice High School opened
1960 - Present
1960
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus relocated winter headquarters to Venice
1965
Construction of final section of Intracoastal Waterway (from Dona Bay to Alligator Creek)
1966
Opening of Venice Bypass (U.S. 41 Bypass)
1967
Dedication of completed West Coast Intracoastal Waterway
1970
Kentucky Military Institute closes Venice operations
1971
Last Seaboard Coastline Railroad passenger train service to Venice
1989
City Hall rebuilt, police station relocated, fire station 2 built
1991
Final Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus performance at Venice winter headquarters
1994
First phase of the Venice beach nourishment project from Venice Jetties south to Gulf Manor, Oct. 24, 1994 to Nov. 27, 1994
1996
Final phase of original Venice beach nourishment project from Gulf Manor south to just past the Venice Fishing Pier.
2001
Paw Park at Brohard Park becomes first dog park on the beach in Sarasota County
2002
Patriots Park created.
2004
Venice Fishing Pier rebuilt. - Three-year state widening of U.S. 41 Business, Hatchett Creek Bridge and Circus Bridge (renamed from South Bridge) completed.
2005
Restoration of historic Venice Train Station completed. - First of five beach re-nourishments completed. - Venice Community Center renovated.
2007
Venetian Waterway Park opens.
2008
Legacy Trail opens.
2011
Legacy Trail Overpass completed.
Venice Ave. roundabout opens.
2012
Inaugural Rev 3 Triathlon competition (Oct).