Chapter 7 - Letters from Florida
Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5,
Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Biography of Editor
AMISH GROW CELERY
NEAR SARASOTA, FLA.
In the following letter, John H. Weaver, who is touring Florida in a trailer, tells of the Amish and Mennonites in the vicinity of Sarasota:
Punta Gorda, Fla .
January 16, 1941
Dear Editor: About eight miles east of Sarasota are the celery farms, and the Amish settlement. The Amish are mostly from Ohio and Indiana. They farm a large territory of rich, black muck land, with celery, planted in rows, straight as a line, as far as the eye can see. I think this is one of the prettiest scenes in Florida. Their crops look very prosperous. They also farm a few acres of strawberries and lettuce. Most of them are migratory, as they go home in the spring and come again in the Fall. Their settlement is called "The D. D. Kurtz Cabins."
There are about 100 Mennonites, including children in and around Sarasota. The Mennonites have organized a Sunday School in a schoolhouse at Fruitville, near the D. D. Kurtz Cabins where Sunday School is held every Sunday morning followed by preaching. Bishop N. H. Mack preached to us one Sunday when we were there. Now they have a regular minister from Indiana or Iowa. (I have not learned his name.) There are also evening services at Pinecraft Tourist Camp, a Mennonite settlement. In the year 2000, the village of Pinecraft is now within the city limits of Sarasota. During the winter it is a busy place with hundreds of Amish and Mennonites coming there by bus. Some stay for several weeks while others stay for the winter season.
Last Sunday there was an attendance of 144 Amish and Mennonites at Fruitville Sunday school.
The bay, in the bay area of Tampa, Bradenton and Sarasota, was unusually rough on the 27th of December, causing much damage at the several harbors. Bradenton harbor suffered the greatest damage, running into thousands of dollars. At Sarasota all boats were anchored in port, around the Municipal pier. The pier was full of sightseers. We drove out on the pier in our car.
One balmy morning, Mrs. Weaver and I took a most delightful trip to Lido Beach, and north ten miles on a good paved road to Long Beach, the end of the island. Upon another occasion we spent a few hours in the John and Mary Ringling Art Museum. Last Friday and Saturday we were at Winter Haven to see the Cypress Gardens, Lake Wales and the Bok Tower.
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Our Ephrata Home |
Sarasota has a population of about 10,000 scattered over a large area, possibly four or five miles wide and seven or eight miles in length. However the city proper may be about like Ephrata. There are three tall buildings of ten to fourteen stories. Twenty years ago, Sarasota was only a small place and was hardly mentioned in the map. Today it is a prosperous city. Sarasota is nice.
On the 14th of January we came to Punta Gorda. I may sometime tell you of this place too.
I will let L. C. Wolf, our family Sebring scribe tell you of our incidental meeting today.
Yours very truly,
JOHN H. WEAVER
Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5,
Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Biography of Editor