County Fair a Blue Ribbon Event for Local Agriculture
Since the 1800s, county fairs have been held throughout the United States as a way to showcase the best of the community’s agricultural...
A Man, A Plan, A Packinghouse
In the late 1950s, a group of African-American farmers banded together, against adversity, to create an owned and operated packinghouse...
Peter S. Harllee: Builder of Barns & Manatee’s Tomato Industry
Born in 1845 in South Carolina, Peter Stuart Harllee returned home after serving in the Civil War and then briefly moved to Texas. In...
Tropic-Ana: The girl behind the logo
We remember iconic logos and jingles from brands over the years. When you see a red bulls eye you immediately think of Target, or the...
Atwood Grapefruit Company Served Up Delicious Fruit
There’s a new kid in town north of the Manatee River. Feld Entertainment headquarters at 2001 US Highway 301 in Palmetto produces live...
Little Quail Big Business for a Time in Manatee County
When the calendar page turns to autumn each year, home cooks’ thoughts often turn to birds – turkey, goose, Cornish hen – and even quail....
Skimming the Surface of Manatee County's Dairy Industry
There is a strong force of habit or perhaps a sixth sense that the cows on a dairy farm possess…or maybe it is simply the discomfort of a...
Bone Mizell – Florida Cow Man & Figure in Folklore
Around 1862 a cow hunter by the name of Morgan Mizell and his wife, Mary Fletcher Tucker, moved from Hernando County to a...
Bribes, Breweries and Moonshine: Prohibition in Manatee County
At midnight on January 17, 1920 the United States of America officially went dry. A long protracted battle had been fought by groups...
Agriculture at Home Prevalent During WWII
Photo from Manatee County Historical Society (MCHS), taken by Harold R. Smith during WWII; several women “put up” produce in the Palmetto...