Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Palmetto, FL My mothers birthplace


On 10th Street West, Palmetto Florida, in the center of above restored strip,  my Mothers parents owned a Bakery during the 1920 to 1940's
(photos taken Saturday 4/6/2013

Across the Street  the Olympia Theater was built in 1916, bringing the motion pictures to my mothers home town. It was the first of its kind on the West Coast of Florida. It was closed in 1956 and over the years has been many things.  more info here Olympia 



The 1914 Carnegie Library is in the same block and is where my mother spent happy hours with books.   The library is now part of the Palmetto Historical Park and they moved the old 1880 Post office, School house, Chapel on the property next door. there is also a military museum there.



Around the corner is this grand old lady that has been there my whole life, I saw it beautiful, I saw it in disrepair and now again it is restored.

 These are the homes my mother saw as she walked from home to the bakery, the streets are no longer red brick, but have been paved, but other than that the homes and trees are still there.


My grandmothers home burned in the 80's and I have no photo of it, but it was a wonderful old home built in the early 1900's.


I am so happy to see these lovely ladies restored to what they were when I was a child.

36 comments:

DawnTreader said...

Nice that they are preserving some of the history of the town! :)

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

I love to walk through old towns where my ancestors lived- how cool that they have restored all these old buildings!

Anonymous said...

Such a beautiful area. I would love to walk those streets and enjoy the architecture.

EG CameraGirl said...

Nice to see your happy memories have been restored. :)

From the Kitchen said...

Thanks for such a lovely "stroll" through your mother's hometown. I especially like seeing that Carnegie Library well taken care of. I hope the same thing happens which ours. It's now for sale.

Best,
Bonnie

Deb said...

What a awesome neighborhood..,and memories of your family

Declan said...

What lovely properties. In this modern age, they look like something from a film set. Deccy x

Linda P said...

Glad to take a stroll with you around your mother's neighbourhood. The restored buildings must bring back lots of memories. I have a yearning to photograph my old home town. We're going there soon, but only overnight, so won't get much recorded as we lived in several different neighbourhoods.

RoeH said...

Memories are a needful thing. Beautiful neighborhood.

Cranberry Morning said...

Lovely post! I am always so happy to see homes restored to their former glory. And BTW, I didn't know that anyone was ever *born* in Florida, I thought they all just migrated there from the north. LOL (jk, of course)

Inger said...

that last one looks so much like the one I owned in Pasadena. You have the greatest looking trees in Florida. I had no idea.

Just read your comment. Please remember I had no children and I was 29 that year, 1969.

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Love the beautiful old homes.

And love the "down street"!!!

There didn't seem to be any real down streets, near where we were, in FL. And it was kind of awful.

But now I know, one had to know where to look. :-)

barbara l. hale said...

Palmetto looks like a lovely town and a nice place to grow up.

TexWisGirl said...

the homes sure are pretty! so glad they're keeping them up!

Marie said...

It is so wonderful that you can walk the same streets your mother did and look at the same beautiful trees. It really is pretty there! How far is this from your home?

My Mind's Eye said...

Sandra what a wonderful post full of memories. You know folks are finally realizing JUST how well things were built...still standing they surely deserve to be grand again.
THIS WAS A SPLENDID AND AMAZING POST.
THANK YOU,
HUGS c

Golden Woofs! SUGAR said...

Woof! Woof! The 5th photo (old lady's home) reminds me of Miss O's house in HI that I frequently passed by when I walked on her street. Lovely photos full of memories. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

crafty cat corner said...

I love the way houses and buildings have so much green around them where you are. Here in UK its generally rows of houses and not so much green unless you go out into the countryside.
Briony
xx

Susannah said...

The town and neighborhood look quaint and beautiful. I love all the old buildings. Your pictures are lovely.

Susannah

Chatty Crone said...

It was kind of nice to see and think of the area your mother walked as a child. It makes you feel closer to her I imagine. They were gorgeously restored. sandie

Dee said...

A lovely town...how nice to be able to walk the same path as your mom once did. I imagine the trees are the same? Thanks for sharing..I love these kind of posts.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Beautiful town and I love that neighborhood.. Glad the older homes have been restored. Sorry that your grandmother's home burned--but at least, you have some great memories.. Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Betsy

Ginny Hartzler said...

The first house you show is wonderful, beautiful and elegant. Right down to the grounds and the fence. I also love the light blue house. Which building was the Bakery in?

Debby@Just Breathe said...

What a wonderful story you shared with us. Loved hearing the history on your mother. Wow, that house "grand old lady" is gorgeous!!!

Miss Debbie said...

Thanks for the tour! Love the homes...beautiful! We had a Carnegie Library in my hometown, too.I spent lots of time there growing up checking out books for me and my mom. It is now a venue for events...but I am so glad that both buildings are being used!

Unknown said...

Beautiful houses and buildings, glad they have restored it. It seems to be a lovely town.

BlueShell said...

Good memories are happy memories. Nice place dear!
Love
BShell

Kay said...

Looks like a great little town. I love the Victorians.

Ann said...

that looks like a lovely area. I always like to see old building being restored rather than torn down. They have so much more character than the newer ones.

Unknown said...

It is a joy to turn back the clock.

Ruth Hiebert said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ruth Hiebert said...

These pictures show a place of beauty.Those old homes have so much charm.

Rose said...

I really enjoyed seeing/hearing about your mother's birthplace.

LC said...

How wonderful that you have been able to document via photos and words a bit of your mother's childhood in the context of her hometown's history.

Betty Manousos said...

such a beautiful little neighborhood.

love the memories of your family.
touching post, love it:)

Unknown said...

Hello, Sandra. I was pleased to find the 2013 blog on your mother's Palmetto birthplace. Perhaps we are distantly related? My great-great-grandmother (on my mother's side), Elizabeth Toft and her son, James Hurst Toft, came from England and started the first bakery in Palmetto at the end of the 1800s. Following that it was Walter Toft Sr. and Jr. (?) who ran it. As a child, we traveled from Canada to visit Florida and our Toft relatives. Are you part of them?

Melanie