Desoto County Historical Society

May Member Meeting
2024-05-20 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room, 900 N Robert Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
Dr. Martha R. Bireda will discuss the commemorations and celebrations of Florida’s Emancipation Day at our May 20th membership meeting.
Martha R. Bireda, Ph.D., is a writer, lecturer, and living history performer. With over 30 years of experience as a lecturer, consultant, and trainer for issues related to race, class, and gender, she has worked with educators, law enforcement, business, and civic leaders. She is the founder and director of the Blanchard House Museum of African American History and Culture of Charlotte County in Punta Gorda, Florida.
She has written 12 non-fiction books, including her two latest works: “A Time for Change: How White Supremacy Ideology Harms All Americans” and “The Promise of Whiteness: Its Past and Its Future.” Additionally, she has written two books for youth readers: “Obi: African Seminole Freedom Fighter” and “The Trabue Woods
Book of Values.” Dr. Bireda is also the author of historical fiction books for adults: “The Womb Rebellion,” which tells the story of enslaved women who refused to engage in the process of slave-
breeding, and “My Brother’s Keeper,” which tells the story of the numbers racket and its positive influence on the African American community during the Jim Crow Era.
May 20th Room Open 11:30 AM
Meeting Starts 12 Noon
DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room
900 N Robert Ave.
Arcadia, FL 34266

Join the Community Conversations May 15
2024-05-15 17:30 - 19:30 | Grace Presbyterian Church, 10548 SW CR 769, Lake Suzy, FL, 34269, United States
Join this important conversation to share your thoughts on the strengths and challenges of the community, as well as your hopes for its future!
Conversation will run for 2 hours and is supported by The Patterson Foundation.
As a token of our appreciation, participants will receive a $25 gift card.
If you need help registering, contact Cheri Coryea at (941) 713-3899,
or ccoryea@thepattersonfoudnation.org.

Join the Community Conversations
2024-05-14 18:30 - 20:30 | House of God Church, 200 S Alabama Ave,, Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States

Join the Community Conversations May 14
2024-05-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Turner Agri-Civic Center, 2250 NE Roan St., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States

Join the Community Conversations May 13
2024-05-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Nocatee Elementary School, 4846 SW Shores Avenue, Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States

Hands On History
2024-05-01 15:00 - 17:00 | Arcadia Housing Authority, 7 Booker T. Washington Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
Hands-on History Event in part by the Suncoast remake learning days and the DeSoto Historical Society. Wednesday, May 1 at the Arcadia Housing Authority located at 7 Booker T. Washington Avenue from 3-5 PM. Learn history by doing what people did in the past. Free fun and snacks.

Magic School Bus Tour
2024-04-20 09:30 - 15:00 | FL
Be a part of the Suncoast Remake Learning Days on the Magic School Bus. Free Hop on Hop off Bus Tour with parking at these locations:

DeSoto County Library
McSwain Cultural Center
Casa San Juan Bosco
Nocatee Church of God
House of God
Friendship Baptist Church

Explore, Discover and Enjoy. Fun for the whole family.

April Member Meeting
2024-04-15 11:30 - 13:00 | DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room, 900 N Robert Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
Our meetings are open to all. Join us for guest speaker Peggy Jude. Peggy serves as the VP, Projects and member of the board of the Manatee Genealogical Society (FL). She leads both the DNA and the Technology for Genealogy Special Interest Groups for the society. She holds a BS in Zoology from Iowa State University and an MBA from the University of Michigan. Peggy is a co-course coordinator for the Foundations in DNA course at the Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR). She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Genealogical Speakers Guild and a graduate of ProGen, and multiple advanced genealogical institutes.

April 15th Room Open 11:30 AM
Meeting Starts 12 Noon

DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room
900 N Robert Ave.
Arcadia, FL 34266

Remake Learning Days Festival
2024-04-12 - 2024-05-04 | FL
The 15 day Hands-On Learning Festival SRLD 2024
April 20-May 4, 2024
Download the App today. Scan the QR code Below. or https://allintheloop.com
on google Play or the apple App store (SRLD 2024)
More than 270 FREE Fun Family Events

Community Meetings
2024-04-07 - 2024-04-09 | Turner Agri-Civic Center, 2250 NE Roan St., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
In the coming days, The Harwood Institute and The Patterson Foundation are partnering to host another round of community conversations. We want to hear from residents across the county, especially residents from Sunny Breeze, Lake Suzy and Nocatee area. Please help us to spread the word about these upcoming community conversations:

As a token of our appreciation
All participants will receive a $25 Gift card
Click the links to signup

Turner Center

Sunday, April 7th from 5 – 7 PM (https://shorturl.at/oFZ78)

Monday, April 8th from 10 AM – 12 PM (https://shorturl.at/afky7)

Tuesday, April 9th from 4 – 6 PM (https://shorturl.at/CMQ12)

First Baptist Church Arcadia

Monday, April 8th from 4 – 6 PM (https://shorturl.at/yAFWZ)

University of Florida IFAS Ext

Monday, April 8th from 4 – 6 PM (https://shorturl.at/bDU38)

DeSoto County Library

Monday, April 8th from 1- 3 PM (https://shorturl.at/oFZ78)

Goodwill Job Connections Center

Tuesday, April 9th from 1 – 3PM (https://shorturl.at/oFZ78)

20th Annual Pioneer Day
2024-03-23 09:00 - 15:00 | Turner Agri-Civic Center, 2250 NE Roan St., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
As always, we are looking for vendors and sponsors. If you are interested, please Apply Here.

March Member Meeting
2024-03-18 11:30 - 13:00 | DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room, 900 N Robert Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
Pioneer Day is right around the corner—but first we have our member meeting coming up on Monday, March 18. Join us for a fun game of Local History Trivia—perfect to prime you for Pioneer Day on Saturday, March 23!
Enjoy the March newsletter.

Member Meeting
2024-02-19 11:30 - 14:00 | DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room, 900 N Robert Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
We hope to see you at our member meeting on Monday, February 19. Read more about our guest speaker and black History Month and more in the attached February Newsletter.

January Member Meeting
2024-01-20 13:00 - 17:00 | City Mobile Home Park, US 17 & Maine Street, Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States

Holiday Tour of Historic Homes and Buildings
2023-12-09 16:00 - 18:00 | Family Service Center Annex, N. Orange Ave. and Effie St., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
Please join us for this tour of local Historic Homes and Buildings decorated for the holidays! The locations are kept secret until the night of the tour; you will enjoy this wonderful and festive exploration of some of Arcadia’s historic treasures, with knowledgeable docents at each stop. This year the tour will begin and end at the Family Service Center, 310 W Whidden Street. Please arrive between 4 and 6 p.m. to start your tour as it takes about two hours to go around all the stops. You will board a bus and be able to get on and off at the various stops, as the buses will circulate around the tour loop.
Tour tickets are $15.00 each, and will go on sale at our member meeting on Monday, November 20, at noon in the McSwain Room of DeSoto Memorial Hospital.
Tickets are available at the following locations:

Ingraham House Museum, 120 W. Whidden St. (9 to 1 on Thurs.)

Crews Bank & Trust, Member FDIC, 2747 S.E. State Road 70

Glass, Antique or Not, 111 W. Oak St. (11 to 4, Tues.-Sat.)

Team Arcadia, McSwain Center, 16 S. Volusia Ave. (9 to 3 Mon.-Fri.)

Get your tickets early, tours are limited!

Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration
2023-12-07 10:00 - 10:30 | 1924 Peace River Bridge, 2195 American Legion Dr, Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
American Legion K Post 11 will Commemorate Pearl Harbor Day on the 1924 Peace River Bridge.

City of Arcadia 137th Birthday
2023-12-05 18:00 - 18:15 | Margaret Way Building, 23 N Polk Avenue, Arcadia, Florida, 34266

November 2023 Member Meeting
2023-11-20 12:00 - 13:00 | DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room, 900 N Robert Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
Our November member meeting will feature a talk on forest fires and prescribed burns. Some species—both plants and animals—need fire to thrive. Learn how prescribed fires were developed.
Ms Kellyn was called out of town to fight fires in Texas when we originally scheduled her talk – we are glad she is back!
Join us in the McSwain Room at DMH on Monday, November 20, 2023. The meeting will begin at noon, with the Society Board meeting following immediately after.

DeSoto County Veterans Day Parade
2023-11-13 10:00 - 11:00 | DeSoto County Courthouse, 115 E Oak Street, Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
Walk with us in the parade on Monday, November 13. We will gather at the corner of W Oak St. and Orange Ave. at 9 a.m. Contact Carol Mahler at 863-445-0789 or email desotocountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.

DeSoto County Veterans Day Observance
2023-11-11 11:00 - 12:00 | DeSoto County Courthouse, 115 E Oak Street, Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
Please join us at the ceremony to remember and honor all veterans on Saturday at 11 a.m. on the south lawn of the County Courthouse.

Third Annual Cracker Meal
2023-09-30 17:30 - 19:30 | Pine Level United Methodist Church, 9596 NW Pine Level St, Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States

Museum closed through September
2023-09-01 - 2023-10-01 | John Morgan Ingraham House Museum, 300 N Monroe Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
Society property OK
Museum will remain closed through September—we think it prudent to leave our hurricane shutters on!
The Florida Cracker Meal will take place as planned at Pine Level Church on Saturday, September 30, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Get your tickets soon—they are going fast! Call Carol at 863-445-0789 or 863-266-5774. Tickets are also available at Batter Up Bakery/Rosé Cafe, 12-14 N. DeSoto Ave.; Crews Bank and Trust, Member FDIC, 2747 SE State Road 70; or online via PayPal (historicdesoto.org).

August Member Meeting
2023-08-21 11:00 - 12:30 | DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room, 900 N Robert Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States

May Member Meeting
2023-05-15 12:00 | DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room, 900 N Robert Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States

Discover History in Downtown Arcadia. Let's Go on a Scavenger Hunt!
2023-04-29 10:30 - 13:00 | FL

Celebrate Earth Day!
2023-04-22 10:30 - 13:00 | DeSoto County Library, 125 N. Hillsborough Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34255, United States

19th Annual Pioneer Day & BBQ
2023-03-25 09:00 - 15:00 | Turner Agri-Civic Center, 2250 NE Roan St., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States

Member Meeting: Monday, March 20 – DMH - McSwain Room
2023-03-20 11:00 - 13:00 | DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room, 900 N Robert Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States

Thursday, February 16, 2023 – Monthly Meeting
2023-02-16 11:00 - 13:00 | DeSoto Memorial Hospital – McSwain Room, 900 N Robert Ave., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
We hope to see you at our February 16 meeting at DeSoto Memorial Hospital in the McSwain Room. Meeting will begin at noon; arrive early and purchase a meal (or not) before the meeting. Enter the main hospital entrance and sign in as a visitor.
Dr. Sharon Goodman will talk about her life from Smith-Brown days to serving on the School Board.
Using a digital calendar? Set a reminder for the THIRD THURSDAY of every month for Historical Society meetings!

Thursday, January 12, 2023 – Monthly Meeting
2023-01-12 11:30 - 13:00 | Family Service Center Annex, N. Orange Ave. and Effie St., Arcadia, FL, 34266, United States
Bring a lunch and visit at 11:30 p.m., we will provide beverages and desserts. PROGRAM at NOON
President Norma Banas will lead a short business meeting, followed by introduction of our guest speaker, Nancy Erickson. An outstanding athlete, Nancy had already been hired to direct Arcadia’s Recreation Department when she had a chance to try out for the Toledo Troopers. The City of Arcadia held the job for her until she played her first and only season. She will have copies of a new book about the team, We Are the Troopers: The Women of the Winningest Team in Pro Football History, by Stephen Guinan, to sell & sign after she tells us more about this amazing team, and her work here in Arcadia. The Education Amendments of 1972 commonly known as Title IX helped Nancy to start girls sports teams of all kinds in Arcadia. Many will remember Nancy as the H & R Block representative in town.
