Osprey
A Legacy of Entrepreneurs and Philanthropists
Despite its original name – Spanish Point – Osprey is one of the few areas on the Gulf Coast of Florida that doesn’t claim the Spanish landed or explored there. Osprey’s history is much deeper and older than that.
Based on archaeological evidence, the earliest settlers in Osprey were the hostile native tribe known as the Calusa Indians. And Osprey has one of the most significant connections to this past in existence still to this day.
The modern story of Osprey began with another settler to the Sarasota area. William Whitaker moved to present day Manatee County in December of 1842, following his service in the second Seminole War. An avid entrepreneur, Whitaker began a thriving exchange business with Cuban traders from Key West. He took their oranges – using the seeds to plant the first orange grove in Sarasota – and gave them the salted mullet he caught easily. He would go on to invest into cattle, but that’s a story for another time.
In 1867, John & Eliza Webb, their five children and some extended family members travelled to Key West from their home in Utica, NY, looking to start a new life.
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In Key West, the Webbs met one of the Cubans who often traded with Whitaker who told them about the Sarasota Bay area. It sounded perfect so they retraced their way back North, settling on 30 acres that they named Webb or Spanish Point – in honor of their Cuban friend.
Starting with several crops, they eventually found their fortune in sugar cane farming, constructing a sugar mill to make maple syrup and eventually opened a winter resort for tourists. For more than 40 years, they farmed the land and word spread of their homestead. Their descendants still live in the area.
One of their boarders during this time was a Mrs. Sherrill from Kentucky who came to the sunshine state so her daughter Mary could recover from her diagnosis of tuberculosis. While she lived longer than expected, Mary did eventually pass, and her mother decided to build a memorial chapel in her honor. The church, which has since been rebuilt, became a meeting place for the community and many who assisted in building it moved to the area.
The next chapter in the saga of Osprey began when financier Potter Palmer died in Chicago in 1902. His wife, a world-renowned socialite, but also her husband’s savvy silent business partner, became enamored with the Sarasota area shortly after his death. And in 1910, Bertha Honore Palmer purchased 80,000 acres, including the old Webb property and became the area’s first snowbird.
She devoted 25,000 acres to cattle ranching, buying Dink Murphy’s herd. She used the new railway to bring 1000 head from Texas, and imported some of the first Brahma bulls into the United States. She pioneered dipping cattle to reduce ticks and worked with universities to develop innovative new farming techniques. This was in addition to her philanthropic work up north with women’s and children’s groups. She also brought her wealthy investor friends to the Gulf Coast, helping to spur growth in the area.
When Palmer died only 8 years after arriving in Florida, she owned approximately one third of Sarasota County. To honor her, her sons donated a portion of her property to the state. That land became the basis for the Florida’s largest state park: Myakka River State Park.
In 1931, Elsa & Waters Burrows moved from New York, buying a tract of land just south of Palmer’s estate. They farmed the land, and Waters started the area’s first car dealership – a Dodge Plymouth dealership that became a department store and now houses the Sarasota Opera House. In her will, Elsa left her husband’s farming land to the state, on the condition that it be named for her German immigrant father – Oscar Scherer.
Today, Osprey is a reminder of Palmer’s philanthropic influence. We have two state parks – Myakka River State Park & Oscar Scherer State Park, with the Bay Preserve taking up a portion of it, and the recently opened Scherer Thaxton Preserve alongside it. The Indian Burial mound left behind by the Calusa is now the site of one of the most remarkable museums in the United States.
Dubbed a “Window in the Past,” the museum sits within the ancient tribal midden, allowing visitors to literally see into the archaeological past. Surrounding area houses the rebuilt Mary Chapel, the pioneer cemetery, the citrus packing house, the historic Guptil House and four of Bertha Palmer’s gardens. We also have the historic Blackburn Point Swing Bridge that connects us to Casey Key.
About 6000 full time residents live in Osprey, including, as we mentioned earlier, descendants of all of its pioneer families.
The Industry Leader in Green Pest Solutions
Good News leads the industry in providing 100% all natural, safer and more effective botanically-based eco-superior products for pest control. Products that are guaranteed safe for you, your children and your pets. That, coupled with other products that utilize naturally occurring elements found in nature, allows Good News to provide the same pest-free living guarantee, with no risk to your health.
A recent EPA study suggests that 80% of pesticide exposure occurs indoors and that measurable levels of up to a dozen pesticides have been found in the air inside homes!
Perimeter Plus - Green Pest Control
Our Perimeter Plus green pest control is designed to eliminate and prevent most of the creepy-crawly insect varieties we see in Florida, including ants, roaches, silverfish and, of course, spiders. We schedule 3 visits per year to provide exterior service after the initial set-up.
Your Good News technician will inspect the entire exterior of your property while sweeping cobwebs from the eaves and windows.
Once the source of insects is determined, a proper treatment of the perimeter foundation, entry points, eaves, plant beds and trees will be applied where needed using reduced–risk, green products.
If you are having any pest issues inside, your trained tech will also treat any entry points, kitchen, baths, laundry room, or problem areas using reduced–risk or even pesticide exempt products.
We guarantee your satisfaction and will return (at no charge) in between scheduled visits if you encounter any pests. Please call as soon as you see a problem. The sooner we inspect and treat, the better.
Keeping the Rodents in the Fields
One issue we see with rapidly growing and developing areas, is that rats, mice and other rodents find themselves ‘homeless,’ and decide to move in to your home—even in the most exclusive homes and neighborhoods.
The Good News Premier Rodent Program is the most comprehensive service available. We start by excluding all known entry points and sealing roof vents with proprietary covers. Then, we set several traps in the attic(s) to kill any rodents sealed in.
Next, we install 4-6 of the best bait stations available in hidden locations around the exterior perimeter. These help to keep the outside population of rodents to a minimum. We check the traps twice per week until we are sure there are no more live rodents inside.
Finally, we vacuum droppings and apply a deodorizer, sanitizer, viruscide to the entire attic space.
Many of our customers are finalizing the process by capping their insulation with T·A·P: Thermal Acoustical Pest Control. Once T·A·P™ is installed, the attic looks brand new and acts as a deterrent to re-infestation.
Term-Assure 365 - Termite Protection
Our tropical Florida environment means that the state also has the highest risk for termite problems. Termites do more damage than floods, fires and storms combined, and like those natural disasters, the more you prepare the less you feel the impact.
Termite damage isn’t covered by most homeowners policies, which means the repair costs come out of your pocket.
Good News is the leader in using natural and essential oil alternatives to control both drywood and subterranean termite pests.
Term Assure 365 is the most comprehensive and affordable termite protection in the state. First, we perform a thorough inspection of your home to be sure there is no existing evidence of termite infestation.
Next, we perform our initial Perimeter Plus interior and exterior pest control service and install 6-8 termite monitoring stations around the exterior perimeter of your home.
Then every time one of our skilled technicians visits your house (at least once every 4 months), they check the monitoring stations along with the normal treatment. And we offer a $1 million dollar damage repair warranty for homes that qualify.
If you’re building or buying, we offer Bora-Care®, an organic pre-construction treatment, and Florida-mandated real estate WDO inspections, to insure your new home is free of wood destroying organisms.
Don’t wait, schedule your termite inspection now.
T·A·P: Thermal Acoustical Pest Control
With T·A·P, you not only keep out the bugs, but you can save money on your cooling (and heating) bills! Like all our products, TAP is all natural and safe for your family and pets, but is 32% more energy efficient than fiberglass insulation, while adding a sound barrier and even reducing fire hazard.
Quick Facts About Osprey:
- Myakka River State Park is the largest state park in Florida.
- The Webb property was the inspiration for the estate in the modern day adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, starring Ethan Hawke & Gwyneth Paltrow
- Oscar Scherer, for whom the park is named was famous for inventing a process for dyeing shoe leather in 1872.
- Bertha Palmer’s winter home in Osprey had its own electrical plant and water system to service the estate and the citrus groves, livestock and poultry sheds.
- Three of Bertha Palmer’s botanical gardens – Sunken Garden, Duchene Lawn, and Jungle Walk are enjoyed by visitors today.
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Sun City Center, Ruskin, Palmetto, Parrish, Ellenton, Bradenton, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, Longboat Key, Lakewood Ranch, University Park, Myakka City, Sarasota, Siesta Key, Osprey, Nokomis, Casey Key, Venice, Englewood, North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Arcadia
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Corporate Address
1080 Enterprise Court, Ste A
North Venice, FL 34275
Call Now: (941) 412-9610
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