1947 Map of Bee Ridge

About this map

The Ringling Bros Circus Winter Quarters and the Sarasota Municipal Airport anchor the northwestern corner of this Florida landscape, illustrating the regional importance of entertainment and aviation during the post-war period. The map details a transition from the developing edges of the Sarasota City Limit into a rural network of citrus groves and wetlands, defined by the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line railroads. Smaller communities like Fruitville, Bee Ridge, and Sunnyland are mapped with their local infrastructure, including the Bee Ridge Sch, Friendship Ch, and Gillespie School. The eastern portion of the survey is dominated by a sprawling system of lakes and marshes surrounding Cow Pen Slough, while a U S Army Rifle Range and the Bee Ridge Fire Tower serve as distinct navigational landmarks in the interior.