Sunday Favorites: The History of Carlton Reserve

Carlton was a Sarasota County Commissioner and rancher who owned a farm adjacent to present-day Carlton Reserve. Carlton was a progressive man; he never used a horse to herd his cattle, instead opting for a small plane to do the trick. While in flight, he often admired a piece of land to the west of his property. He thought it should be protected, according to a 2004 speech that former Director of Sarasota Parks and Recreation John McCarthy gave to the Manatee County Historical Society.

At the time, farmland in eastern Sarasota County was being purchased by developers at an alarming rate. Carlton foresaw property values increasing at a level that wouldn’t allow for large land purchases by government organizations. He knew subdivisions would expand east to accommodate a growing population, and figured time was of the essence to protect the land, according to McCathy.

At that time, the land Carlton admired was owned by the MacArthur Foundation, one of the largest foundations in the United States. The foundation had purchased the property from the Ringling brothers (as in Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus) who invested in large tracts of land during the 1920s. In addition to being a financial asset, the property served as sustenance for their circus animals – workers often hunted game to feed to the lions and tigers and grew corn for other animals that performed in the show, McCarthy said.

The Ringling brothers had high hopes for the property, embarking on an oil-drilling venture at one point. After the equipment was purchased and the local newspaper hyped the project, it was deemed a failure when all they found was ”worthless“ water, McCarthy said.

According to historic maps, the property was originally owned by a man named Woodward, who ran a handful of turpentine camps during the early 1900s. As the story goes, Woodward lost a card game to one of the Ringling brothers and had to relinquish ownership of the Carlton Reserve property. Prior to turpentine camps, the property served as a place where residents allowed their cattle to graze. At certain times of the year, cow hunters (never call them cowboys in Florida) would round up these cattle and bring them home for slaughter. Ranchers identified the cattle by a distinctive symbol branded in the hide.

Of course, Carlton took this history into consideration when he pitched the idea to the county commission in 1982. With Carlton as their champion, the commission negotiated a price with the MacArthur Foundation for 24,000 acres, and then held a special election where voters approved the $30,000,00 in general obligation bonds needed for the mortgage, according to official county documents.

By 2004, the county had already paid off the mortgage, McCarthy said.

”I can tell you it was dirt cheap,“ he said. ”We would never be able to afford it today.“

Before the purchase was finalized, Carlton was flying his plane over his herd one day and experienced technical issue. The plane crashed and Carlton was killed. Because it was Carlton who championed the purchase, the county decided to dedicate the property to him.

Other organizations, like the Crowley Nature Center, Southwest Water Management District and the State of Florida were purchasing adjoining lands for various purposes at almost the same time.

Carlton Reserve joins the Myakka River State Park at ”Myakka Island,“ which is what a lush green hammock amid miles of lowland. Crowley Nature Center, and lands owned by the Southwest Water Management District, also join Carlton Reserve, creating more than 33,000 acres of protected land.

Ironically, much of the land purchased was set aside as a source of drinking water to sustain growth – apparently the underground reservoir discovered by the Ringlings wasn’t so worthless after all. While Sarasota purchases about half its drinking water from Manatee County, the other half comes from 11-12 underground wells, 400 feet deep, McCathy explained.

The park officially opened on Sept. 3, 1996. The welcome center (a historic log cabin that was rescued by the Historical Resource Department before being razed) was added a few years later. Carlton Reserve serves as a recreational area for people providing hiking, horseback riding, camping, birdwatching and many other opportunities. At the same time, it serves as a much needed habitat for a variety of wildlife including birds, reptiles, bobcats, bears and even the illusive Florida panther.