Histopolis Place-of-the-Day

The Histopolis Place-of-the-Day for Wednesday, August 31, 2011 is Sarasota County in Florida.

"Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida.

"Sarasota County is a member of the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, which plans for state roads in the two-county area. It also is part of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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"Sarasota County was created in 1921. After acquisition by the United States as a territory and once Florida obtained state status, the area now included in the county had been governed by Hillsborough County, then Manatee County as the state was divided into smaller and smaller governmental organization. Manatee County was carved up to allow the creation of three more counties as well.

"Although the name was associated with the area from the beginning of European contacts the origin of the name, Sarasota, is unknown. It may be named for a word in the indigenous Calusa language, whose meaning may be Point of Rocks or Place of the Dance. Some believe a fanciful story created for a popular early twentieth-century pageant held in Sarasota, that it was named after the daughter of famous explorer Hernando de Soto's daughter Sara.

"According to the Florida League of Cities FLC, the name first appeared in print as "Zarazote" on a 1763 land grant map.

"According to "Dr. Beach" Stephen Leatherman, and Charles Groom, Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota County is the #1 best beach in the United States of 2011."

Source: Sarasota County, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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