The elegant and scenic environment that is Longboat Key offers breathtaking beaches, stunning scenery, translucent waters, and cultural activities. Located along the central west coast of Florida, situated within two counties-Manatee in the north and Sarasota in the south, Longboat Key is just south of Anna Maria Island. The original inhabitants of Longboat Key are believed to be the Timucan and Caloosa Native American tribes. In the late 1530s, the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto ventured into the region with with his scout, Juan Anasco, making their journey in what were called longboats through the north pass.

In the 1800s, Jean Lafitte of New Orleans, who was also called the Gentleman Pirate was said to have been shipwrecked in the vicinity of Longboat Key. Before 1842, a camp and trading post were established on the northern portion of Longboat Key by some of the first settlers, which included Cuban and Spanish fisherman and along with squatters. During that period, the area was referred to on maps as "Saraxola" and "Zarazote". Not much is known about the island following 1848, but in the …show more content…
They were awarded 144 acres as a homestead grant allowing them to farm and live on the allotted land. Later, in 1904, the southern portion of the was homesteaded by Byron Corey, and in the 1920's, John Ringling bought several hundred acres on the south end of Longboat Key. Ringling went on to construct a golf course and planted Australian pine trees along what is now Gulf of Mexico Drive, and he also initiated the construction of a luxurious hotel, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on New Pass in 1926, but eventually abandoned for another investment undertaking. Longboat Key was incorporated in November of 1955. By the 1970s, development of Longboat hit its peak, and during the process, the notable Longboat Key Towers became the first condominium