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GravitasMag.com | 71 For these qualities, today's woman will need to transport herself back to the early 20th century. is trip will not only procure a fine example of a woman's woman, but it will portray strength and admiration to all who engage. Whether a young woman trying to make a mark in the business world or a seasoned executive, or maybe even a stay-at-home mother, an introduction to Mrs. Potter Palmer will not only fascinate, but provide a role model that stands the test of time. Now, go back in time to Old Sarasota where the balmy, warm temperate wind gently blows in from the Gulf of Mexico, winding its way among lush palms and majestic oak trees as the social elite gather for afternoon tea on the spacious, sunny veranda on the Oaks, the Sarasota estate home of Mrs. Bertha Palmer. e city of Sarasota was founded in the 1800's, but it didn't really come into its own until it was incorporated into a town in 1902. e town grew as more and more people flocked to the balmy Southwest Florida coast. One of those people was a remark- able woman named Bertha Palmer. Bertha Palmer was an early 20th century socialite who had made her mark decades before as a Renaissance woman. She was a linguist, a writer, a politician, a musician, and an art collector who married Chicago-based millionaire Potter Palmer in 1870 at the age of just 21. With her husband, and her evident charm, Bertha rose to the top of elite Chicago society. "She was beautiful, dashing, quick, and smart; and more than that, she was sure of herself," said historian Ernest Poole. Her talents made her a star attraction of the Chicago social scene. Bertha Palmer indeed had a lust for life that was in the public spotlight for years. She mingled with royalty in Europe, collected fine jewels from all over the world, hosted soiree after soiree in her plush Chicago mansion, gathered fine works of art, and even participated in women's rights groups in Chicago – all while raising two sons, Honoré and Potter Palmer II. Her husband died in 1902, leaving her extremely wealthy, and although she had plenty of suitors – including, it was rumored, the King of Serbia – she never remarried. Following her hus- band's death, Bertha wanted to expand and seek other environ- ments to conquer other than the social scenes of Chicago, London, and Paris. She saw an advertise- ment in a Chicago newspaper placed by A.B. Edwards, who owned a real estate and insurance office in Sarasota, Florida. At the time, Sarasota was a small, but bustling town with just a few hundred residents located on Sarasota Bay. It certainly wasn't Chicago, but there was something about the area – perhaps the warm tropical climate off the Gulf of Mexico – that enticed Bertha. With a new target in her sights, Bertha traveled to Sarasota. She liked what she saw – a small, charming town with enthusiastic residents and an unbeatable climate. She envi- sioned something better for the area, and sought to turn it into a haven for people like herself who were searching for something bigger and better – people who enjoyed the finer things in life and needed a winter retreat away from the blistering cold of New York and Chicago. In 1910, after she saw Sarasota for the first time, Bertha Palmer purchased over 90,000 acres in and Continued

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