History Buffs of Southwest Florida

Jimmy Stewart was the first major American movie star to enlist to fight in World War II. Following a 1944 mission to Germany, he was promoted to major and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the war, Stewart remained active in the Army reserve. He was eventually promoted to brigadier general, making him the highest ranking actor in US military history. Stewart even served in the Vietnam War, until reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60.

The new biographical drama film Jimmy focuses on the period of Stewart's life between winning the Academy Award for best actor in The Philadelphia Story to his experiences as as a combat pilot to his return to Hollywood in the role of George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life.

On Tuesdays, a movie ticket at the Paragon Theater costs only $5. Let's meet in the lobby a bit early for the 7:10 PM showtime.

Former Sarasota County Archaeologist Steve Koski will give a free public presentation on Submerged Indigenous Archaeological Sites on Florida's West Coast. Mr. Kosti's research interests include Florida's early people, coastal adaptations, and early settlement and subsistence systems.

Sponsored by the Southwest Florida Archaeological Society, the lecture is scheduled to begin at 7 PM.

A television series based on this beloved Florida family saga is currently in production and is expected to premiere in 2027. Let's read (or reread) and discuss this classic first. If there's interest, we can meet again later to compare it to the film interpretation.

First published in 1984, and still in print today, A Land Remembered is the fictional story of three generations of Florida Cracker pioneers from 1858 to 1968. Part of the story describes a cattle drive to Punta Rassa in Lee County. The author, Patrick D. Smith, was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 1999.

Several copies of the book are available in local libraries. Print, audiobook, and Kindle copies are available online. Local bookstores carry paperback copies. There's also a children's version that is often used in Florida schools.