VENICE EAST---THE BEGINNING!
Paraphrased from a Resident letter in the 80s

Before 1958 Venice East was a tomato farm owned by the Atlantic and Pacific Corporations. That changed in 1960, when the U. S. Land Corporation established Venice East. 

What is now the Golf Pro Shop was the field office and used while streets were made, lots plotted and the brick office built.

Very early in 1961 Venice East Development opened for business. Lots were sold for $2500. to $3500. and model homes ranging in price from $10,500. to $25,000. were offered.
There was a promise of a community park with a playground, a swimming pool, and tennis courts for the area near the utility buildings as well as the field beyond Dorchester Drive, but somehow as things expanded and the golf course bought the sales building, those plans went by the wayside.

A community group was formed by neighbors in 1964 with thirty-seven active memberships. A constitution was written for the association now know as VENICE EAST COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. 

During those early years the association had use of the office building at the entrance. Residents met there for poker and bridge games along with our regular meetings. Every other month was "fun time" bingo for quarters or a white elephant, with alternating months for educational programs with serious speakers. There were always delicious cookies and coffee. We were given a new lighted shuffle-board court too, where leagues played each evening until the mosquitos took over.
December was Christmas Party time, with a gift exchange and Santa Claus. September meant a picnic at the beach and May was the time for a covered dish supper in the parking area. In the beginning hamburgers were cooked on a portable grill, but as the crowd grew they went to more of a sloppy Joe type approach to make serving easier.

The biggest problem facing the association in those days was the entrance. Route 41 was a narrow two-lane road with Venice East marked on the highway as only a side road. The lights at the entrance were turned off at ten o'clock so if you returned home later and missed the driveway in.the dark it was necessary to drive as far as Bumpsted Corners to find a place to turn around. At the same time Venice East Boulevard was a graded road the entire distance north to Center Road, complete with alligators, big rattlesnakes and a few wild hogs roaming the boon docks. 

Venice East had it's own "dump" for grass cuttings etc., but soon garbage arrived, presumably brought in by the Center Road access, so the back road was closed, fenced off and made into cattle range. 

The next several years were quiet - the U.S. Land Corp. had financial troubles, the United States had trouble with Cuba, only ninety miles away, and President John F. Kennedy was elected then assassinated. Despite all this, house prices went up and more and more residents arrived. The Community Association grew and elected a new president each year.

The brick wall was erected at the entrance and there was a long, narrow, lighted pool between the wall and the highway. Several wooden benches and eight huge Royal Palms completed the entrance. Unfortunately, in 1962 the temperature drop into the ‘20s and killed most of the beautiful new landscaping, including the royal palms, which were never to be replaced. In later years the fountain was filled in due to school kids waiting for the buses throwing rocks and breaking the lights.

Salesmen lived in a few of the new homes, but Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Gould were the first family to move into the development. By the end of the 1962 thirty homes were built and Venice East was on its way to becoming a friendly neighborhood.

1968 was the year the organization worked like beavers making things to sell at a bazaar for money to landscape the median on the Venice East Boulevard. It took $1400 at the time to plant trees, shrubbery & grass. 

In the early ‘70s the "International Homes”campaign began. Chinese, Italian and Spanish model houses appeared on Golf Club Lane with billboards advertising Venice East all over the State. Gulf Stream Development Corp. now owned the area. The office building was used by the company, so the meetings and card parties of the association moved to the South Venice Fire Department’s building. Some how during this time our shuffle board & bingo equipment all were lost. 

This was a period of confusion, adjustments, and lots of dust. Miles of streets were made west of Alsace Avenue and the drainage ditch there. What had been a wild open no-man's-land on the other side of a ditch was now a great place to get lost on your bike and perfect for beginners to practice their driving. Houses sprouted up like mushrooms and the population of Venice East exploded. Three new model homes were built at the entrance, replacing three old ones that had been moved away earlier.

• In 1975 the area was declared a bird sanctuary. 

• In 1977 Clarence Keyser developed our successful block captain system of communication and there was an unsuccessful attempt to have street lights installed in the area. 

• Between 1978 and 1982 our membership grew under what was credited to the presidents at this time. These were people who really got involved for the good of the area. Otto Harringer took office in 1978, followed by Steve Rejko in 1979, then Fred Shkinder in 1980, 1981 and 1982. Thanks to these men the Community Association has greatly increased the membership, a membership that really gets involved for the good of the area. They had committees fighting for our welfare in the County, and most of all we have a great Citizens’ Patrol looking out for our safety.

And that’s where our detailed history ends as written back in the ‘80s. Oh how times have changed, yet some things remain the same…..Venice East is an amazing community to live in & raise a family in. So if you are reading this thinking about moving here or are new to the area, we welcome you to our little friendly community! In 2024 we still operate VECA with roughly 120-150 residents out of 902 homes yearly. We hope to go back to making a bigger impact with the association, bringing back that feel good neighborly atmosphere all the time.

**Photos used on this page were found on the Florida Memory State Library & Archives of Florida, photographer Joseph Janney took them in 1961

FUN FACT: In 1974 Mr. Ed Young became president. Ed was responsible for having “Stop" signs put up at the Boulevard and was also arrested the first day for not stopping!