September 2021 Newsletter
Greetings!

Welcome to the September Edition of my newsletter. Please feel free to reply with a comment. I am always looking to improve on the content for my subscribers.

Also, visit my website waltbethel.com to view my listings, search for properties, or to enjoy one of my archived newsletters and stories on Florida History.

Thank you,

Walt
College Football has Begun!
Football is upon us. Click the helmets below to find your favorite team's schedule.
HISTORY OF THE SEC
SEC schools began athletic competition with one another more than 100 years ago as members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Seven institutions (Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Sewanee and Vanderbilt) attended the SIAA organizational meeting of faculty representatives, called by Dr. William L. Dudley of Vanderbilt, in Atlanta Dec. 22, 1894.

Student teams from the schools began meeting in various sports with little pattern to their contests. The American adaptation of the English game rugby, called "football," was drifting down from the East and Midwest. Southerners were quickly attracted to this sport formalized in 1869.

The first football game in the Southeast was played April 9, 1880, on the ground now called Old Stoll Field at the University of Kentucky. Kentucky A&M (now UK) organized a team and in November 1881, played Transylvania College in a three-game series. By 1895, 11 current SEC members were playing football.

The seven-member SIAA expanded to 19 institutions in 1895 (Alabama, Auburn, Central, Clemson, Cumberland, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mercer, Mississippi State, Nashville, North Carolina, Sewanee, Southwestern Presbyterian, Tennessee, Texas, Tulane and Vanderbilt) and by 1920 there were 30 members.

The larger schools reorganized as the Southern Conference at a meeting in Gainesville Dec. 12-13, 1920. Professor S.V. Sanford of Georgia called the meeting and served as the first president. Charter members of the Southern Conference included: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Washington & Lee.

Despite an original limit of 16, the membership grew to 23 by 1928. In 1922 Florida, Louisiana State, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tulane, Vanderbilt and Virginia Military joined, while Sewanee and Duke became members in 1923 and 1928 respectively. At one time or another, the SIAA and the SC included most of the Southern colleges from Virginia to Texas.

Read more: SEC Sports
FLASHBACK: Tropicana Revolutionizes Citrus Industry, Takes Up Residence at Port Canaveral in 1955

"REVOLUTIONIZED THE CITRUS INDUSTRY BY INVENTING METHOD FOR VACUUM-PACKING FRESH ORANGE JUICE"
The S.S. Tropicana delivered 1 million gallons of juice from Florida to the New York market every voyage.
Anthony Rossi, owner of Tropicana Products, revolutionized the citrus industry by inventing a method for vacuum-packing fresh orange juice in a sterilized glass container, and when refrigerated, the juice retained its “just-squeezed” taste.
Tropicana Products was founded in 1947 in Bradenton Rossi, an Italian immigrant, growing from 50 employees to over 3,000 in 2003.
Early distribution of fresh orange juice was by way of hand-delivered juice jars to nearby homes, but demand grew, especially in New York City.
By 1957, the S.S. Tropicana was taking up to 1.5 million U.S. gallons of juice to New York each week. The ship’s last voyage was in 1961 when transportation shifted to truck and rail transport.
Since 1998, it has been owned by PepsiCo. Tropicana’s headquarters are in Chicago.

NEWS FROM THE NEIGHBOR
Friday Night Football

Go Cheer on Our Local Teams!


Friday, September 17th
Lemon Bay @ DeSoto High
7:30pm


Friday, September 24th
Charlotte High @ Cypress Lake 7:30pm

DID YOU KNOW?
The origins of college football in the United States date to the late 19th century. Influenced by European sports such soccer and rugby, American football gradually adopted rules which shaped the sport into the modern version played today. The first college football teams emerged in the northeastern United States. Gradually, the game spread west and south. This photographic exhibit highlights some of the earliest teams in the state of Florida, the origins of in-state rivalries, and the development of big time college football in the Sunshine State. Organized college football in Florida also dates to the late 19th century. In the late 1800s, schools like Stetson in Deland, the Florida Agricultural College (FAC) in Lake City, and the West Florida Seminary in Tallahassee, fielded club teams that competed in intra-college contests on a limited basis. The first intercollegiate college football game in Florida was played on November 22, 1901, and pitted Stetson against FAC.

Source: FloridaMemory
Featured Listings
JUST LISTED!
9.7 Acre Grove DeSoto
SE Shelfer Ave. #A Arcadia, FL 34266
Income producing orange grove on 9.7 Acres in south DeSoto County. Property has 5” well with electric 5 horsepower pump. Convenient access to Hwy 31 and only 30 minutes to Ft. Myers.

Total Acres: 9.7
List Price: $169,000

137+ Riverfront Acres
10531 SW Kissimmee Rd. Arcadia, FL 34269
Gorgeous, undisturbed "Old Florida" river front property for your private estate or recreational hunting and fishing retreat. Offering 137.84+ acres full of oak hammocks, cabbage palms, and pine trees with approx. 1,970 feet of frontage on the Peace River via the quiet inlet "Lettuce Lake." A county maintained public boat ramp is just around the corner. Property is fenced and includes 1,800 sf steel building. Less than 15 minutes to I-75, and just 45 minutes from Sarasota or Ft. Myers. A rare find with navigable waters to Charlotte Harbor.

Total Acres: 137.84
MLS: C7437985
Listing Price: $2,399,000
4.9 Acres with Creek Frontage
SW Piggyback Rd. #B Arcadia, FL 34266
4.9 acres in DeSoto County with CREEK FRONTAGE. An ideal home site for country living. This land is located less than 10 minutes to Arcadia, but secluded enough for rural living. Call today for a showing.

MLS: C7446929
Total Acres: 4.9
Listing Price: $100,000


Shovel Ready Land Punta Gorda Airport Park
5 and 10 Acre Parcels
Punta Gorda, FL 33982
5 Acres Shovel-Ready in growing Charlotte County Airport Park. Bring your business! Infrastructures such as city water/sewer and storm water retention in place. ECAP Zoning (Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park) allows for a multitude of Industrial, Commercial, and Office uses. Less than 1 mile to Interstate 75 at Exit 161 and sits adjacent to Punta Gorda Airport.

8292 Holmes Blvd
Offered at: $382,000
10 Acres Shovel-Ready in growing Charlotte County Airport Park. Bring your business! Infrastructures in place such as city water/sewer and storm water retention. ECAP Zoning (Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park) allows for a multitude of Industrial, Commercial, and Office uses. Property has ~670’ of road frontage on the front and ~670’ of road frontage on back, can be divided. Less than 1 mile to Interstate 75 at Exit 161 and sits adjacent to Punta Gorda Airport.

8264 Duffie Dr.
MLS:C7427835
Offered at: $763,000
PENDING!
35+ Acres Zoned RMF-6 with Improvements
9881 Lettuce Lake Rd. Arcadia, FL 34269
35+/- Acres in DeSoto County less than 15 minutes to Interstate 75.This property is zoned RMF-6 allowing for a total of 211 units. Improvements have already been completed such as paved roadways, retention pond, curbing, fire hydrants and lift station. Previously approved development plans are available for review. Opportunity to be in a growing area located near the Peace River with river access 2 minutes away. This property is centrally located between both Kings Hwy and Hwy 17 with quick access to Arcadia, Port Charlotte, or Punta Gorda. Only 45 minutes to Sarasota and Fort Myers.

MLS: C7442469
Total Acres: 35.71
Listing price: $2,900,000
SOLD!
10 Acres with Creek Frontage
SW Piggyback Rd. #A Arcadia, FL 34266
A rare find with extras!!! 10 Acres in DeSoto County with CREEK FRONTAGE. An ideal home site for country living. Additionally, the property has TWO wells and power. This land is located less than 10 minutes to Arcadia, but secluded enough for rural living.

MLS: C7446925
Total Acres: 10
Sold Price: $185,000


About Walt Bethel
Walt Bethel is a fifth generation Floridian, born and raised in Arcadia, with a vast knowledge of all areas of Florida Real Estate and an ardent appreciation for Florida history.  
The purchase and development of his first orange grove when he was just sixteen years old fueled Walt's passion for real estate.  
Since then, he has bought, owned, and sold a wide variety of properties throughout a successful business career. His investments have included acreage, agricultural properties, residential homes, condos, and commercial properties. 
Walt's marketing and sales experience was cultivated over time at his family's business, Bethel Farms, where he marketed, managed, and sold products to "Big Box" retailers across the Southeastern and Midwestern United States.
From an early age, Walt's dad instilled in him the values to work hard and always have a goal, to look for a better way of doing things, and to constantly improve on them.  
The daily implementation of these principles, coupled with his enjoyment of networking with new people and his experience in business, sales, and marketing, have contributed to Walt's success as a Realtor.
Walt has served on various boards and committees throughout the years. He has coached and actively supports local youth athletic programs and leagues. 
He and his wife Jill, also a fourth generation Floridian, reside in Punta Gorda. They have two children, a daughter Peyton and a son Truman.
Walt Bethel | RE/MAX Harbor Realty| 863.990.1748 | wbethel@waltbethel.com| www.waltbethel.com