History

At the turn of the last century an iconic woman discovered an unspoiled slice of paradise on the shores of Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey. The woman was Mrs. Bertha Honoré Palmer, a celebrated Chicago socialite, businesswoman, philanthropist, and wife of Potter Palmer, who opened Chicago’s famed Palmer House.

The land had no name. But Mrs. Palmer was enthralled by its picturesque splendor and tranquil ambiance. She purchased the thousand-acre parcel and made it her winter home, bestowing on her estate the name we know it as today: The Oaks.

In the years that followed, Mrs. Palmer created a gracious home with lavishly cultivated gardens, walkways, and ponds. Sarasota quickly became a winter retreat for businesses leaders, politicians, artists, writers, and trendsetters. The world came to her door at The Oaks and she entertained it. Today, Bertha Palmer’s legacy of culture, love of nature, and the finer things in life continues—at The Oaks Club.