Skip to main content

Tag: Cortez Cultural Center

Cortez remembers those who served during Veterans Day tribute

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Cortez.

CORTEZ – Cortezians have a long history of serving in the military and that service was recognized during a Veterans Day commemoration on Nov. 10 at the Cortez Cultural Center.
Members of the Cortez Village Historical Society (CVHS) and friends met at the center for an informal coffee gathering and Veterans Day tribute.
“Today is really special. We’re here to acknowledge and honor our veterans and their service to the defense of our nation,” CVHS Vice President Paul Dryfoos said. “Cortez has a very strong tradition of national service, and many Cortez families have sent family members off to World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Middle East; generation after generation of service.”
Dryfoos noted that CVHS is an historic organization.
“I wanted to point out our veterans wall, which has an honor roll for the first and second World Wars,” he said. “There is some really great memorabilia, including one of the uniforms which I understand belonged to a member of the Adams family.”
He then told the story of the Adams family, six brothers from Cortez who served during World War II, and were recognized in 1988 by the late Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles, who added a tribute to the brothers in the Congressional Record.
Dryfoos read some of Chiles’ narrative during the tribute: “Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute today to the Adams family of Cortez, Florida. The reason I am calling attention to this one native Florida family is because all six of the brothers, William, Leon, Willis, Cleveland, Henry and Clyde, served overseas in the U.S. armed services at the same time during World War II.”
“Think about it,” Dryfoos said. “Six brothers serving very much on the front lines at the same time.”
Dryfoos told the stories of two of the brothers.
“Willis Howard Adams, who’s known as Snooks, he was the third son, he was the first one to enlist,” he said. “He enlisted in the Navy in 1941 and had a total of seven battle stars awarded on the various ships on which he served. After the war, Snooks returned to Cortez and went back into the family fishing business. Ultimately he went into a career in law enforcement, and was with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Department and was chief of police of Holmes Beach.”
“His brother Clyde, the youngest brother, joined the Army Air Force in 1942 and he flew 15 combat missions, but he was shot down on his 15th mission,” Dryfoos said. “He spent a year in a German POW camp and then he came back to Cortez. He re-enlisted and flew 15 more missions in the Korean War. This is the kind of grit and determination that we all know sons and daughters of Cortez have had through history.”

Longtime Cortez resident Carol Kio-Green reflected on the service of Cortez residents during World War II.
“There were at least 67 members of Cortez who served,” she said. “In a community with a population of around 500, that’s over 10% of the population left to go into service. That was a substantial loss of the people who were fishing.
“My mother used to say she had 20 first cousins in the service and she never bothered to sit and count the second cousins and cousins once removed; it was a huge number for such a small community,” Kio-Green said.
Ardeth Black spoke about her husband, Greg, a Vietnam veteran.
“He was shot in the leg in a swamp mission. He is surviving under the effects of Agent Orange and is doing his best,” she said. “In honor of Greg, I’m going to make a donation to the Cultural Center. I would encourage others to do the same. It’s for Greg and the Vietnam vets.”
“My dad was lieutenant commander in the Navy on the USS Enterprise, and he got shot down overseas,” Sharon Otis said. “When you see the movies, that’s him. We knew the stories were going to die with him, because you know they won’t talk about it. My son got a lot of information before he died in ‘94.”
Allen Garner grew up in Cortez and knew the men who had served in World War II, including his father.
“It was basically every young man in Cortez,” Garner said. “The one thing I know about all those guys was they’d always share the funny stories and the interesting things that happened. None of them liked to talk about the dark side of the war.”
Joe Egolf, a veteran, said, “The appropriate response when someone says, ‘Thank you for your service’ is, ‘You were worth it.’ ”

It takes a (fishing) village

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Cortez, Featured.

CORTEZ – Many individuals and groups have stepped up to help Cortez residents who lost so much in last week’s hurricane.

The Cortez Church of Christ is a distribution center for residents of donated food and supplies.

“Right now, the one thing people here need is air mattresses. People are still sleeping on their wet couches,” Jenee Hall said.

Volunteers arrange donated clothing at the Cortez Church of Christ. – Leslie Lake | Sun

Volunteers will be distributing items and food at the church for as long as is needed.

Church members set up another distribution center at Sunny Shores on Wednesday and volunteers handed out paper goods, food, and cleaning and personal supplies.

“We do need air mattresses and bedding,” Kevin Hall said. “Another thing people could really use is charcoal grills.”

He said volunteers will be there for four to five days.

Bob Hooper, who has volunteered more than 1,000 hours in the past year doing repair and maintenance work for the Cortez Cultural Center and the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH), saw the flooding undo months of his work in refurbishing the old firehouse.

“We got about 4 feet of water in here,” Hooper said. “I’m going to have to clean this up, and probably repaint the walls. The cabinets and doors got wet and the refrigerator was tipped over and ruined.”

Hooper, who stores many of his own tools in a small outbuilding next to the Cortez Village Historical Society (CVHS)’s Cortez Cultural Center, lost those tools when the building caught fire Thursday night.

“There was a rechargeable battery in there and when the salt water hit it, the whole building went up,” he said. “The fire burned down to the water line.”

He said it was fortunate that the winds didn’t carry the flames to the Cultural Center, which contains many historical artifacts, records and photos of the fishing village.

Cortez Church of Christ volunteers distribute needed items at Sunny Shores. – Leslie Lake | Sun

CVHS President Cindy Rodgers sent The Sun a list of Hooper’s tools that she hopes people would be kind enough to help replace. They include a 6-foot ladder, extension cords, mitre saws, pipe wrenches, extended chain saw, jigsaw, skill saw, battery powered drills, impart driver drill and assorted socket sets, hammers and pliers.

On Thursday, a group of volunteers from the community and the Salvation Army helped clean up the burnt debris.

Rodgers also said many old books and historical records that had been stored in Fisherman’s Hall were ruined by the flood waters.

Burnt debris from an outbuilding at the Cortez Cultural Center is loaded into a dumpster. – Leslie Lake | Sun

Star Fish Co. posted the following on its Facebook page: “We also are going to try to be a hub to get volunteers where they can be the most helpful. Cortez and Sunny Shores residents need help removing large items from their homes (furniture and appliances specifically) and they need help cleaning up the mud and silt that seems to be everywhere.”

Potential volunteers can call Star at 941-794-1243 or A.P. Bell Fish Co. at 941-794-1249.

“We are creating a list of who here needs what type of help. We’ll then connect volunteers to those residents. So grab your rubber boots and come help us pick up the pieces,” the Facebook post stated.

Despite having flooding in her home, Gail, a longtime resident, said she would never move away from Cortez.

“You will never find another community where people help each other like this,” she said.

Diorama depicts mullet netting methods

Diorama depicts mullet netting methods

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Fishing, Outdoors.

CORTEZ – A refurbished diorama depicting now-defunct mullet netting techniques used by early Cortez fishermen was unveiled at the Cortez Cultural Center’s environmental learning event on April 20.

“Cortez is all about fishing. It is mission critical for Cortez,” Cortez Village Historical Society (CVHS) President Cindy Rodgers said as the diorama was introduced.

Gill net fishing, seine fishing and stop fishing have all been outlawed in Florida, but for many years those were the standard techniques for catching mullet and all are represented in the diorama.

The diorama was built by John McDonald and Dr. Bill Baum and had been displayed at the Florida Maritime Museum before it was gifted to CVHS, where it sat covered on the center’s back porch. Over the years, the miniature boats had cracked and the diorama was in need of overall repair.

Its refurbishment was made possible by a monetary award in January from the Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce.

“It did sit here for a while and we thought we have to do something with it, and we weren’t able to do it,” Rodgers said. “So with that award, I contacted the Anna Maria Artists’ Guild and Judy Vazquez happened to answer the phone and the next day Judy and Luann Widergren were here and said they wanted to do it.”

Rodgers said the artists lovingly worked on the project day and night.

“Judy is a mosaic artist, so she had this idea to jazz it up. She had this idea for broken glass, and added paint and sparkle,” Widergren said. “It needed some sprucing up and I tried to restore the boats and added some vintage colors. For the fish camp, this is architecturally what you would have seen.”

Susynne McElrone, a volunteer at CVHS, and a former commercial fisher in Alaska, discussed the three mullet fishing methods represented on the diorama.

“I would invite everyone to come up close and see the details here and see what strikes you, the shore, the nets, the fishermen, the stories behind this and the love that went into it,” she said.

The Cortez Cultural Center is located at 1655 Cortez Road W. and is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mary Green: The villager who could, and did

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Community News, Cortez, Featured.

CORTEZ – Residents of the last commercial fishing village in Florida will miss the “matriarch of Cortez,” Dr. Mary Frances Fulford Green, but those who knew her – and many who did not – will benefit from her remarkable legacy well into the future.

A commanding personality, Green died on June 9 in Tallahassee surrounded by her family.

God, family and fishing were her touchstones. She could recite whole sections of the Bible, the genealogies, marriages and deaths of the village’s founding families, and who fished with whom on what boats until her death at age 96.

Mary Fulford Green – Cindy Lane | Sun

“Mary definitely was a force to reckon with,” said Karen Bell of A.P. Bell Fish Co. “She was never one to take ‘no’ for an answer. I like to think she symbolized the people of this village – strong, tough, spirited and, at times, somewhat impossible! When she didn’t like the way I was doing something, she had no problem letting me know about it. I believe she was so proud of her family’s history and she wanted to share that story with anyone who would listen. And I mean anyone. I will miss her.”

Born in Cortez in 1925, Green was the granddaughter of 1887 Cortez settlers William Thomas Fulford and Sallie Adams of Carteret County, North Carolina. She was born in the house next door to the one she lived in when she died, the Walton “Tink” and Edith Wilson Fulford house, which the family moved into when she turned 1 year old.

The valedictorian of her Bradenton High School (later Manatee High School) Class of 1942, Green was selected as Manatee High School’s Outstanding Alumna in 2020.

She earned B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Florida State College for Women, now Florida State University, in Tallahassee in science, chemistry and education. She taught high school science classes, was a guidance counselor in Florida’s public schools and helped to create the career counseling program at State College of Florida in Bradenton.

The proud redhead raised two sons and two daughters with her husband, who retired from the U.S. Air Force.

She was a licensed mental health counselor and served as president of Manatee County’s Mental Health Association for seven years, volunteering with the Manatee County Drug Court and several Florida prisons to mentor those incarcerated.

Of her many accomplishments, perhaps most important to her was her personal Christian ministry, holding Bible studies at the Manatee County jail, her daughter Carol Kio-Green said, adding that she also formed a group called WINGS to help women leaving prison gain employment.

A champion of women, she was one of the founders of HOPE Family Services in 1979 to assist victims of domestic violence.

Historian par excellence

All her life, Green vociferously expressed her love for and the importance of local history.

A natural step for a woman with an encyclopedic memory, she was instrumental in establishing the Cortez Village Historical Society in 1984.

“Mary’s life was Cortez, and she gave back over many years,” said Kaye Bell, of CVHS. “Mary fiercely defended this little village. She persevered against developers, big industry and anything that would change the footprint of the village and its way of making a living. She was also instrumental in obtaining nearly 100 acres of waterfront land to become a forever preserve for the public. We will miss her energy and are grateful for her many accomplishments.”

Green was one of the founding members of the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH), which, over more than three decades, has gradually purchased 95 acres on Sarasota Bay called the FISH Preserve to protect and enhance the habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife.

She led the charge to have the fishing village of Cortez listed as a federal historic district. Green wrote the application and lobbied successfully to have Cortez put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.  For that, she was honored by the Manatee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2020 with the DAR National Historic Preservation Recognition Award. Most of the 97 historic structures in the Cortez historic district were at one time homes of fishing families she grew up with. If not for Green’s efforts, many Cortez village buildings would likely have been lost.

Mary Fulford Green displaying a Cortez Village Historical Society T-shirt. – Cindy Lane | Sun

“She was so proud to have gotten Cortez on the National and State Registry of Historic places,” FISH board member Jane von Hahmann said. “She was such a wealth of knowledge. I don’t think there was anything about the village, the FISH Preserve or the families that settled here in the late 1800s that she didn’t know. If you had a question about the past, she was definitely the go-to person. But she worried about the future as well, as it was tied to the past. Our history was beyond important to her. The pride she exuded of being a native-born Cortezian was contagious! But she did worry about who was going to keep the story of this village alive as the older past generations left this earth.”

To that end, Green became a driving force behind the creation of the Florida Maritime Museum, formerly the Cortez Rural Graded School, dedicated to preserving the state’s seafaring culture. When Manatee County took over the museum, she led the Cortez Village Historical Society to obtain the historic Monroe cottage and have it moved from Bradenton Beach to Cortez and renovated as the Cortez Village Historical Society’s Cortez Cultural Center. There, she worked to create a Cortez Family Life Museum to preserve the fishing history and heritage of Cortez, with a special exhibit on veterans. She dressed in vintage clothing as her grandmother to tell stories of old Cortez to groups visiting the center. Her storytelling was captured on video in “Gone Fishing For Old Florida: Voices of Cortez,” which aired on the WEDU series, “Diamonds Along the Highway” in 2019.

“The veterans and fishermen of Cortez were two of her biggest loves, with her goal yet to be realized of providing for a Cortez Veterans Memorial Center,” von Hahmann said. “With her gone now we shall see whether that dream can come to fruition.”

In another building move, Green pioneered the preservation and relocation of the 1890s-era Burton/Bratton store from the west end of Cortez village to the east end at the Florida Maritime Museum. The store now serves as a music stage at the annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, where she volunteered.

The history devotee authored “Cortez – Then and Now” with Linda Molto in 1997. The two also produced the “Walking Tour Map of the Cortez Fishing Village.” Green also was a cookbook author, locally famous for her strawberry shortcake.

A project she did not have time to realize was writing the book, “The Little Fishing Village That Could – and Did.” It was to detail the many challenges that development posed to the village’s historic district, which she actively opposed.

With her razor-sharp mind and matching speaking manner, Green protested planned marinas and condos and a plan to demolish the Cortez Trailer Park and other proposed encroachments into the village. She opposed the planned closure of the Cortez post office in 2021, voicing the concerns of senior residents like herself with limited mobility who would have to arrange travel to the Palma Sola branch 4 miles away. She also opposed efforts to replace the Cortez Bridge with a larger one. The marina and condo plan were scrapped. The Cortez Trailer Park remains intact. The post office remains open. And neighbors residents have taken up the charge against a new, larger Cortez Bridge.

The Manatee County Commission gave the Cortez native her own day; April 14, 2012 was named Dr. Mary Fulford Green Day. But Green’s impact on Cortez will last lifetimes.

“She was amazing,” von Hahmann said. “Some might say a pain once in a while because of her passion, but boy, what an incredible life she lived, and what a loss I for one feel at her passing. I will miss her but I know how faithful she was and that she is now in her new Heavenly home! She closed every conversation we ever had with “God Bless” and He did that for me just in my knowing her. I will miss her!”

Christmas comes to Cortez

Christmas comes to Cortez

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Community News, Cortez.

CORTEZ – There was plenty of holiday cheer, and even the near 80-degree weather couldn’t stop kids from sledding down a snowy hill that magically appeared in the parking lot of the Florida Maritime Museum.

Who says you can’t enjoy some snow in Florida? Jason Schaffer | Sun

Saturday, Dec. 4 was the first-ever Christmas in Cortez event hosted by the Florida Maritime Museum and The Cortez Cultural Center.

“We get tourists from the Island and all these other people, but we wanted to do something a little more for the locals. I’m hoping all these kids and families will remember this fun event, come for many years and care about our heritage for the future,” said Tori Chasey, supervisor of the museum.

Christmas comes to Cortez
There were plenty of games and prizes including this ball game that was especially popular with the kids. Jason Schaffer | Sun

The Manatee County Clerk’s Historical Resources Department and The Friends of the Florida Maritime Museum are the driving forces behind this event, according to Chasey, who also thanked the many partners who came to participate. Partners included: Manatee County Public Library, Manatee County Water Conservation, Manatee County Parks and Recreation, Early Learning Coalition and even the Coast Guard who talked to children about water and boating safety.

Christmas comes to Cortez
Members of The Coast Guard talk to children about water and boating safety. Jason Schaffer | Sun

For the children, it was all about the fun and games. From candy cane tattoos to carnival games, there was plenty to do, including a two-lane snow slide thanks to Santa, who was generous enough to fly down some fresh snow from the north pole, since it can be a little tough to come by in Cortez. Not only did Santa help with the snow, he happily spent one-on-one time with all the children who excitedly waited to tell him what they want for Christmas.

Cortez Arts and Crafts fair offers something for everyone

Cortez Arts and Crafts fair offers something for everyone

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

CORTEZ – Whether you love crafts, food or are just looking for Halloween ideas, the upcoming Cortez Cultural Center Arts and Crafts Fair is sure to please.

Visitors will enjoy a wide variety of local arts and crafts, great food, jewelry, Halloween costume help and much more. The event will take place Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cortez Cultural Center, 11655 Cortez Road W.

Cortez artists including Linda Molto will be on hand, as well as a special booth dedicated to Halloween. Whether you want to be a pirate, mermaid or even a talking seashell, you’ll be able to get there with help from Costume Creations Halloween. There will also be custom jewelry, beautiful plants and plenty of amazing art that can be purchased on site.

If you don’t have any idea what to cook for the holidays, The Cortez Cookbook is a gem, with recipes by local celebrities. The Cortez Cultural Center has a plethora of history books about Cortez, including Marijuana Millions, Growing Up in a Fishing Village, Cortez Village Then and Now, all providing interesting information about this historic village.

Get there early to get the best selection. Vendor space is almost filled up. Email cvhs2016@aol.com to see if there’s still space.

Cortez Cultural Center to host Veteran's Day salute

Cortez Cultural Center to host music, arts events

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, Family fun, Museums, Music.

CORTEZ – The Cortez Cultural Center, 11655 Cortez Road W., invites everyone to enjoy its fall events, including Music on the Porch, an Arts and Crafts sale and a Veteran’s Day Weekend Salute.

Open to the public every Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the center hosts Music on the Porch with local musicians who welcome others to jam with them at the tiki hut located between the center and the Florida Maritime Museum next to the Bonefish Bridge on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.

An Arts and Crafts Sale is set for Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring local artists and their paintings, prints, colorful crafts, hand-crafted jewelry, baked goods, books and more.

A Veteran’s Day Weekend Salute in November will feature a tribute to Cortez veteran Albert Few Jr., who passed away this summer at the age of 100. The commercial fishing village of Cortez is home to veterans who have served in all branches of the U.S. military, and the organization showcases the impacts of those who went to war as well as those who went to sea to fish; many did both.

The center has an extensive collection of historical records related to the rich history of Cortez and its residents, including artifacts, books, documents, records and other items related to the families and individuals who have shaped Cortez, past and present. 

Visitors are welcome to stroll through the FISH Preserve next to the center, formerly a 1940s Bradenton Beach cottage that has been relocated and repurposed into an exhibit space. Admission is free.

Cortez Cultural Center to honor veterans

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Community News, Cortez.

CORTEZ – A program honoring Cortez veterans and their families will be held Saturday, May 29, from 9-10 a.m. at the Cortez Cultural Center, 11655 Cortez Road, followed by the opening of exhibits from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The morning program will feature Cortez cousins Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown and his predecessor, former Bradenton Mayor Bill Evers, with a remembrance by native son Darrell Taylor of his father Dan Taylor, who served in the U.S. Navy.

Cortez Cultural Center – Cindy Lane | Sun

The final tribute after the names are read will be Taps, performed on trumpet by Del Couch, who served as a U.S. Air Force bugler from 1968-72.

Tours of the center will include a new exhibit about Dan Taylor and his family. Ongoing exhibits of other veterans highlight the patriotism and role of the men and women from Cortez, who number 78 in World Wars I and II, with three fatalities. Most served in the U.S. Navy (39), followed by the U.S. Army (16), U.S. Air Force/Corps (2), U.S. Merchant Marine (2), U.S. Coast Guard (1) and U.S. Marine Corps (1). Four women served, two in the WACS and two in the WAVES.

A new feature at the Center is a diorama displaying the different stages of net fishing, made by author John McDonald.

There is no charge for the program or entrance to the exhibits, but donations are accepted and volunteers are welcome.

Limited parking is on site, accessible traveling east on Cortez Road; additional parking is in the Florida Maritime Museum lot at 4415 119th St. W. with a short walk over the Bonefish Bridge.

Cortez Memorial Day

Memorial Day at Cortez Cultural Center

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Community News, Cortez, Featured.

The Cortez Cultural Center held an old-fashioned hot dog picnic on Memorial Day, with two veterans (top row from left), Bob Landry, who served in Vietnam, as grillmaster, and J.B. Crawford, who served in Korea.

Housed in the historic Monroe cottage, relocated in 2011 from Bradenton Beach to Cortez, the center features exhibits on Cortez veterans, musicians from the fishing village, family genealogies, captains and their boats, movies and books about Cortez, and more.

The center, 11655 Cortez Road W., is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Parking is available at the center, the Florida Maritime Museum and the FISH Preserve. For more information, visit Facebook at Cortez Village Cultural Center, or call 941-705-4656.

Veterans Day in Cortez

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Community News, Cortez.

The Cortez Cultural Center celebrated Veterans Day on Saturday with a flag-raising ceremony, a prayer for all veterans, living and dead, and an all-American picnic with hot dogs and hamburgers. Invitations were heeded for local motorists to blow their horns on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. in honor of veterans; World War I ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.