Published: Friday, May. 30, 2008

Updated: Friday, May. 30, 2008

I-75 Key in birth of Lakewood Ranch

Lakewood Ranch - Even though in the first home was built in 1995. Lakewood Ranch was actually conceived in the late 1970s.

“The first document filed was in 1978 and it was typed on a type writer,” said Sondra Guffey, and SMR spokeswoman.

The idea for a master planned community on the 30,000-acre Schroeder-Manatee Ranch located just east of Interstate -75 in both Manatee and Sarasota counties, was created BY Mary Fran Carroll, who was chief executive officer of SMR at the time, Guffey said.

“As is any good CEO, She was responsible to the shareholders of the company,” Guffey said. “She knew she had to find the best use of the land. Considering Interstate-75 came in the 1970s, building homes seemed like a good idea.”

What Carroall ignited has now become seven residential villages – Summerfield, Riverwalk, Edgewater, Country Club, Greenbrook, Country Club East and The Lake Club.

John Clarke followed Carroll in the 1990s and retired in 2005 when Rex Jensen, the present day president and CEO, took over.

Lakewood Ranch has grown to 6,000 homes and more than 15,000 residents and more communities are planned.

Although Lakewood Ranch has rapidly gained notoriety, it’s actually a chip off the bigger and perhaps more successful old block – Schroeder-Manatee Ranch.

Lakewood Ranch encompasses 8,500-acres of the 30,000-acre SMR spread.

The big ranch has been producing income for its various owners for more than 100 years.

During the time there have been timber, sod, vegetable and citrus farming, aggregate mining and major cattle operations.

In 1922, the Uihlen family (pronounced e-line) founders of the Schlitz Brewery bought the ranch from John Schroeder, a furniture manufacturer who got the land early in the 20th century.

Under the Schroeders, the scope of the ranch’s activities were enlarged and diversified.

Now, the ranch has roughly 2,000 head of cattle run by six modern cowboys.

Today there are also about 1,500 acres of citrus groves, 3.500 acres of vegetable, tree and turf farming and a mining operation for shell.