Otto Schmidt Zoldan, a pioneer, settled on the southern tip of this key and in 1904 applied for a homestead. His claim, granted in 1910, included much of the land that became South Lido Park. Once known as Sarasota Key, the island was renamed Lido Key as part of the 1920s Ringling Isles development, which created modern Lido Key from several small islands enhanced by millions of cubic yards of fill. Neither Ringling nor subsequent owners commercialized this fragile point. In 1974, after a referendum, Sarasota County acquired the property and established this park. South Lido Park consists of 100 acres containing a variety of coastal habitats influenced by the Gulf of Mexico, Big Sarasota Pass, Sarasota Bay, and Brushy Bayou. Its goals are to maintain an environmentally sensitive area and open space serving the passive recreation needs of county residents and visitors, including bathing, picnicking, hiking, bird watching, and canoeing near Brushy Bayou's diverse estuarine environment.