The land that is now known as St. Armands Circle was purchased in 1893 by a Frenchman named Charles St. Amand. He purchased the land as his homestead, and for years used it for fishing and raising livestock. Amand's name was misspelled on a land deed, which is why the area is known today as St. Armands Key, instead of St. Amands Key. John Ringling purchased the property in 1917, with the hopes of building both residential lots and a circle shaped shopping area. Construction on both the John Ringling Causeway, created to join the island to the mainland, and the circle itself was completed and opened to the public in 1926. By 1928, Ringling was unable to afford maintenance to the Causeway, so he gave it to the city of Sarasota. For almost 20 years, St. Armands lay dormant, no wanted to purchase land or even visit the once popular location. Fortunately, some brave investors opened up a few restaurants and a service station on the key. By the early 1950's, St. Armands Circle had come back to life. Though it took a few years, St. Armands has become almost everything that Ringling had envisioned, and is enjoyed daily by both Sarasota residents and visitors from around the world.