DYK❓ Curry Creek was named for the Charles Curry family. Curry settled along the creek after marrying Frances, the daughter of Venice-Nokomis pioneers Jesse and Caroline Knight, in 1874. The natural, sinuous channel of Curry Creek was later modified. Additional channelization occurred north and west to Roberts Bay after 1944, and a route to the Myakka River is identified in historical records as the “Blackburn Canal,” but the original creek name was retained for the area. Work on the canal was originally done to prepare the land for agriculture in 1926, but the creek now serves as a major drainageway for thousands of residents in central Venice. The Curry Creek Preserve was established in 2002 on land purchased by Sarasota County. The preserve is an 80-acre area with trails and habitats that include mangrove forests, longleaf pine flatwoods, and tidal marshes. The land provides crucial habitat for native wildlife like a variety of wading birds, eastern grey squirrels, and gopher tort...