Laning’s Legacy Preserves a Piece of Venice History

There is something special about preserving a town’s unique charm and history for generations to come, and there is a woman who dedicated much of her life to doing just that. Julia Cousins Laning is an iconic, Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) legacy donor whose philanthropic endeavors are woven throughout the city of Venice. Laning moved to Venice in 1926 to the Triangle Inn, which is now the Venice Museum & Archives. Her parents helped hold the city together during the grave times of the Great Depression. She was a generous, kind, and humble woman with a beautiful philanthropic spirit. Through Laning’s endowments, the city of Venice and its history will forever be supported, including the preservation and display of the city’s first fire truck, Old Betsy.  

“Julia Cousins Laning was an incredible woman who made purposeful actions during her lifetime to ensure that Venice’s history would be kept alive forever,” said Gulf Coast’s Senior Vice President for Community Leadership Jon Thaxton. “It is people like Julia who make a transformational impact on our region by preserving our precious history for generations to enjoy free of charge.” 

Laning lived to be 100 years old and was deeply involved with the Venice Heritage, giving her time, talent, and treasure generously during her lifetime. She established multiple endowed funds at Gulf Coast to ensure the causes and organizations she so deeply cared about would continue to thrive for generations. The Cousins Laning Venice Community Fund was established to “protect, preserve, beautify, and increase the awareness of Venice; as well as to educate people, particularly youth, on the uniqueness of our community, its heritage, and arts and cultural assets”. The Cousins Laning Historical Fund will support the Triangle Inn and other historical organizations in Osprey, Laurel, Nokomis, Venice, and Englewood.  

Venice’s First Fire Truck, Forever 

In the fall of 2024, the first grant was made from Laning’s funds to Venice Heritage, Inc. for a new building to house, display, and preserve the city of Venice’s first fire truck, Old Betsy, a 1926 American LaFrance pumper. The 1926 LaFrance Fire Engine is older than the city of Venice and fought fires across our region for nearly four decades. The significance of preserving Old Betsy has been important to the Venice community and Laning for decades. Old Betsy was brought to Venice by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers on November 4, 1926. She was the town’s first fire truck and the only fire truck in town until 1949.  

The Old Betsy Museum will give an opportunity for the public to learn more about this important artifact and its story. The design of the new building will include a large ADA accessible window to view the 1926 fire truck 24 hours a day, exhibits about the history of Venice’s Fire Department including the historic first responders, and a covered seating area in front of the window for viewing. This will allow people of all demographics to learn about Old Betsy and become better informed citizens about Venice’s history. Mrs. Laning’s gift ignited a powerful collaboration of public-private partners dedicated to preserving this valuable piece of history which locals and visitors alike will be able to treasure for generations to come. Laning’s fund gives Gulf Coast the ability to seed projects like this while also honoring her passions for preserving local history, forever.  

The Power of Perpetuity 

Because of Laning’s endowed funds at Gulf Coast, a part of history is now being preserved for future generations. Old Betsy extinguished fires in the early years of the city of Venice, and her noble work will never be forgotten thanks to the generosity and care of Laning.  

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