It is astounding that in a little
over 100 years, Naples has changed from a relatively
unknown area into the well-planned and thriving city
that we know today. This "Bit of History", provides
a glimpse of Naples' past. When Florida gained its statehood
in 1821, most people thought of Southwest Florida
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as an area of wilderness and swampland.
It was Walter N. Halderman, owner-publisher of the Louisville
Courier Journal and General John S. Williams, a prominent
Kentucky politician, who "discovered" Naples in 1885
and promoted the area as a refuge for Northerners who
would like to escape the bitter cold winters. It is
believed that the first sunset reminded the two gentlemen
of similar sunsets in Naples, Italy, thence the name
Naples came into being. We are all familiar with the
beauty and harmony of present day Naples, but the city
and the state of Florida had very humble and simple
beginnings. It's earliest inhabitants were small bands
of aboriginal Indians who moved into the peninsula.
Their main diet was shell food found along the shallow
water, a fact made clear by the enormous shell mounds
that are still visible today. These mounds of shells,
which are now protected, were used by the early settlers
as road building material and also for the cement that
was in the early buildings referred to as "tabby".
In 1513, Ponce de Leon recorded that
he sighted sand hills and then returned in 1517 to claim
the area for Spain. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris gave
Florida to the English. Even though most of the Spaniards
left for Cuba, the remaining few intermarried with the
Indians and fought during the First Seminole War (1810).
Their defeat culminated in the United States' acquisition
of Florida in 1821. It is generally believed that approximately
200 Indians, descendants of those families, are currently
living in the Everglades area and living and working
in Collier County.
For the next 25 years, a few traders
and squatters were living in and around Naples. Records
show that there were ten families living near Everglades
City and that there were two business houses in the
area. The first construction in Naples, in 1889, was
the building of a 16-room hotel and the 600-foot-long
Naples Municipal Pier. The Pier enabled large boats
to dock at the end, and to become a popular place for
fishing and watching the sunsets. Halderman's family
continued with the development of Naples until 1914,
when E.W. Crayton purchased the business. Under his
leadership of 25 years, he turned Naples into the beautiful
and well planned city as it is today. The Naples Hotel
was expanded and became the center of the social life
of the winter guests. Around 1922, after a single lane
shell road was built between Ft. Myers and Naples, the
city slowly began to grow. A 10-passenger bus traveled
the 45 miles in around 5 hours, allowing time for repairing
flat tires and digging the vehicle out of the sand.
A small golf course was built and was replaced in 1932
by the Naples Golf and Beach Club which still stands
today.
Without roads to the larger cities to
the north and east, Naples was destined to remain a
small town. It was the vision of Barron Gift Collier,
a successful advertising magnate, that would ultimately
change the future of Naples. Collier visited southwest
Florida in 1911 and purchased Useppa Island on his first
visit. For the next ten years, Collier envisioned a
land of great opportunity and laid out a plan for the
part he would play in its development and potential
growth. In 1921, he started to fulfill his plan and
for the next two years continued to purchase land. Collier
eventually owned over a million acres in southwest Florida.
When the Florida Legislature convened in 1923, Collier
presented his plan for the new county. He promised to
provide better drainage and transportation, promote
the area for new settlers, and most importantly, to
finish the uncompleted Tamiami Trail. The Trail, which
started in Tampa and continued south to Fort Myers had
no possibility of linking to the 43-mile trail in Dade
County without major funding. It was Barron Collier
who provided the capital to complete this necessary
link to the East Coast.
The impact of World War II had a major
influence on the future of Naples. With the need of
training centers for pilots, Collier County and Naples
joined forces to provide the necessary property for
an airport. The service men that were stationed at the
air field experienced the relaxed life style and beautiful
weather in Naples and many returned after the war to
make Naples their new home. During the next decade,
new streets, homes, beach restoration and a mosquito
control program were established. There were many families
who contributed time and money to provide recreational
areas such as Cambier Park, Caribbean Gardens, Delnor
State Park, Lowdermilk Park and Fleischman Park. The
citizens by subscription, opened a full equipped and
accredited hospital. The elegant Third Street South
shopping area was built. The Conservancy was formed
to preserve Briggs Nature Center and The Rookery Bay
area. The building activities of this era attracted
new business such as banks, restaurants, real estate
and retail businesses. In 1970, the population in Naples
was 13,000 and specialty shops closed from May 15 to
October 15 with the proprietors leaving the area. The
population doubled during the winter months providing
an active social life in the few established private
country clubs and private homes with cocktail parties,
dinner parties and fund raising benefits.
During this growth period, the Earl Frye
family moved to Naples. Frye soon joined his friend
Wes Downing and formed a real estate business. David
E. Frye, his son, continues in the family tradition
as president of Downing-Frye Realty, Inc. Downing-Frye
Realty has experienced phenomenal growth and is now
the largest real estate office in Florida.
As Naples continues to grow, new developments
and golf courses abound. Third Street and Fifth Avenue
are flourishing as well as recently developed shopping
centers in North and East Naples. Stores that once closed
during the summer are now open year around. New schools
are being built to keep up with the demand of young
families.
With all the growth and changes happening
in Naples, it is gratifying to know that the image that
attracted the first settlers still stands true today.
Naples continues to be a beautiful, relaxing place to
live with beauty and harmony abounding for all of us
to enjoy.
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