You can search content on our web site a couple of different ways.  Our Table of Contents page has our chapters listed, in case you want to search a specific subject.  Our Index page is laid out as a Site Map for a quick link to a specific page of interest.  If you would like to just scroll through the site, you will find at the bottom of each page there is a link to take you to next page, or the next chapter.

You are going to see many pages that are still under construction. Those pages were added with the hopes that someone will see our lack of knowledge and contact us with pertinent information.  Please be patient with our progress as preserving history takes time.

Please understand our intent is to preserve historical information of our area without commercial or personal gain, but to encourage pride in the ancestry of our area.  If any of your intellectual property is posted here that you deem should not, please let us know.  All information here is thought reliable but is not guaranteed.  Thank you.

Map of Pine Island
Aerial View of Pine Island
Geology of Pine Island Sound
Indians of Pine Island
Calusa Indians
Pineland Shell Mounds
Cross Island Canal Dug by the Calusa
Ponce de Leon Discovers the Calusa
Ponce de Leon Brings First Cattle & Horses To The New World
Calusa Interaction with Missionaries
Map of Selected Archaeological Sites in Southwest Florida
Chronology of Spanish Contact with the Calusa
St. James City Calusa Shell Mounds
Early Inhabitants of Pine Island
Cuban Fishermen
A Petition From Some Latin-American Fishermen; 1853
The Spanish Fisheries of Charlotte Harbor
The Pirates and Ship Wrecks of Charlotte Harbor
José Gaspar
Brewster Baker
First Modern Day Settlers
Captain John Smith
The Padilla Family
Tervio and Juanita Padilla
The Martin Family
The Hord Family
The Knight Family
Mail Delivery
The Mail Boats
Plant System
The Steamboat “St. Lucie”
The “Alice Howard”
The “Clara”
Menge Brothers Steamboat Line
The Steamboat “Thomas A. Edison”
The Steamboat “Uneeda”
The Steamboat “Suwanee”
The Steamboat “Grey Eagle”
The Steamboat “Anah C”
The Steamboat “Corona”
Kinzie Brothers Steamer Line
The Steamboat “Gladys”
The Steamboat “Dixie”
Kinzie Brothers Steamer Line Schedule and Brochures
Kinzie Brothers Steamer Line Ferry Pass
The Kinzie Brothers End Ferry Service
The Passenger Ferry “Echo”
St. James City’s First Post Office
St. James City’s Second Post Office
Pineland’s First Post Office
Bokeelia’s First Post Office
Matlacha’s First Post Office
Living Here-The Early Years
Housing
Farming
Fishing
Travel
Attending School
Attending Church
Social Activities
The Baseball Teams
Drinking Water
The Worst Thing About Living on Pine Island in The Early Days
How the Calusa May Have Dealt With Mosquitoes
Pine Island Communities
St James City
Aerial Image of St. James City
St James-on-the-Gulf Era
San Carlos Hotel
Pictures of Those Early Visitors to the San Carlos Hotel
Whiteside’s General Store
The Annex
St. James-of-the-Gulf Tarpon Tale
Picture of a Road Making Machine
The Koreshans Acquired St. James City Property from Irving R. Todd
The Koreshans Briefly Own the San Carlos Hotel
Sisal Hemp and Development Company Era
New San Carlos Hotel
Sisal Hemp and Development Factory Pictures
St. James City Waterfront Picture-Sisal Hemp and Development Era
Post Sisal Hemp Hemp and Development Company
So What is Sisal Hemp
Sisal Hemp Company Sells Property to Lee County for School Building
Map of Modern St. James City
St. James City Early Time Line
Pineland
Aerial Image of Pineland
1910 Pineland Census
Picture of the Pier At Batty’s Landing (Pineland)
Adam’s Home on a Shell Mound in Pineland
Bokeelia
Aerial Image of Bokeelia
Minta Martin’s Boarding House
Matlacha
Aerial Image of Matlacha
Pine Island Center
Aerial Image of Pine Island Center
Flamingo Bay
Master’s Grove
Surrounding Islands
Useppa Island
Details Emerge on “Spanish Indians” of Useppa Island
Useppa Island-Pictures from the Past
Useppa Inn-Pictures from the Past
Cayo Costa (La Costa Island)
Aerial Image of Cayo Costa
1930 Cayo Costa Census
Aerial Image of Punta Blanca
Punta Blanca
1935 Census for Punta Blanca, Mondongo, Cayo Costa, Useppa, South Boca Grande,Petricio
Calusa Fireplace or Altar on Punta Blanca
Island, Palmetto Key
Cabbage Key
Aerial Image of Cabbage Key
Galt Island
Aerial Image of Galt Island
Jossilyn Island Site
Aerial Image of Jossilyn Island
Demere Key
Little Bokeelia Island (Burgess Island)
Aerial View Little Bokeelia Island
Punta Rassa
Pine island 20s/30s/40s
St. James 20s/30s/40s
1920 St. James City Census
1930 St. James Census
1935 St. James City Census
1945 St. James City Census
Pineland 20s/30s/40s
1920 Pineland and Bokeelia Census
1930 Pineland Census
1935 Pineland Census
1945 Pineland Census
Bokeelia 20s/30s/40s
1930 Bokeelia Census
1935 Bokeelia Census
1945 Bokeelia Census
Matlacha 20s/30s/40s
1945 Matlacha (Pine Island Bridge) Census
Squatters Shacks in Matlacha
Matlacha Historic District Petition & Resolution Documents
Matlacha Bridge-“Fishingest Bridge in the World”
The Matlacha Bridge That Never Was
Piner’s Seafood Company
Pine Island Center 20s/30s/40s
Pine Island 50s/60s/70s
St. James City 50s/60s/70s
Aerial Pictures of St. James City-1953
Aerial Pictures of St. James City After the Canals Were Dug
Pineland 50s/60s/70s
Bokeelia 50s/60s/70s
Matlacha 50s/60s/70s
Matlacha Goes Hollywood
Pine Island’s First Pharmacy
Pine Island Center 50s/60s/70s
Putting in the Roads
Putting in the Canals
Electricity Comes To Pine Island
Phone Service Comes To Pine Island
Pine Island-Matlacha Volunteer Fire Department
Early Bars & Restaurants
The Hospital That Almost Was
Nautical History
The First Boats in The Area
Commercial Fishing-History
Netters
Shellfish Gatherers
Hook & Line
Sport Fishing History-Tarpon
Local Boat Builders
Beck Boats
History of Fish Huts
Fish Huts in Trouble
Historic Fishing Shacks of Bygone Days-Fort Myers News Press Article
Florida Fish Houses on the Mend After Hurricanes-Chicago Tribune Article
Fish Huts Added to the National Register of Historic Places
Fish Hut Images
Original Fish Hut
Punta Gorda Fish Company Runboat
Agricultural History of Pine Island
Aquaculture History of Pine Island
Island Legend and Lore
Jose Gaspar-Pirate
Ponce de Leon Was Searching For The Fountain of Youth
Famous Past Residents
Charles Frederick Burgess
Burgess Mansion
John L. Lewis
Henry Stringfellow
Barron Collier
John Roach
Pine Island During the Wars
Seaplane Tender U.S.S. Pine Island
Hurricane History
Early Pine Island in the News
The Island People and Their Stories
Recommended Websites
Next Chapter Photo Gallery
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