The Story of Everglades City; A History for Younger Readers by Marya Repko

Everglades City was once the most important place in Collier County …

It was the County Seat. The County judge held trials in the Court House and the Sheriff kept prisoners in the County Jail. The newspaper
and the telephone company had offices here. The first bank was here. There was even a streetcar that ran on electricity.

It was a place to have fun. There were dances and movies in the Community Center. The Inn served delicious food. Famous visitors
came to the Rod & Gun to go fishing.

Before that, the early settlers lived here. They were real pioneers. They farmed and hunted and fished for their food. They traded with the
Indians. There were no roads. They took their vegetables by boat to sell in Key West. They got their mail and supplies by boat. It was a hard life but they grew up wise and happy.

This book was written for the students at our local school. It is a condensed and simplified version of my publication “A Brief History of the Everglades City Area”. I have left out some of the details and included many old photos. I hope you enjoy learning about our history!

Author Marya Repko grew up in Hadlyme, CT, but lived most of her life in Europe as a software engineer. After retirement, she moved to Everglades City, FL, where her first book A Brief History of the Everglades City Area has sold thousands of copies. Other brief histories of  Deaconess Harriet Bedell, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the Fakahatchee, and Sanibel have been well-received, as have the children’s version of the Everglades and Sanibel books.