Description
- Who were the first settlers? And, how did they live?
- Why is there a City here? And, why is it so elegantly designed with a grandiose neo-classical building at the center?
- Who was Barron Collier? And, what was he doing here?
- Why was it called the Tamiami Trail? How was it built? And, why was it so important?
In this second edition, there is a profusion of historical pictures to complement the author’s well-received text which describes the struggles of pioneers, Collier’s building of the City and the Trail in the 1920’s, the growth of Chokoloskee, and the farming and logging industries in the outlying towns of Ochopee, Copeland, and Jerome.
The area still has a unique character in its rural setting and the book outlines the changes that have taken place up to Hurricane Wilma.
This is neither a guide book nor an academic tome … it is exactly what the title says, a concise history of the area. The extensive index makes it a handy reference and the list of sources provides readers a starting point to dig deeper into the history of this fascinating area.
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, Florida, 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. Her latest books are Women in the Everglades and Everglades Entrepreneur about Barron Collier).
