|
Sanibel and Captiva History
Sanibel and Captiva Islands
Ponce de Leon discovered Sanibel & Captiva in 1513. On a return trip, he was un-welcomed by a Calusa Indian
arrow that poisoned him. By 1900, sea captains and farmers were homesteading Sanibel & Captiva Islands.
In 1925, Clarence Chadwick, inventor of the Checkwriter, converted Captiva Island into a key lime plantation. South
Seas Plantation, a 330-acre resort, now sits on Chadwick's plantation. Today, vacationers and shell seekers flock
to the beaches of Sanibel & Captiva. The islands' history is
illustrated through exhibits at Sanibel Historical Village & Museum that include several vintage buildings.
Legends about pirates have always intrigued - like 19th-century pirate Joe Gaspar, who buried stolen treasure on
Santa Isybella Island (Sanibel), and who built a prison, guarded by eunuchs, on Isle de los Captivas, or Captiva,
where he kept his ransomed female captors safe. Gaspar was captured in 1821 by the U. S. Navy, but drowned himself
in anchor chains rather than face imprisonment. Great beaches for shelling and lots nice old Florida Homes. Captiva
has lots of big old mansions and villas.
Sanibel Light House
A carbon copy of the Cape San Blas Lighthouse in the Panhandle, the Sanibel Island light was first lit in 1884.
It is the last one heading south until you reach the Dry Tortugas, 130 miles away. The lighthouses on the gulf
coast are far apart, unlike the lighthouses in the Keys, where there are many more dangerous shoals and reefs.
The grounds and beaches around the lighthouse are very lovely with white sand, sea grapes, and sea oats. The beaches
are accessible. The lighthouse is not open to the public and the keepers’ houses are fenced in and are used by
National Wildlife Refuge employees. You can walk all around the site, however, and it is a popular place for shelling
and swimming. Back in 1949, the lighthouse was automated, long before many other lighthouses were mechanized. The
ninety-eight-foot-tall lighthouse has a modern light beacon. One of the original lenses is now displayed at the
Sanibel Historical Museum, where you can also see the Sanibel Post Office, built in 1927, and an old store, house,
and tea room, all built around that time as well. If you like bird watching, the J. N. "Ding" Darling
National Wildlife Refuge is towards the northern end of Sanibel extending into Captiva Island. Its 6,500 acres
are one of the best places in the South to view shorebirds such as ibis, herons, egrets, roseate spoonbills, white
pelicans, and dozens of songbirds. Many other native wildlife species, including alligators, also call this refuge
home. Photographers and naturalists come from all over the world to visit this haven for wildlife. It is worth
visiting if you can
tear yourself away from the shops on the island.
[submitted by Norita
Shepherd Moss]
|
