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Marco
Island Information and History.
In
1977, the Marco Island Bicentennial Task
Force had installed historic markers
showing significant places marking the
island's history.
1.
At the entrance to the island at the south
end of the bridge, marker number one
designates Marco as the largest of the Ten
Thousand Islands.
2.
The Cushing archaeological site in Old
Marco opposite the Riverside Condominium.
In 1896 Frank Hamilton Cushing unearthed
hundreds of artifacts, including the Marco
Cat. made by the Calusa Indians.
3.
The ferry landing in Old Marco connected
Marco to the Isles of Capri. The ferry
operated from 1920 to 1938. The spot is
also the site of the oldest school on the
island, dating back to 1889.
4.
The home of William D. "Captain
Bill" Collier, son of William T.
Collier who founded the Marco village in
1870. The home is on the west side of 953
and is now restored and operates as a
restaurant.
5.
The cemetery off Bald Eagle Drive just
south of the traffic lights, where many of
the early settlers were buried and where
their descendants are still buried today.
Collier's wife, daughter and three sons
are buried there.
6.
The pineapple plantation on Caxambas Ridge
at the site of Fire House No. 1 on South
Barfield Drive. Was later given up
as soil was quickly depleted.
7.
The Burnham Clam Factory on Inlet Drive in
the Caxambas area. The factory operated
from 1904 to 1929. There are still
foundation parts in the weeds.
8.
The Caxambas school built around 1898 at
the intersection of Indian Hill Drive and
Scott Drive. It is also the site of one
home of James Madison and Tommie Barfield
and the Heights Hotel on the highest
point in Southwest Florida (51 feet).
9.
The Calusa Indian burial ground at the
intersection of Inlet Drive and Olds
Court. Watch out for indian spirits.
10.
Caxambas Cemetery, on the west side of
Inlet Drive.
11.
Goodland Road and the village of Goodland,
at the intersection of State Road 92 and
Goodland Road.
Marco
Island Pre-Construction in the early
1960's.
Marco Island today in it's glory!
Start of
construction on the beach, mid
1960s.
The Marco
Beach Hotel, 1971, Now the Marriott
Emerald
Beach, First beach front condo, 1966
The
Calusa Indians, believed to be descendants
of the Mayans may have inhabited Marco
Island as far back as 4000 BC or even
possibly 6000 BC. Evidence indicates the
ancient culture at least of the time of
Christ.
Marco
Island is the Northern most and the
largest of Florida's Ten Thousand Islands
with over 9,000 acres and is about 4 miles
wide and 6 miles long. It's located on the
Gulf of Mexico, situated 90 miles west of
Miami, 157 miles south of Tampa, 50 miles
south of Fort Myers, and 15 miles from
Naples. It has been described as magical,
mystical and alluring. The elevation of
the island varies from as low as 5 ft to
as high as 54 ft above sea level.
Within
the immediate area are the Isles of Capri,
a residential community and Goodland, a
tiny fishing community that maintains some
of its qualities that it had a Century
ago. In 1964 the Mackle Corporation began
a massive engineering and development
program that would transform the mangrove
and swamp areas and would eventually be
the Marco of today.
Development
of the island may have buried earlier
traces of ancient culture. However,
archaeologists did fine bone, wood shell
and ceramic remains of early settlement.
The Frank Cushing dig in 1895 on Marco
uncovered more than 1000 artifacts from
the Calusa culture. Various digs uncovered
items such as the famous Key Marco
Cat shown above.
The
Calusas created large mounds using
uncountable or millions of shells, which
in turn offered them protection from
hurricanes and provided shelter and
eventually burial sites for their dead.
Some these mounds still remain to this
date. One mound known as Indian Hill (54
feet above sea level) was located on
Caxambus at the northern part of the
Island (named for the drinking water
available). The Calusa power
extended throughout Southwest and even to
East Florida until 1513, when the
Spaniards arrived.
The
Indians and Spaniards clashed and
continued fighting for many years later.
The strength of the Indians began to
disappear due to disease brought to
Florida by the Europeans and warring with
the Spaniards and new settlers.
During
the Civil war Marco Island and the other
10,000 islands provided hiding places for
deserters and blockade runners who traded
with Cuba and the other nearby islands.
In
1870, W. T. Collier of Tennessee and his
family landed on Marco. They came down the
Atlantic Coast on the Schooner, the
'Robert L. Lee'. Their second oldest
son William D. Collier (Capt. Bill) became
the pivotal figure in the early growth of
the island.
The
dream of the Mackle Brothers... On Jan.
31, 1965, more than 25,000 persons made
the long trip from up north to Marco
Island. It was an instant sell
, say the the old "crackers".
With temperature in the upper 70s, and
cold winds blowing up North, Marco Island
was an easy sell if you could get the
people to get their toes into the sand.
For
$75, visitors to the largest barrier
island of the Ten Thousand Island chain
were treated to three days and two nights
at the motel Deltona had built - the site
of the present day Marriott. Return air
fare to the frozen north was also
included.
The
rest is recent history with more people
getting their toes into the sand.
Current Marco
Island Skyline
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In
1977, the Marco Island Bicentennial