Looking Back

  • Alice O'Brien's First Aid Chest

    The inside of Alice O’Brien’s first aid chest has a picture drawn  by “Ding” Darling. The daughter and granddaughter of prominent Minnesota lumbermen, Alice O’Brien assumed responsibility for the family business (Putnam Lumber Company) upon her father’s death in 1925, and built her winter home on Captiva.

  • Tropical Storm Bob-July 1985

    Photo of the Mucky Duck parking lot at the height of Tropical Storm Bob in July of 1985. Bob hit the southwest Florida Gulf coast as a tropical storm before turning north and intensifying as a Category 1 Hurricane.

  • Old & New Blind Pass Bridges 1955

    This image feature the new replacing the old. The old wooden Blind Pass bridge between Sanibel and Captiva is quite a contrast with the new concrete bridge. In this photo from 1955 the new bridge is completed with exception for the approaches which will be pumped in by Gene Sander of Sander Yard. 

  • Teddy Roosevelt At Snyder School

    In this photograph, circa early 1900's, President Theodore Roosevelt (fourth from left) on a visit to the Snyder School during his fishing expedition to Captiva for devil fish.

  • "Black Bart" Holzhey Cottage

    Cottage originally built by the notorious, Captiva loner "Black Bart" Holzhey in the 40's. In the photo it is Mary Cunningham's Island Gift Shop, situated where Chadwick Square is now, and where it remained until reportedly moved to the north-east corner of Wiles and Captiva Drive. 

  • 1982 "No Name Storm" Wash-Out

    On Friday morning, June 18, 1982 crashing waves and surging stormwaters from the "No Name Storm" struck Captiva, washing away chunks of the road in front of 'Tween Waters Inn, temporaily wiping out the only road that leads off the island. The Fort Myers newspaper reported the causeway between the barrier islands and mainland was closed for about two hours Friday morning.

Bridging the Past and the Present