Our Story

History of the Captiva Island Historical Society

Established in 2011, the Captiva Island Historical Society (CIHS) grew out of the pioneering and well-received oral-history work of the Captiva History Project, founded by Stella Farwell in 2010 (pictured).

The project began with an urgent purpose: to preserve Captiva’s historic materials before they could be lost to fire, flooding, hurricane winds, or the passage of time. Photographs, letters, newspaper articles, documents, and other materials were scanned and preserved, while recorded oral-history interviews were converted to digital formats. These materials formed a growing collection maintained through PastPerfect, a museum-quality collections-management system.

In 2011, this important archival and preservation work laid the foundation for the formation of the Captiva Island Historical Society.

In 2013, CIHS was granted space in the newly renovated Captiva Civic Center to create a permanent place where the island’s distinctive and diverse history could be remembered and shared. Made possible through generous donations, the History Gallery—designed as a replica of Captiva’s beloved mailboat Santiva—opened to the public in April 2014.

The Santiva was one of the mailboats that served Captiva and Sanibel from 1936 until the completion of the Sanibel Causeway in 1963. Within the gallery, the boat’s windows feature interpretive panels, while touchscreens provide access to historic photographs and videos. The gallery was refreshed in 2019 with updated displays and new features. In 2024, it was rebuilt following water intrusion damage caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Since those early years, CIHS has grown significantly, not only in scale, but in the many ways we preserve, interpret, and bring Captiva Island’s history to life.

Today, the CIHS’s work encompasses:

• an extensive online archive; 
• a vibrant schedule of educational programs and events; 
• acclaimed original documentaries; 
• an interactive and informative website; 
• an extensive collection of videos on our YouTube channel; 
• the Guardian of History Award; 
• Share Your Story oral-history interviews; 
• guided and online historic landmark walking tours; and 
• our popular email newsletter and social media.                                                                                                       Photo of CIHS Board in 2015                                                  

The Captiva Island Historical Society is a nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, CIHS is sustained through the generosity of donors throughout Captiva and the extended community.