Information about Naples

By 1513, Europe had discovered the paradise. Juan Ponce de Leon had originally laid claim to the land of Florida in the name of Spain. About 20 years later, he came back, this time with the idea of colonizing the area. Unfortunately, the Calusa Indians didn’t think that was a very good idea. Ponce de Leon was wounded in battle with Calusa warriors and died as a result of his wounds. For the next 40 years or so, repeated attempts were made by the Spaniards to conquer this beautiful but primitive land, mostly resulting in failure.




The valiant Calusa warriors fought on, but in time, the constant fighting, forced slavery by those conquered along with the unwelcome gift of diseases brought from Europe finally finished the Calusa and brought on end not only to their culture, but to their very existence. Over time, Florida became home to Creek Indians from areas north of Florida, such as Alabama and Georgia. Other immigrants were escaped black slaves from the southern plantations. These two groups eventually mingled to such an extent, that a new cultural identify was formed over time, known as the Seminoles. Life was not easy, and eventually after much fighting with white settlers, the US government moved the Seminoles to reservations in Mississippi. This led to years of what is known as the Seminole War, the most bloody Indian war in US history. Many Seminoles died in the fighting, but the few survivors fled into the deep cover of the Everglades and swamplands. In time, they became the unique and identifying culture of South Florida. The area where Naples is now located did not have too many inhabitants until the mid 1880’s, particularly after the Civil War when settlers began to trickle southward in search of places to farm and call home. In time, Naples became an important location for locals to trade. The beauty and charm of the area was not lost on the locals, and for that matter, others in the country. Before the century was over, Marco Island and Naples were fast becoming favourite winter locations for sportsmen and wealthy Northerners.

Collier County was one of a dozen new counties created by the Florida land boom of the 1920s. It is the state’s 62nd county and the third largest in total land area. Vacationers and new residents alike are often surprised to discover that Collier County’s rich and colorful past actually stretches back many thousands of years. Humans have lived here for centuries, beginning with the first hunters and gatherers who drifted down the Florida peninsula at the close of the last Ice Age in search of bigger game and warmer winters. Remote and inaccessible, the first permanent settlements did not take root until the 1880s with tiny pioneer communities dotted along the coast at Everglade, Naples, Marco and Chokoloskee. Further inland, at Immokalee, sprawling cattle ranches became the principal means of livelihood. Modern development began in the 1920s and by the end of the decade, railroads and the Tamiami Trail had pierced the rugged wilderness and unlocked the area’s enormous agricultural and resort potential. Florida’s first commercial oil well was drilled here in 1943, and the County’s cypress logging industry flourished well into the 1950s. Collier County’s economy boomed along with its population shortly after World War II. In the short span of thirty years, the number of residents swelled from 6,488 to an astonishing 85,971 by 1980. A vigorous economy and sustained prosperity from agribusiness, tourism, construction and real estate have made Collier County one of the fastest growing areas in the United States, and a pacesetter in defining Southwest Florida’s new lifestyle.