Everglades City

By Tara Beer, staff writer

Everglades City was a bustling town in the first half of the 20th century during its heyday. But the Collier County outpost is not resting on its laurels. Many of the city's 538 residents will tell outsiders they've managed to make improvements and preserve a tight-knit community.

Everglades City still attracts visitors from around the world to its natural beauty as one of Florida's most southern outposts. The city is surrounded by Everglades National Park, its biggest tourist draw.

"What really catches people's eye in Florida is Disney World and Everglades National Park," said Everglades City Mayor Sammy Hamilton. "Every one of the tourists wants to see the Everglades. Seeing Everglades City is an added bonus."

The modern-day history began in 1889 when George Storter Jr. of Alabama bought the area for $800. When Collier County was first established and was owned mostly by county founder Barron Collier, Everglades City became the county seat. Then it was known simply as Everglade, as it had been since 1923. Only when the area incorporated in 1953 did it take on the name Everglades City. It remained the county seat until 1961, when the county offices were moved to East Naples.

Many of the landmarks and much of Everglades City's colorful history date to the 1920s and before the Great Depression. The fishing village was the focal point during construction of Tamiami Trail. Area stores maintained and repaired equipment and the Deep Road Railroad, built years before to help get grapefruit to market, transported equipment and workers who were staying in the area. In the years that followed, Everglades City became connected to the entire Southwest Florida coastal area by a bus and freight system that moved passengers and merchandise.

The Bank of Everglades came to town in 1923. It still is one of the town's landmarks. Also that year, the county's official newspaper, called the Collier County News, began running off the presses. The newspaper later evolved into the Naples Daily News.

At the time, residents could choose to zip through town on the only street car operating south of Tampa. The battery-powered car complete with advertising cards on the side was considered a luxury. The Storter home became the Rod and Gun Club in 1925, a gathering point for hunting and fishing enthusiasts. The site attracted the rich and famous, including Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Another well-known community landmark, known as the laundry building, was built in 1927. The site served as the town's common laundry facility. In 1928, the Atlantic Coast Line passenger train rolled into town for the first time, extending its southern terminus from Immokalee to Everglades City.

Today, many Everglades City citizens rely on tourism as a means of survival, especially after many fishermen in the city and across the state were put out of business in November 1994 when voters approved a constitutional amendment banning the use of gill nets to catch mullet, mackerel and pompano in state waters. Signs along the Tamiami Trail advertise airboat and swamp buggy rides and alligator wrestling, beckoning to tourists to explore the natural wonders of the area. Seafood restaurants cater to palates thirsting for a taste of the sea, and the several standing monuments to the community's past pose for camera-happy visitors. About 50,000 people swamp the city each February to attend the annual seafood festival each year.

The Everglades City School, with more than 200 students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade, is the last school in the county that houses so many grade levels under its roof. The school is the second smallest school in Florida housing students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

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