Bonita Springs
on the fast track

1912 turned out to be a watershed year
for the emerging community

By Karie Wobrock, staff writer

It was known in the 1800s as the sleepy town of Survey, but today Bonita Springs enjoys a reputation as one of Florida's fastest growing communities.

Survey was home to farmers and fishermen. The tiny town sprung up around what was then called Surveyor's Creek, which earned its name when a team of surveyors from the U.S. Army camped there during the Seminole Indian Wars.For years, life in Survey changed little. Then, in 1912, J.H. Ragsdale and some business associates negotiated the purchase of a tract of local property running from what is now Goodwin Street south to Dean Street.

It was Ragsdale who renamed the community Bonita Springs and turned Surveyor's Creek into the Imperial River as he marketed the area to potential investors.

In the 1920s, Bonita Springs residents chose to incorporate, making their small community a city. Bonita's autonomy was fleeting, however, as the community reverted back into an unincorporated area duirng the Great Depression of the 1930s. The town charter was surrendered in exchange for Lee County's promise to pay an outstanding Florida Power and Light bill.

The issue of incorporation has resurrected itself several times since then. The closest the community ever came to incorporation again happened in 1965 when the Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce convinced the Legislature to put the issue on the November ballot. While the referendum was defeated, incorporation continued to be a topic of debate. In the mid-1980s, a committee formed and for several months examined the pros and cons of incorporation. Even today, the issue of incorporation remains a topic of debate.

Bonita Springs grew and evolved over the years, but as recently as the mid-1970s, it still carried a reputation as a remote hamlet on the road between the more identifiable cities of Fort Myers and Naples. Bob Parrett, founder and publisher of the Bonita Banner newspaper from 1959 through the early 1970s, recognized the community's potential, often referring to it as "the sleeping giant."

Eventually, Bonita Springs' beauty and natural amenities began to draw increasing numbers of tourists and year-round residents. With three miles of sandy shoreline for sunning, and warm Gulf of Mexico waters ideal for swimming and fishing, people flocked to Bonita Springs by the thousands.

By the early 1980s, Bonita Springs was no longer just a speck on the road between Fort Myers and Naples. Residential developments, restaurants and shopping centers began springing up throughout the community, drawing even more people to Bonita Springs and increasing job opportunities. Today, catalysts like the expansion of the Southwest Florida Regional Airport and the 1997 projected opening of nearby Florida Gulf Coast University are adding fuel to the community's growth.

While Bonita Springs is emerging as a dynamic, thriving force on Florida's lower west coast, the charm and character it enjoyed in its early days are still evident. Civic, fraternal and community service organizations drive volunteer-supported projects that enhance the community; and efforts like the Bonita Springs Community Redevelopment Agency are in place to keep the area's historic commercial district alive and prosperous. Established in 1990, the Bonita Springs CRA is designed to breathe new economic life into the Old 41 corridor with the help of tax dollars. CRA plans include streetscaping, a storefront grant program and more. he CRA is just one of many efforts aimed at making Bonita Springs an even finer place to work and play. The CRA, like so many community inspired projects, illustrates that Bonita Springs is in the unique position of being a booming community still in touch with its roots.

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