Description:
Celebrate the story of one of southwest Florida's most renowned beach resorts.
Founded as a place where invalids can escape the chilling blasts of winter, the distant paradise known as Naples was accessible only by boat during its tenuous beginning in 1885. By 1890, the new town boasted a pier, the Naples Hotel-and little else. With train service arriving in Naples in 1927 and the opening of the Tamiami Trail a year later, the once-remote resort was finally open to development, but the Depression turned the dreamed-of boom into a bust until after World War II. The picture-perfect beaches and warm winter climate were soon rediscovered, and by the time Hurricane Donna stormed ashore on September 10, 1960 and nearly destroyed the town once hailed as the Summerland in Wintertime, Naples was the fastest-growing city in Collier County.
Brief description: With a combination of historic photographs from the collection of the Naples Historical Society and vintage postcards from the collection of Nina H. Webber, author Lynne Howard Frazer, executive director of the Naples Historical Society, highlights the colorful history of the once-remote and rustic town, with many never-published images of the original Naples Hotel and Pier.