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In the mid 1500s, when Spain was exploring most of Florida, the Spaniards
stumbled upon a large island which contained two cool artisan springs located
near what is now known as Caxambas Pass. The island became a favorite place to
fill casks with fresh water for their return trip to Spain. It eventually
became known to all future sailors as La Isla de San Marco (the island of Saint
Mark), named for Saint Mark, the Christian evangelist and traditional author of
the second gospel in the bible. As the years went by, the site became known as
San Marco Island (Saint Mark's island) and finally, just Marco Island. It is
believed that at least 2,000 years before Christ, the ancestors of the fierce,
warlike Calusa Indians inhabited this remote island. Calusas were thought to be
seven feet tall sporting three-foot high ceremonial headgear thus contributing
to their fierce appearance. Evidence of their existence was first discovered in
1895 when Captain Bill Collier, son of Marco's founder. W.T. Collier was digging
on his property known then as Key Marco. Today, this area is called Old Marco
and was the site of one of the most successful archeological digs in North
America.
In 1870, W.T. Collier brought his wife and nine children to Marco Island. In
1896, his son, William D. "Captain Bill" Collier opened a 20 room hotel that is
known today as the Olde Marco Inn and registered as an historical landmark.
Barron G. Collier (no relation to W.T. Collier) purchased most of Marco Island
in 1922. With the onset of rail service (the Atlantic Coast Line) to Marco
Island in 1927 plans to develop Marco Island were in process. However, the
depression put a damper on development. The isolated, mosquito-infested and
largely undeveloped little island remained so up until the early 1960's when
Barron Collier's last holdings were sold to Deltona Development Corporation with
brothers Elliott, Robert and Frank Mackle at the helm. The rich and famous as
well as the blue collar were drawn to the "Hawaii of the East" by an incredibly
successful marketing campaign. A beach-front hotel lured guests onto the sandy,
clean and pristine beaches of Marco. Affordable subdivision-like housing was
bought by those wishing to own a piece of paradise on the island's eastern
shore, which was soon connected to land by a bridge. Many of these original
homes are still occupied today by Islanders.
The Army Corps of Engineers, who had briefly held a post on the southern tip
of the island during the 1950's at a missile tracking station, became embroiled
in a lawsuit with the Mackle brothers when Deltona mapped out its development
plans to include lands the government had deemed "environmentally sensitive."
After years of expensive court battles, the Mackle’s admitted defeat, but Marco
Island would forever be indelibly etched in the minds of many as the ultimate
vacation and living atmosphere. Today it is a well established fact that Marco
Island is a first-class resort island with a unique atmosphere that simply can't
be found elsewhere. Where else would one find millionaires sitting among
fishermen at “chickee” bars drinking and talking about the incredible fishing
that can be had any time of the year?
Widespread development has brought multimillion dollar homes and
condominiums, four-star resort hotel complexes, stores catering to all tastes
and styles and a truly delightful assortment of restaurants. It has also brought
a yearly influx of seasonal visitors who long to "run to the sun" when northern
winters bring the chills. Islanders are watchdogs, becoming politically active
in an attempt to preserve the little Florida island history has shaped into a
true paradise.