Author Archives: Lois A. Bolin, Ph.D.

Naples history does just that, especially when we take a look back at the “reel people” for whom self-sufficiency and self-reliance were the cornerstones of success. These pioneers of the 1920s through the 1940s lived off what nature provided in Florida’s last frontier. All they needed for earnest employment was a strong back or a large family to help harvest the land they farmed, the game they hunted or the waters they fished.

“There is no doubt that it is around the family and home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained.” – Winston Churchill

After the Civil War, the original white settlers came into the area called Everglade to fish and farm. It wasn’t until Barron Collier purchased the area that “s” and “city” were added to make the name of the soon-to-be county seat, Everglades City. With her bountiful game, abundant fish and lush vegetables, the men who homesteaded her laid a foundation that still bears their memory. The B.C. (Before Collier) pioneers

Susan B. Anthony’s words of wisdom, “Failure is impossible,” inspired many women facing the new frontier of equality in the late 1800s. By the 1940s and ’50s, Naples offered many challenging adventures in the business community, and Mamie Tooke most assuredly embraced them.