Good Day to all! The 35th Freedom Swim is coming up July 4. Start time is 10:00 am, Charlotte Harbor end of the southbound bridge. However, things are a bit different due to 2024’s hurricanes. There is no land access to water at the starting point, so folks should come by boat. Thankfully though, Fishville is now available again for the finish.
See you there!
Did you know paddle wheel riverboats were instrumental in Punta Gorda’s early growth? Although typically associated with the Mississippi River system, steam powered side and stern wheelers were common anywhere water provided a major avenue for transportation. With the railroad’s July 1886 arrival in Trabue (Punta Gorda), making it the nation’s southernmost terminal, several were placed in service moving freight, passengers, and mail to points further south. The trip to Fort Myers covered 76 miles and took 8 hours with stops at Saint James City on Pine Island, Bailey’s Dock at Sanibel, and Punta Rassa.
The Alice Howard began the Fort Myers run from Cleveland, just north of Trabue, in May 1886, soon after the Florida Southern Railway made it there. The route’s beginning point moved south a few months later when the railroad reached Trabue. Eventually abandoned, the Alice Howard sank at Punta Gorda’s Long Dock around 1910. The Long Dock was constructed about where Jamaica Way and West Marion Avenue intersect and extended 4,200 feet into Charlotte Harbor, reaching 12 feet of water.
The Thomas A. Edison was a stern wheeler plying the route until the early 1900’s. Unusual for the time, she was owned by the Fred and Conrad Menge Line, not the railroad. The Edison burned at Fort Myers in 1914, but several years earlier had been involved in a hotly contested race we’ll get to later.
The H. B. Plant, a side wheeler, also plied the route during the same period and was occasionally chartered for moonlight cruises to Boca Grande. One such memorable event served as a fundraiser sponsored by Mrs. Perry McAdow and raised $100 toward expansion of the town’s school.
The Caloosa operated in the area for just a short time, while the Plant underwent an extensive overhaul and repainting. She returned to her regular route between Tampa and Saint Petersburg in October 1901. Two other riverboats that “ran” at times from Punta Gorda south, were the Manatee and the Clara.
However, the “Queen” of the Punta Gorda to Fort Myers route was the Saint Lucie, a stern wheeler built for the Mississippi. One hundred sixty feet long with a 25-foot beam and two boilers, she drew only 3 feet of water. Her 24 staterooms were comfortable and the dining room spacious.
The race mentioned earlier took place in 1902 between the “Queen” and her challenger the Edison. Its purpose was to determine who would be awarded the mail contract. Lined up off the Railroad Dock at the foot of King Street (U.S. 41 north), a cannon boom at 7 a.m. began the race. With coal fired double boilers, the much larger Saint Lucie could produce more pounds of steam so took an early lead. However, as the race proceeded through the shoals of Pine Island Sound, the smaller, wood fired Edison pulled abreast and narrowly beat the larger vessel to Fort Myers.
Although the need for riverboats diminished greatly after the railroad’s extension to Fort Myers in 1904, they were so important to Punta Gorda’s early development that the city’s official seal, adopted on November 5, 1924, prominently features a “side wheeler” steamship. The seal also contains the words “Prosperitas in Sanitat”, meaning “Success in the Health”, likely recognition of all the folks who first came to Trabue (Punta Gorda) seeking relief in the balmy climate.
Visit Charlotte County History Collections on-line to view photographs of riverboats (steamboats) that plied Charlotte Harbor waters. Select “Community Services”, then “Libraries and History”. Click on “Physical Items”, then “Archive Search”. Enter steamboat on the “Search” line.
Photographs can also be viewed on the Punta Gorda History Center’s website. Select “Online Collection”, then “Keyword Search” and enter the search criteria.
“Did You Know” appears, typically, every other Wednesday, courtesy of this newspaper and the Charlotte County Historical Society. The Society’s mission is to help promote and preserve Charlotte County’s rich history. We are also always looking for volunteers and interested individuals to serve as board members. If you believe our area’s history is as important as we do, please visit Charlotte County Historical Society on-line at https://cchistoricalsociety.com/, or call 941- 769-1270 for more information
Check out History Services’ yearlong project, “Telling Your Stories: History in the Parks”. It began in January 2021 with placement of the first interpretive sign “Charlotte Harbor Spa” at South County Regional Park. The last was dedicated December 15, 2021 at Centennial Park featuring Florida postcards. All dedicated signs can be viewed at online library resources. Select “Programs and Services”, then “History Services” and “Virtual Programs”.
Visit the same site to access recently released oral histories featuring 40 local folks. Select “History Services” and scroll down, or phone 941-629-7278, to find out what history related programs and videos are available, or coming up.
June 24 column