Useppa: An Ongoing Journey provides an in-depth account of the ten-thousand-year history of a magical island off the southwest coast of Florida. Useppa: An Ongoing Journey travels through ten thousand years of the island's inhabited history. The journey begins with the Calusa Indians, the island's first known inhabitants, and then moves on through the influence of the Spanish, Cuban fishing ranchos, the Civil War, the Bay of Pigs, influential owners, famous guests, archaeology, an entrepreneurial purchase, devastating hurricanes, fun stories shared by present day residents, and so much more. Useppa is a true island off of the southwest coast of Florida and is a place to visit like no other. The authors will take you on a magical trip through Useppa: An Ongoing Journey. USEPPA An Ongoing Journey By Ken Birt Pat Birt iUniverse, Inc. Copyright © 2012 Ken and Pat Birt All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4759-5156-1 Contents Foreword..........................................................xiiiIntroduction......................................................xv1. Who were the first Inhabitants?................................12. What Happened on Useppa from 1560 to 1895?.....................83. John Roach and Tarpon Fishing..................................164. Barron Collier.................................................225. Slowdown and Secrecy...........................................336. Snow and Turner................................................407. Gar Beckstead – The Beginning............................468. The Return of Useppa...........................................519. Hurricane Charley..............................................6210. Archaeology of Useppa.........................................7311. Barbara Sumwalt and the Museum................................8912. Useppa at Play................................................10013. The British Are Coming! ... and More..........................11214. What Does the Future Hold?....................................132Closing...........................................................137Acknowledgements..................................................139Photo Credits.....................................................141End Notes.........................................................143Index.............................................................157 Chapter One Who were the first Inhabitants? Paleo-Indian Migration and the Calusa Indians Useppa Island is Formed There was a time when what is now referred to as Useppa Island was not an island at all but part of the mainland lying in the southwestern portion of the Florida peninsula. What is now Useppa Island was more than sixty miles from the water. The ice age was coming to an end and the resulting meltdown caused a rising sea level creating what is now referred to as Pine Island Sound and islands off the mainland. Among these barrier islands were Cayo Costa, North Captiva, Captiva, Gasparilla, Sanibel and Useppa. The creation of these islands would have occurred no earlier than 4000 B. C. The history of Useppa Island can be better appreciated through a comparison of the island's history with world history. The timeline comparisons are based on a study underwritten by the Barbara Sumwalt Museum located on Useppa Island. At the time of the creation of Useppa as an island, agriculture and pottery making were taking place far away in the Fertile Crescent. The Fertile Crescent included an area known as Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now known as Iraq. Calusa Indians in Florida It is believed by some scholars that the migration from Asia into the North American Continent took place over a land bridge that connected Siberia with Alaska. The migration would have begun around 15000 B.C. Gradual southern migration brought Paleo-Indians (defined as the earliest known humans to inhabit America) to the Southeast and eventually to the Caribbean and Florida. Paleo-Indians would have been attracted to the Useppa area because of the presence of fresh water streams and higher elevation. Dr. William Marquardt, an archaeologist from the University of Florida, states that the Calusa had no written language, so no written language comparison can be made with any other known culture. Dr. Marquardt, when asked from where the Calusa came, stated, "The Calusa were indigenous to Florida." This means no proof has been found of the Calusa residing anywhere prior to their Florida habitation. Of course, the Calusa came from somewhere, but no proof has been found to substantiate their origins. Human Occupation on Useppa Dates Back 10,000 Years It is interesting to note that habitation on Useppa predated the building of Stonehenge by as many as 4,000 years, the building of the Great Pyramids by as many as 6,000 years and the biblical reign of David and Solomon in Israel by over 6,000 years. The earliest evidence of human occupation on