Boca Grande Historical Society & History Center logo- Bringing History to Life - Celebrating 25 Year Anniversary
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The Grand Plan: 1905-1912

  • Historical Overview of Boca Grande

    • The First Settlers
    • The Fisherfolk
    • Sport Fishing
    • Mining for Phosphate
    • Boca Grande & Gasparilla Island 1890-1905
    • The Grand Plan: 1905-1912
    • Boom Town: 1912-1930
    • Boca Grande’s Hey Day: 1930-1958
    • A Period of Decline 1958-1979
    • The New Boca Grande: 1979-Present
Boca Grande train depot 1911
New and larger brick depot built in 1911. Note the water tower essential to steam locomotives used at the time.

It was in fashion during this time for railroad tycoons to build railroads to carry passengers as well as haul payloads. Grand hotels were erected and towns designed.

Henry Flagler built hotels in St Augustine as well as in other towns on the east coast of Florida. Henry Plant (a cousin of Peter Bradley of the AACCo) did the same in Tampa when he opened the Tampa Bay Hotel.

Not to be outdone, Mr. Bradley and his company, the AACCo, simultaneously built a railroad, a grand hotel (the Gasparilla Inn) and town, constructed a power plant and erected one of the most modern loading elevators in the country on Gasparilla Island. All of these activities occurred in a period of only six years, 1905-1911. The town of Boca Grande became one of southwest Florida’s first planned communities.

fourth street
View of Fourth Street looking east in 1912, the depot is to the left; on the right is the railroad’s water tower just beyond the Mercantile general store.
phosphate terminal
Phosphate Terminal showing the dock, storage bin, power plant smoke stack and water tank.
Gasparilla Inn beach facility
The Gasparilla Inn’s bathhouse-beach facility shown here in 1910.
postcard of the Gasparilla Inn
Postcard View of the Gasparilla Inn 1912.
horse-drawn ice wagon with man and boy
Ice wagon that delivered ice to the island residences and businesses during the early days.

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Boca Grande, Florida 33921-0553

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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY CH#6860, MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-435-7352, OR VISITING www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Charities. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. TAX ID #65-0585091. 100% OF ALL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE USED ENTIRELY BY THE BGHS.

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