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Community History


May 22, 2025
By KAREN GRACE It’s difficult to envision a boulevard in front of the beachfront houses but, as the accompanying 1919 photo shows, that’s how things were in the earliest years of the 20th century…

May 22, 2025
Editor’s Note: The flag is up! While the American flag may not be up by Memorial Day, the Boca Grande Veterans Memorial at 5th and Gilchrist is at least landscaped and ready, after help from The…

May 22, 2025
Looking back into previous Boca Beacon issues: FIVE YEARS AGO: The Seagate Development Group was reconstructing the pier accessible to the Hill Tide Estates. The pier used to be an old oil dock…

May 16, 2025
FIVE YEARS AGO Family Tradition takes first place in the Quarantine Queens Classic, the island’s answer to the Ladies’ Day Tarpon Tournament when Covid gets in the way. TEN YEARS AGO The Is…

May 15, 2025
The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum opened May 5, after, what they generously called, eight months of “stormy setbacks.” The re-opening was a celebration, as Linda Edic, the wife of the lat…

May 15, 2025
Other approval is house by famed architect of Mar-a-Lago Two important Gilchrist house renovations, including a house formerly owned by Bob Vila and another house designed by the architect of Mar…

May 15, 2025
Seaplanes to the oyster beds: My time with Katharine Hepburn BY KATHY FUTCH Miss Hepburn made fairly regular visits to Boca Grande to be with her Houghton family relatives and also some friend…

May 8, 2025
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board will review two historic Gilchrist Avenue renovations at its upcoming meeting set for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14.  A French Colonial style house at 3…

May 2, 2025
FIVE YEARS AGO The Boca Grande Kids Classic was canceled due to the pandemic. All donations were still distributed. TEN YEARS AGO Mote Marine brought their new 46’ boat named Thunder to a r…

May 1, 2025
The Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS) will reopen the historic Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and Museum at Gasparilla Island State Park on Monday, May 5 after nearly eight months of closure due to h…