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Community History

Cutting a Christmas tree on-island and other memories

February 3, 2022
The February 9 History Bytes program features the Davis family – Frank Davis, Robin Davis Melvin, Doug and Gail Coleman Davis – who spent their summers and holidays in Boca Grande during the 1960s…

Janet Gillespie recalls the origin of the Bike Parade and other events at History Bytes

January 28, 2022
Gillespie arrived on the Island in December 1978 to work in management for the newly constructed Boca Grande Club. She tells this story and 25 years worth of other information at the first of this…

Island women in history celebrated: ‘Herstory’

January 14, 2022
While doing some research for a project, Karen Grace came across a disturbing statistic. “In all the years of history, tens of thousands of years of history,” asked Karen. “How much do you think i…

Island TV brings you ‘A history of the Temp’

January 6, 2022
Du Pont, Crowninshield, Bush. These are just a few of the many notable names that have walked the streets of Boca Grande throughout the years. To honor and preserve the rich history of the isl…

From the archives: A history of Boca Grande churches

July 16, 2021
In a 1984 Boca Beacon, the late Carey Johnson covered the origin of two of the oldest Island churches and the early families who supported their creation. Carey Johnson was the father of Robert Joh…

Syble Sez

February 27, 2021
SUBMITTED BY THE BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY – The Boca Beacon’s of the early 1980s included a column called “Syble Sez” based on local news of social events, business openings, family visitors,…

How the sailor and the island girl fell in love … a moment in time at Fugate’s celebrated

February 6, 2021
BY TONYA BRAMLAGE – In November of 2020, Gasparilla Magazine shared the story of local love birds John and Helen Brouwer with their readers. Theirs is truly a love at first sight classic tale if ev…

GICIA celebrates 50th anniversary with restoration of Sam Murphy Park

October 16, 2020
SUBMITTED BY THE GICIA- The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA) is pleased to announce that the restoration of the Sam Murphy Park has been completed. The GICIA is de…

Stories of early island fishing guides (Part II of II)

September 4, 2020
Part I of this series ran in the August 21 edition of the Boca Beacon. You can find it online at bocabeacon.com, or on our Facebook page with the same name. SUBMITTED BY THE BGHS- Boca Grande’s ear…

Stories of early island fishing guides (Part I of II)

August 21, 2020
SUBMITTED BY THE BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY – Local guides have been taking guests fishing since the late 19th century. Among the early guides was Phalo Padilla, born in 1888, who was a guide a…