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Community History


October 2, 2025
Each week in the Beacon, we look back at what happened in Boca Grande and on Cape Haze: FIVE YEARS AGO Boca Grande Historical Society was gifted six original books dating back to 1902 that wer…

September 25, 2025
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board will meet to review two projects on Gasparilla Island. The first project is entitled the Burcham Elevation, at 740 E. Railroad Ave. The request is to elev…

September 25, 2025
FIVE YEARS AGO A freak storm took out a big tree in the Sister’s Restaurant parking lot. Lee County Sheriff’s Office was looking for the owners of an abandoned bike. TEN YEARS AGO The Histo…

September 18, 2025
BY KAREN GRACE, BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER Betty and Jack Barndollar first came to Gasparilla Island in 1959, a year after the bridge had been built. Three years later, they built a house and mov…

September 18, 2025
TEN YEARS AGO The Boca Grande Fire Board voted unanimously to increase the budget by 8.9 percent. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO The Lemon Bay Conservancy officially signed documents acquiring the Wildf…

September 11, 2025
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board reviewed and approved one renovation project at their Wednesday, Sept. 10 meeting.  The project was a remodel and raising of the house by architect Tim…

September 11, 2025
FIVE YEARS AGO Spark TV premiered Boca Boys on YouTube and Spark Boca Grande TV. The pandemic sit-com ran for 10 weeks and featured Roger Lewis, James Martin, Dan Headington and Jerry Edgerton…

September 4, 2025
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board Meeting will meet Wednesday, Sept. 10 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Chapter House at 10 a.m.

September 4, 2025
To the Editor and the community: On behalf of the Boca Grande Historical Society, we thank you for your support. We understand the impact the two recent hurricanes have had on our community and t…

September 4, 2025
FIVE YEARS AGO The First Annual Sandbar Music Festival was held between Pine Island and Cayo Costa. TEN YEARS AGO Permits and licensing had been procured for season two of the Boca Grande F…