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Community History


October 9, 2025
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY George Eliot, famous novelist, poet, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian Era, said that “Animals are such agreeable friends – they as…

October 9, 2025
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board approved two projects at their Wednesday, Oct. 8 meeting. Lee County Planner Marysue Groth presented the house renovation projects, both of which detailed…

October 9, 2025
Above, shrimp boats in a historic photo at the  Florida State Library and Archives. The Capt. Shea and R.R. Rice are pictured in this undated promotional image. Florida Memory project Lee County…

October 9, 2025
FIVE YEARS AGO Written and produced by Erica Ress Martin and directed by Priscilla Masselink, “Boca Boys” debuted on YouTube TV. TEN YEARS AGO The Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florid…

October 2, 2025
The Oct. 8 Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board meeting, set for 10 a.m., will include discussion of house elevations, including this one on Palm Avenue.                                         …

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…