Tag: Boca Grande Historical Society

When radio came to Boca Grande: Gasparilla Island in the Roaring Twenties

BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTORBOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER The Roaring Twenties and The Jazz Age are just a few of the labels that historians have applied to this unique period of U.S. history....

Appreciating our regular island journalists

January 16, 2025
Garland Pollard
Editorial

The Boca Beacon is a community enterprise. It is part of a great American tradition, the independent, family-owned community weekly newspaper. This week, we want to thank the local contributors...

Port Noise Complaint: The conclusion to the story

BY MILTON BELLMilton Bell is a Boca Grande native, born October 26, 1950, who grew up on the property of the phosphate loading facility at Port Boca Grande. He is one of six children born to...

History: Some favorite personal memories of Boca Grande

BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTOR, BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER After many years of bringing my family to Florida for vacations, my wife and I decided to plan for our retirement, which included moving...

Remembering the old island school, and the era of the old Boca Grande Hotel

BY KIM KYLE AS TOLD FROM CHARLYN CRANDALL HEIDENREICH Charlyn Crandall Heidenreich and her brother, John, attended the Boca Grande School from 1945 to 1948. At the time, their father, John M....

Boca Grande Historical Society artifacts OK after Helene floodwaters

The Boca Grande Historical Society is moving its artifacts and papers off island, until its offices can be restored. During Hurricane Helene, a few inches of flood water came into their...

Tanks for the Memories: The evolution of water storage on the island

BY KAREN GRACE The late Capt. Fred Futch once said that although many people say the biggest change to the island came from the building of the bridge, he thought it was the formation of the...

Business and Real Estate: Signs point to restoration of historic Sharp compound Hacienda

The red-tile roofed estate just north of Fifth Street known as the Hacienda, has new signs for its restoration, courtesy of its contractor, Sarasota-based Ball Construction, Inc. Ron Marcotte...

1949: Boca Grande’s first newspaper, the Boca Grande Journal

BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTOR, BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER The year was 1949, when NATO was established, West Germany was created, the People’s Republic of China was formally proclaimed and the...

History: A primer on the school buildings of Boca Grande

BY KIM KYLE From 1893 to 1908 there was a school located on 4th Street in a frame building. The building may have also been used as a church. The first school on Gasparilla at the north end of...