Breakin' Rocks In The Hot Sun...

I guess this is kinda like having a ticket stub to Woodstock. If you lived here back then you remember how much fun Halloween could be (well maybe for people that ran faster)? All in all a very good night especially when my friends Kenny & Glen got to meet my dad at the police station (I would mention their last names but have caught way too much grief for naming names). If you were there & have ever felt guilty about anything don't, to quote something somewhere I paid for you sins. :):):)

Naples Oldest Tradition Swamp Buggy Days

I'm not affiliated with Lila Zuck or any historical organization. This book is worth your time to look into Lila has definitely put a ton of time into it & done her homework. Two people on my reference bored recommended it to me & neither have misguided me on anything Naples yet. If you're into old Naples this book is pretty darn good I don't think its in any bookstores yet but you can order one here.

http://www.ecity-publishing.com/CollierHistorical.htm

The Dome

This place was a local landmark and hangout in Bonita Springs for over 50 years.

If you ever drove from Naples to Fort Myers on Highway 41 (like to McDonalds for French Fries, or the Edison commute, or maybe even the "Bee Hive" on Friday night) this is one sight that you couldn’t miss right on the Tamiami Trail.

The shake roof was orange and the stem & leaves on the top were green to resemble an . . . .

Judging by the cars in the photo it looks like this was taken in the late 50’s.

In later years it had become a tavern and game room. Sadly it was torn down in 1992.

photo credit: Jenny McLenon-Lindsey and USF Libraries Digitization Center

Not that ol’ Seagate Homeboy had any personal history there, but there was just this one time in 1970 . . .

Evolution Of The Swamp Buggy Buck

I'm really kinda lame in my explanation of the Swamp Buggy Buck if you can do better please have at it in the comments section below. As far as I know merchants printed & sold them to raise money for what I don't know. I'm at a loss other than knowing they existed I was too young to grow a beard & wouldn't have parted with my allowance for one. No way anyone would get my dollar for mowing our yard & trimming that damn Brazilian pepper hedge. Besides that sap from that hedge usually stuck to my money & anything else I owned. People would ask whats that stuff on your hands & I would tell them I got a little happy with that Testor's Model Glue putting together a Mustang model. Then came the reply that I was probably sniffing more than I was gluing...

Bucks courtesy Gerry Johnson aka Scorpio By The Pier
See Gerry's comments for the history of the Swamp Buggy Buck!

Seagate near the beach, then and now . . .

Not much goin' on in 1959. The canal had been "draglined" a little but there were no seawalls. The little beach house was pretty cool; not much more than a roof, frame walls and jalousie windows (it was essentially blown away in "Donna"). The road was private, there was even a gate and a sign that said "members only". The beach was free though, and a few people would park at the gate and walk. When I say a few, I mean a few a week!!! The gate was visible from my mom's kitchen window and she kinda kept tabs on the comings and goings.

I can still remember the sound of the breeze through those Australian Pines . . . .


Flash forward 50 years . . .


(Tip o' the hat to Brookside Homeboy for helping me with the math, I thought it was only 40 years! Sigh . . . it seems like yesterday).

Yeah, It was pretty neat 50 years ago . . . .

Seagate Homeboy
NHS Class of '67

Sorrento Gardens & Pine Ridge

Running left to right across the center of this photo is Pine Ridge Road. On the right side is Goodlette Road that dead ends @ Pine Ridge Road. At that intersection is Sterritt Egg Ranch (the group of buildings that look like silver train box cars). If you were here in the 60's or 70's you would usually run into your friends at Sterritt around Halloween. If you worked there you would probably think teenager's liked to make omelets or egg salad this time of year. Late October Sterritt did a brisk business, on November 1st egg shells decorated most of Naples especially around the pier area.

Map link to photo.
http://tinyurl.com/ylyqsg7

Photo courtesy of the Les Whitaker family.
Photo taken September 17th 1968

Seagate 1957

Back in the day you had better pack a lunch. Although it was only 6 miles from "4 corners", Seagate was thought to be quite a ways out of town.

Surrounded by palmetto, pine, and mangrove, it was home to raccoons, opossum, rattlesnakes, and even a few armadillo. In addition, there was a pair of American Eagles with a nest atop a towering pine right where the word residential appears in this picture.

Halloween's Almost Here!

It's Homeboy's mom decked out as a beer can with a pop top hat! She was my favorite Publix cashier, I knew half the town because in the 60's Publix was one of the only places to work part time after school. I hated high school & would always check out early but you had to have your parents permission to do so. The principal's office would call your parents to OK letting you leave school. My mom would get called off her cash register to take the call & it happened so often she told anyone who answered to just tell them its OK. So I'd usually get the OK from an unknown bag boy or whoever was close to the phone. You could always find her anywhere in the store by the sound of her laugh & twisted sense of humor. Having a beer can mom had its rewards, here's to you mom!
Part 1 of my Halloween in Naples 70's style.

Vanderbilt Beach Road @ Vanderbilt Drive & Naples Park

Photo taken from where the Ritz Carlton sits today looking northeast. Of interest in this photo is Trader Zeke's Marina (ran by Captain Jim Houser) on Center Street, long gone now. Interesting side note the little duplex motel rooms from there were moved to the lake between 107th Ave North & 108th. Probably more useless trivia but it's my job to be as useless as I possibly can. A person can never have enough useless information & if you visit here often your sure to get your fill!

PS: If you click the photo & blow it up you can also see the Trail Drive-In Theatre on 41 & 111th these color photos are stunning if you study them. Pay close attention there will be a test at the end of class.

Photo courtesy of the the Les Whitaker Jr. family.
Photo taken September 17th 1968

Before Mapquest, Bing Maps, Google Maps and....

These aerials are the easiest to post this one especially this one no property search, no Tiny URL and most of all no story. Just white line arrows pointing to your destination you're just lucky you didn't need the name of that golf course. I wish they could have at least named 35 of the 10,000 islands...
In the aerial photos there is usually dark patches that I thought were clouds above but it could be all these white arrows & names overhead with all that writing in the sky. Might be a case for Homeland Security...
To quote Elwood Blues, Whatta ya want for nothing a rubber bisquit?

Gulfshore Blvd North @ Hurricane Harbor

Map link:
http://tinyurl.com/ykqywgo
(It's not my fault Bing calls Hurricane Harbor the Gulf Of Mexico)
Photo courtesy of the Les Whitaker Jr. family.
Photo taken August 16th 1968

Port Royal & Gordon Pass

Port Royal truly was a cool drive in the 60's & 70's. You could catch a water view from any street, now all you get is lot line to lot line stucco mausoleums. You could ride a motorcycle in those empty lots for blocks these days backhoes & dump trucks seem magnetically attracted to this area....

Photo taken February 28th 1974

The Blue Barracuda...

This is my “first time” at the top of the page and I am flattered that Brookside Homeboy has allowed me to join him in this little reverie.

I will still post comments in the “Add your 2 cents” area (‘cause it’s easier), and you will likely see me up here from time to time, but that ol’ Brookside Homeboy is most definitely the “Perry White” of this rag...**

**Perry White was the Editor-in-Chief of the “Daily Planet”,

you know, from “Superman”.

-------------------------------------------------------

There were only two Barracudas in the whole town (I think). Mine was this dark blue 273 cu. in. 1967 "Formula S" shown parked in front of the Cove Inn circa 1969 (40 years ago? Are you kiddin' me?). Ron Hatcher/Stanley had a gold '65 (old body).

Then there was the night that the dark green ’69 Barracuda fastback from Rhode Island showed up. We looked like twins in the dark; except he was sporting a “383” and a license plate that read “GONE”.

There I was with my little “273” with the “‘solid lifters” stopped side by side with him, pointed north, at the Central Avenue red-light. We were both rapping our pipes, trying to be macho, and preparing for the inevitable....

Green Light!!!!! First gear... burning rubber, tires screaming. Power-shift into second gear... I’m starting to pull him just a little (my car was lighter than his 383)... 6700 RPM speed-shift into third gear (I was good, just ask anyone...) we’re neck and neck just approaching Dog ’n’ Suds, EVERYBODY heard us coming... And then... and then...

Officer Byron Tomlinson...

Siren, lights, spotlight, the whole 9 yards...

Yeah, right in front of Dog ’n” Suds.

Mr. "GONE" was told to leave town immediately and never come back.

Me, I got a stern warning from Byron who did the whole cop routine (really, he was good). Byron was a few years ahead of me at NHS making him about 24, and he had been NPD for a couple of years.

The entertainment value for the crowd watching from Dog ‘n’ Suds was, how you say... “priceless”.

"Thank you Byron for pulling me over ‘cause I was about to get beat, and thank you for not writing me a ticket, I’m sure you will have ample opportunity in the future".

I gave him that opportunity, about half an hour later ‘cept I was racing someone else coming from Publix headed south.

Man, you talk about busted...

This time, no warning, I got the ticket, a big one.... Dang, Byron, I was winning.

Thanks for not tossing me in jail....

Seagate Homeboy

11:24 p.m. PDT

Inter-County Telephone System

I always knew it as United Telephone Company I'm going by the name on a 1963 phone book that Dot Mclenon (the previous owner of Christmas Cottage @ 245 Broad Ave South) gave me. I spent HOURS sitting at their concrete benches at the corner of 5th & 8th. At 1st they had a table & out of town telephone books, they probably knew you might enjoy these too much & both disappeared over time. The out of town phone books disappearing really caught my eye & I figured it must be like a Stepford Wives (kids) thing. And it was like a plot so you'd never know about the world outside of 4 Corners.

Note to regular followers I've added Seagate Homeboy as an author to Real Naples. He's 5 years older than I & owned a dark blue Plymouth Barracuda. Growing up here I'd either be hitchhiking or walking & it never failed he'd always be driving the other way 24/7. We weren't close friends (back then I was a punk & he was a geezer, 5 years when your a teenager is similar to dog years) but he was easily out as much as me & he had wheels. I can't keep up with his attention to detail & am floored by his memory of 60's Naples. So here we sit 50 years on telling these twisted little tails of this twisted little town, there truly couldn't have been a better place on the planet to be a teenager!

Old Naples Way Before Hurricane Donna

Winn Dixie/Kwik Chek

710 9th Street North (or North 41) I don't have many Kwik/Chek stories my mom was a Publix cashier so you can figure where Homeboy's family loyalty was. I could piece together others stories but if you have a GOOD Kwik Chek story send it my way & I'll post it. I could tell Barry Johnson's water fountain story, Jeanie Rouse's cole slaw making story. I have bits & pieces of stories but we usually drove past it on the way to Publix. I know Publix was like going to Fort Myers but it was a 2 part trip pick up mom & grocery shop too.....
RE comments: I did not know Kwik Chek was formerly on 1st @ Hartleys!
More info from my reference bored, Pearlie Riner (I believe he was the city fire chief at one time also) opened the Trail Supermarket @ 1st & 41 in 1951. In May of 1958 sold it to Kwik Chek & then built the strip mall where Kwik Chek is in the above photo. Don't you just love this unknown little Naples history? Hi 5's to my commentor's & reference bored!

Lake Park Area & North 41

Of interest in this photo Pastrami Dan's original little restaurant (at least the building) across from Tropics Drive In. And the Ford dealer they had a parrot or macaw bird that would say Wanna Buy A Ford, Wanna Buy A Ford, when you walked in the front door. I think it said more like no money down or something like that but my memory starts to slip after all it was almost 50 years ago. Off in the distance Royal Castle & Chris' Gourmet Castle.
Home Girl's hood!
Map link for out of towner's!
http://tinyurl.com/yj7v6fy
Photo courtesy the Les Whitaker Jr. family.
Photo taken September 6th 1968
As usual please read the comments SH never fails me when it comes to details!

Broad Avenue South Postcards

Homeboy Warning: Viewing these Broad Avenue South photo's can cause nightmare's or cramps!

The Queen & The Badge 1974-75

Priscilla Schweppe quite a unique name for 60's Naples being most people here had nick names like Shorty, Dufuss, Bozo etc. I went to junior high & high school with Pris & can truly say she was one very funny person. If my memory serves me, I believe I met her in the hall outside of class that was usually where I met all my friends being that's where they would put you when you'd laugh too hard. I had a pretty funny Pris & I tailing a Naples Police car story but I ran out of wind & stopped typing. I think I'll have to hire another writer......
Pris told me after she did the queen dunking thing she was sick for some time after from a mouth full of Sippy hole water. I can't even imagine what all was in that water, can you?

Photo: Pris & I've got it on good reference it's Gary Hartford on the right.
Badge courtesy Bill Kilgore

The Pier Sometime In The 60's

You can see what I mean by more open ends at the beach heads. Also the growing number of rules & regulations back then.

Split Level Pier SUPWIFDAT?

This is totally NEW news to me I never heard there was a 2 level pier. See what I mean by the history of Naples gets told over & over about the same old things? Now this is just too interesting to me let alone them fishing up a 1980 Corvette body & the car wasn't even created yet! Learn your Naples history here at The Real Naples!

The lower level was probably created for those poor kids from Brookside, you know keep them greezers off the martini deck!

Photo courtesy Greg Whitaker

5th Avenue Postcards

The Record Bar @ 949 Central Avenue

What can I say, it was the the ONLY place to buy your records back in the day! Owned by Ron & Laverne Novak two wonderful human beings I loved these people. I had a running tab that they would let me pay off on pay day what more did a teenager need? The right side wall was filled with the top 100 Billboard albums (all of them) for that week as seen in the color photos. Records were a way of life for me I loved the darn things & still do. You always had to have scotch tape & pennies for your needle when it wore down. Especially when your spun your records backwards to try & figure out if Paul really was dead & if it really mattered anyway. Has anyone figured out how to spin the remastered Beatles CD's backwards yet? One of them had to be the Walrus, or that 28IF license plate on that VW was a lie......

Top photo left unknown person, right Brookside Homeboy.
Middle photo Craig Burnaugh & Andy Mclenon.
Photo's courtesy Paul Novak.

Pine Ridge And 2 Lane North 41

2 lane north 41, on the left side is the future Pelican Bay and the 2 lakes are Cardinal Lake (closest to 41) & the other is Mockingbird Lake in Pine Ridge. Here's a map link to this picture & you probably ask me homeboy, Do I look stupid I've lived here for blah, blah,blah? Keep in mind even most of my family has trouble recognizing anything in these photo's without any landmarks.
http://tinyurl.com/yaog6gn
Photo taken September 1968
Courtesy of the Les Whitaker Jr. family.

Naples Municipal Airport Part 2

And you thought I was kidding about the oil slick....