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
Looks like Mr. Shark (hanging on the left) had a bad day along with Mr. Manta.
ReplyDeleteThe picture is dated 1915, long before there were any dependable roads down the West Coast, and the railroad didn’t get extended from Fort Myers until December of 1926.
http://www.swfloridanrhs.org/history.htm
Construction on the "Tamiami Trail" did not even begin until 1915 and was put on hold for a few years in 1919 due to lack of funds.
The Tamiami Trail officially opened on April 25, 1928.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamiami_Trail
Steamships (and probably still a few sailing ships) used the “Old Pier” as a landing and shipping point for both passengers and freight. It’s just an educated guess, but perhaps the lower level helped to facilitate those activities.
Having been a guest at the “Old Naples Hotel” in 1957 (not the Beach Club), I seem to recall being told stories of mule drawn supply wagons, and small carts on rails; the latter being used to deliver passengers and luggage the 2 blocks from the pier right down the middle of what is now 12th Ave. South, to the main/lobby entrance of the hotel.
(I’ll bet the “Banyan Tree” was a puppy.)
Seagate Homeboy
Dare I order a martini?
The Naples Pier did indeed have two levels back in the day. As stated above..it was for the unloading and loading of passengers and merchandise.
ReplyDeleteThe stingray hide was used then...for belts and some shoes. It was a exotic commodity for New York manufacturers back then.
They would have to add at least a third deck if they were pulling up some "Devil Fish" at a time when I was there!
ReplyDelete