Table of Contents
Acknowledgements 7
Introduction: History of the Last Frontier 11
Part I Everglades City
Carnestown: The Welcome Center 31
Collier County Courthouse, aka Everglades City Hall 32
Bank of Everglades 34
Collier's Town Laundry Building Blossoms into Museum of the Everglades 37
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot 40
The Everglades Inn: Sixty-three Years of Memories 41
The Ivey House: From Recreation Hall to Bed-and-Breakfast 43
Everglades Community Church: The Friendly Little Church on the Circle 44
Everglades City Schools, K-12 46
The Rod & Gun Club's Colorful History 48
Everglade Pioneer
David Graham Copeland: The Driving Force Behind the Last Frontier 51
Colorful Character
Harriet Bedell, Deaconess of the Everglades 52
Part II Special Events
Annual Seafood Festival 57
Everglades National Park Dedication, 1947 59
Hollywood Comes to the Last Frontier 61
Hurricanes in the Last Frontier 63
Operation Everglades: Last of the "Square Grouper" 66
Part III Chokoloskee Island
Smallwood Trading Post with Indians 69
Chokoloskee Island Schools 72
Chokoloskee Island Cemeteries 74
Chokoloskee Church of God: Ninety-seven Years of Ministry 78
Chokoloskee Pioneers
C.G. McKinney: The Sage of Chokoloskee 80
The Charles Sherod "Ted" Smallwood Family 85
A.C. Hancock: School Boat Builder 88
Colorful Characters
Loren G. "Totch" Brown 91
Edgar Watson and Big Six Hannah 95
Part IV Copeland, Jerome and Lee-Cypress
Cypress Logging Industry 99
Janes Restaurant, Copeland Market and the Post Office 102
Copeland Baptist Church 103
Colorful Characters
Frances Hodge and the Bula Baptist Mission 105
Annie Mae Perry, Midwife to Over Five Hundred Children 109
Part V Ochopee
Booming Town 113
Ochopee Landmark: Home of the Smallest Post Office 114
Colorful Character
Mama Hokie, aka Clara McKay 117
Bibliography 121
About the Author 127