The Proposed
Causeway of 1924
In
the late 1950s when Hugo Lindgren proposed a causeway to link Sanibel to the
main land at Punta Rassa, it was met with much opposition from islanders. They
expressed their concerns of how a bridge would ruin the tranquil quiet island
lifestyle. After much debate and controversy the Causeway opened in May, 1963.
It was said by long time residents that Sanibel lost its innocence once the
bridge opened. “This place almost died,” proclaimed well-known resident Francis
Bailey in 1988 when reflecting about the bridge; but did they know in 1924 a
bridge was proposed and islanders were in favor of it?
Captiva’s New
Subdivision
In
late October 1924, M. C. Williford owned property on Captiva known to be a
great fishing spot. The Fort Myers Press reported “This land lies three and
one-half miles from Punta Rassa, as the crow flies and a state and county road
each cross it. It is high and dry and has good drainage and was untouched by
the hurricane of 1921.”
Williford
decided to plot his entire tract of 160 acres into 100 lots that would become
the Tarpon Bay Subdivision, now known as Tarpon Bay neighborhood. Four avenues
ran east and west, and in the middle of the tract a four-acre park complete
with “graveled walks, flowery beds, and tropical trees.”
The
land was cleared and Davison & Sons began to plot the property which was to
be “the finest island subdivisions in Lee county.”
Perhaps
Williford knew there was proposed scenic loop that included a bridge to Sanibel
and would make his lots an easy sell. Although the paper stated “Island lots
are hard to buy; most of the island has been bought up by northern capitalists
who are not selling their holdings,” Williford wanted his lots available to the
public.
Scenic Loop
In
1924 there was already a bridge connecting the mainland to Crescent Beach
(today Fort Myers Beach), with a toll fluctuating around $0.50 to $1.50. Yet
there was no bridge to get to the islands; even the ferries that ran across the
bay was a fairly new business. News of a Sanibel bridge was not made public
until October of 1924, but for months prior it was the topic of conversation
around the islands as well as the mainland.
Unlike
the resistance to a bridge in the early 1960s, the possibility of a bridge in
1924 was well favored by the islanders.
An
article in the Fort Myers Press, on the front page, made the official
announcement that a bridge was forthcoming. “Bridge To Sanibel To Be Link In
Beautiful Lee County Scenic Loop,” was the headline. “The people of Sanibel
Island,” it was reported, “are progressive and the roads on Sanibel are hard
surfaced and will put to shame some so-called hard roads on the mainland. They
have long desired connection with the mainland by bridge, and soon, no doubt, their
desire will be gratified.”
The
proposed plans were for a draw bridge that would be similar to the one at
Crescent Beach at that time, with the major difference being no toll would be
collected.
The
scenic loop idea was to “make Fort Myers the most attractive spot in the United
States.” The loop would begin in Fort Myers along McGregor Boulevard to Punta
Rass where a bridge would link to Sanibel. From Sanibel, cross the bridge to
Captiva where another bridge (yet to exist) would go from the island over the
bay to Matlacha, then down to Pine Island, then the Edison Bridge going over
the Caloosahatchee River which comes back to McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers.
It
was to be “the most beautiful automobile drive in the entire south, and one of
the most enchanting in the whole world.”
Bridges Today
Unfortunately
the Sanibel Causeway did not come into existence until 1963, some 40 years
later, and there is no bridge from Captiva to Matlacha. Although there are no
bridges, there are still numerous scenic routes throughout Lee County. With gas
prices once again at a low, gather the family, fuel up the car, and take a ride
along McGregor, go over to Sanibel and drive out to Captiva. Enjoy the sights,
take in the warm weather, and imagine what the scenic route would be like had a
bridge been built across the bay from the islands.
