Pine Island General Information & History

Southwest Florida's Undiscovered Tropical Paradise

Nestled in the sparkling waters between Sanibel Island and Cape Coral lies Florida's best kept secret--Pine Island. Imagine an island where buildings are no taller than a coconut palm tree, yards and gardens are filled with tropical fruits and flowers, and dolphins play in the canal outside your back door.  These are all to be found on Pine Island.  The largest island on Florida's west coast, Pine Island has vigorously resisted change and one will find no massive high rise buildings, crowded streets or traffic jams on the island.  Many times the loudest sound you will hear is the blue heron's cry as he glides down the mangrove lined canals.  In the distance pelicans dive for small fish and dolphins play in the abundant waters nearby.  Pine Island is home to thousands of species of  birds, fish and mammals which co-exist in harmony with the Islands residents.  Preservation of nature is a prime concern to residents who construct nesting platforms for the many osprey that inhabit the island.  Pine Island is 17 miles long and about 2 miles wide and stretches from Charlotte Harbor in the north to San Carlos Bay in the south.

HISTORY

 Pine Island and the surrounding islands rose from the sea approximately 24 million years ago and soon became a lush tropical forest.  the surrounding waters teemed with abundant sealife, making Pine Island a virtual paradise for fishermen, who have inhabited its shores for about the last 6000 years.  Pine Island has a history as rich as it's culture.  It is the kingdom of the mighty Calusa (or Caloosa) Indian Nation that inhabited this island for a thousand years before the Egyptians built the Great Pyramids.  The Calusas arrived in dugout canoes and found a land abundant with fish and wildlife, where they had no trouble finding food.  They used large seashells to dig a canal across Pine Island, allowing them to easily reach the waters of Matlacha Pass and the Caloosahatchee River.  That canal is still evident today, as are many of the artifacts preserved in the Museum of the Islands at Pine Island Center.  The Calusas flourished for thousands of years on Pine Island until the arrival of Spanish Explorers, who were following the rich trading routes.  They anchored their vessels nearby and loaded and unloaded supplies and ballast.  The Spanish brought diseases to the mighty Calusas, who died out within 200 years, leaving behind only their artifacts and shell mounds which can still be seen today.  By the mid 1700s the Calusa Empire had vanished and Pine Island was inhabited by Spanish fishermen who left in the early 1840s when Florida became part of the United States and a few early American settlers arrived.  Until the mid 1920s the population of Pine Island was still less than 200 people and the only access to the island was by boat from the mainland.  In 1927 a wooden bridge was opened and soon the first automobiles rolled onto the paths once trod only by Indian moccasins.  This bridge lasted until 1968 when a modern steel drawbridge was opened allowing better automobile access to the area.  Today a modern road connects Pine Island with the mainland, and Pine Island is only a short drive from Southwest Florida International Airport, as well as Cape Coral and Fort Myers.  Pine Island has several small towns:  Matlacha, Bokeelia, Pineland, and St. James City, each with it's own unique style and flavor.