Marco Island projects prominently from Floridas mainland at the peninsulas southwestern fringe, where the waters of the Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico commingle. Its tropical climate, verdant landscape, unique topography, and abundant wildlife sustained prehistoric Native American cultures for centuries. The first pioneer settlers arrived in 1870, carving out a niche on the harsh Florida frontier. Bustling villages soon sprang up on the island, bolstered by strong leaders and economies centered around farming and fishing. The crash of Floridas land boom, along with the Great Depression, devastating hurricanes, and a series of failed developments, ultimately stunted the islands growth. Most of Marco Island was sold to the Deltona Corporation in 1964, which transformed the island into a place its early residents might find unrecognizable. Despite Marco Islands common distinction as the largest of Floridas Ten Thousand Islands, there are only 12 square miles of land upon which to wandermaking the enormity of its history all the more remarkable.
