The barrier islands including Captiva were originally inhabited by the Calusa Indians. The bountiful resources of the area supported them for thousands of years until they were wiped out by Spanish conquistadors. Later, the islands became a haven for pirates as they offered a place to repair war damaged ships as well as protection from the perils of the sea. Local rumor has it that the Gasparilla Islands are named after pirate Jose’ Gaspar and Captiva Island derived its name as a result of the many females imprisoned and ransomed on the island during this time.
At the turn of the 20th century farming was prevalent on the islands and was one the main economic forces. In 1921 a strong hurricane washed over the island creating Redfish Pass and officially divided the island of Captiva. A second hurricane 5 years later again heavily damaged the barrier islands and permanently separated North Captiva from Captiva. Much of the fertile farm land was destroyed when it was covered with beach sand that had washed inland. With crops destroyed and lands ruined many inhabitants were forced to leave and sell their lands for a fraction of what they were previously worth. Population on the island declined as people left their old life behind.
After a while the island became home to a processing facility of Punta Gorda Fish Company and now it has become a tourist destination attracting thousands of visitors trying to escape the chaos of everyday life.
In the 1960’s 10 homes were constructed on the island with that number swelling to around 50 during the 1970’s. In 1975, in order to preserve a part of “old florida” from over development, the state of florida aquired about half of the island (totaling about 350 acres) and created a state park and sactuary. The majority of the southern portion of the island is no longer able to be developed but the northern portion continues to grow.
At present just under 400 homes have currently been built with a maximum of around 450 anticipated.
Today, residents and visitors walk the miles of unspoiled beaches, wander through acres of protected wilderness and enjoy a slower pace of life.