Traveling the Paradise Trail for 97 Years by Lois Bolin, Ph.D., Old Naples Historian

Trailblazers Opened Paradise 97 Years Ago

On April 25, 1928, Governor John W. Martin launched a 450 car motorcade on a one-day journey from Tampa to Everglades City in celebration of the opening of the Tamiami Trail. The Everglades’ greatest day was also a fulfillment of the governor’s 1925 campaign promise to have the highway completed during his administration — “come hell or high water.”

Trailblazers Never Quit
There was barely a mile of the Tamiami Trail in existence when Collier County was formed in 1923, because the State of Florida had some rather unrealistic ideas on how roads were
to be built. Each town was to sell bonds to finance the road’s construction, which was fine —if you lived in Dade County and had the population to support such bonds. But if you lived in a sparsely populated spot like Collier County, that wasn’t likely to happen.

In 1923, to “un-stall” the Trail talks yet again, a group of 23 men dubbed the “Tamiami Trailblazers” along with two Seminole guides took on a public relations campaign to
draw attention to the need for a road and decided to cross the Everglades in cars.

This journey from Carnestown (near State Road 29) to the Dade County line was to take four days. It took 23. To say their Model Ts got stuck is a blind flash of the obvious, but these men did not know the word “quit.” It took 17 hand-built bridges and eight miles of paths through dense cypress forest with their food and gas dropped to them by bomber aircrafts, to complete their adventure and get the Trail talks back on track.

But the building of one of the greatest feats in Florida hit a snag again in August 1926. That’s when Governor Martin stepped in to lend a hand with his “come hell or high water”
battle cry. With 31 miles to go and a million dollars of Barron Collier’s money already spent, crews discovered the next section of the planned road was solid rock, unlike the sand they’d been working on until then.

Not only that, but the land boom in Florida was at its peak, and turnover among workers on the Trail was about 50 percent a month. As one story goes, when Mr. Collier was asked how
many shifts he had working, he replied, “Three: one coming down from Tampa, one on the job and one on the way back to Tampa.”

At the End of the Road
At a cost of $8 million, or about $25,000 a mile, the Tamiami Trail formally opened to traffic on April 26, 1928, marking the first time in history that motor vehicles could move over land across the southern tip of Florida.

The entire Trail was once listed on the National Scenic Byways Program, which recognizes highways that are outstanding examples of our nation’s beauty, history, culture and recreational experience -but that’s another story.

Regardless, this achievement, which has been likened to the building of a scaled-down Panama Canal, workers had to go through hell and high water to ultimately connect people to the magic of this place we call home.

Paradise Happenings
The Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation, in cooperation with Flags of Honor Escort, presents the Gold Star Families Memorial Ride from April 4th to the 12th, and will stop at Cambier Park on April 10th at Noon followed by Freedom Park at 2 p.m. The Gold Star Families Memorial Ride brings together motorcyclists to recognize our Gold Star families, remember those who paid the ultimate price defending our country, and honor our Veterans. For more information contact Golda Trantham of Operation Vet Help at 828-242-5028.

3rd Annual Vinnie’s Wounded Vet Run on April 5 with proceeds benefiting Vinnie’s charities. Registration from 9:30 at Foxboro’s with kickstands up at 11:30 am for their 25 mile ride to Stan’s located in Goodland.

Naples Take a Soldier Fishing, one of Collier’s most beloved veterans’ charities, is having their first event on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at the Quarry located at 8950 Weathered Stone Dr, Naples, FL 34120. For More Information Contact Matt Vaill at 239-776-2218.

239 LIVE. You can now cruise the Tamiami Trail and listen to Naples newest podcast for up-to-the minute happenings in SWFL every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. Fun Fridays are the best with trailblazer Host, Tim Guerrette, Co-Host Patrick Jira, and Lois Bolin aka Dr. Bo. Paradise never sounded so good.

Happy 97th Birthday from the millions who have traveled this trail to paradise.