Page 18 - LIN M-J-J-2023 web-low

On site at Smallwood Store and his father,
Stanley Hanson, the White Medicine man, below.
Photos Courtesy of Woody Hanson.

Here to Help:
White Medicine Man Style

Smallwood Store, Woody Hanson.
His father, Stanley Hanson,
the White Medicine man.
by Lois Bolin, Ph.D., Old Naples Historian

homas Jefferson, one of our nation’s Marco Island
founders, said, “The government Before you get to EC, there is a turn off called Collier Blvd.,
T closest to the people serves the people which is home to the Marco Island Historical Museum and the
best.” Ronald Reagan said, some 210 years beautiful new Veterans’ Community Park. From May 4 - August 5,
later, that the nine most terrifying words the Museum, located on 180 S Heathwood Dr. will host the
in the English language are: I'm from the Exhibit: The Queen of Marco & the Creation of
government and I’m here to help. Collier County.
While Reagan is credited with this saying, I suspect this This queen, Tommie Barfield, was a determined woman who
feeling has been etched in the memory banks of humans brought roads, ferries, and schools to this barrier island in the early
throughout history. After the Civil War, a.k.a. War Between the 20th century. Her vital role as a lobbyist for Barron Gift Collier,
States, folks migrated as far south as they could to Florida’s Last convinced the Florida legislature to create Collier County in 1923.
Frontier, a.k.a. Collier County, to escape the helping hand of the This must-see exhibit will share this remarkable story.
government. When Collier was carved from Lee County in 1923, Visit www.colliermusuems.com or call (239) 252-1440. Hopefully there
Everglades City (EC) and Chokoloskee was about as far away will be a concert in Veterans Park -if not- there are lots of things to do at
from the government as they could get. 901 Park Avenue. Visit www.Cityof MarcoIsland.com for more info.
Everglades City and Chokoloskee Here to Help
EC and Chokoloskee are nestled between Everglades National As you will learn when you visit EC and Chokoloskee, these
Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, the 10,000 Islands and the founding pioneers did not want government interference a.k.a.
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. government help. They just wanted to be left alone.
That’s a lot to see so plan on staying for a while in Everglades All of Collier County will soon be dealing with a type of
City (EC) at the famous Rod & Gun Club, started by Rob interference called, Home Rule, if our legislators did not pass it in
Storter in the early 1870s and refined by our county’s namesake, the dark of the night. Now being tagged as “the preemption to end
Barron Gift Collier, in 1923. EC has its own charm with its own all preemption bills,” HB1515. If passed, it will mark a sea change
unique character and cast of characters – just like Chokoloskee. in the way Florida has evolved from a state of fewer than 7 million
Chokoloskee Island is just a tad southeast from EC. As far as residents in 1970 to the nation’s third most populous now,
its locals are concerned, their history starts with Smallwood Store with more than 22 million.”
and Ted Smallwood – a must see and if you are lucky, the store’s The purpose of home rule is to allow for local solutions to local
newest asset will be there. issues. A municipality with home rule status can exercise any power
Southern Cracker Docent and perform any function unless it is specifically prohibited by
Woody Hanson is a rare kind of Southwest Florida, Florida state law.
Historian. His family founded Ft. Myers, and he has thousands In contrast, a non-home rule municipality may only exercise
of documents to prove it. His maternal great-great grandfather powers for which express authority is provided by state law – key
was Manuel A. Gonzalez, Fort Myers' first permanent settler and word authority. This means that non-home rule communities are
his paternal great-grandfather, Dr. William Hanson, was Thomas dependent on obtaining grants of authority from the General
Edison's doctor. Woody’s grandfather, W. Stanley Hanson, “The Assembly, meaning getting approval from the people we elected
White Medicine Man” was an adviser to the Seminole and locally.
Miccosukee tribes until his death in 1945. Was Jefferson, right? “The government closest to the people
This Southern gentleman is a cross between Ashley Wilkes serves the people best.” Wonder what the pioneers of Florida’s Last
with a touch of Rhett Butler, to make him interesting. Add a dash Frontier would think of our current legislators?
of Andy Griffith (love of fishing) and Steve Douglas (not 3 but 5
sons) and there you have it- Smallwood Store’s newest docent.
You can visit him Monday - Sunday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
this May - August at 360 Mamie Street, Chokoloskee.
Visit www.SmallwoodStore.com or call 239-695-2898

18 Life in Naples | May/June/July 2023