Last Stop Paradise
By Janina Birtolo
Photography Courtesy Of the Collier County Museums
The Orange Blossom Special- all aboard
for paradise. That was the basic idea behind
opening the new rail line from Arcadia to
Naples in 1926—it would serve as the final
leg that "would bring a lot of winter
visitors to Southwest Florida," says mary
Margaret Gruszka, volunteer coordinator
for the Collier County Museum System.
S. Davies Warfield, President of the Seaboard Air Line Railway (and Uncle of
Wallis Simpson Warfield, who soon after became the Duchess of Windsor),
funded the construction of the depot in Naples, convinced that his wealthy
friends would enjoy relief from the northern winters as well as business
opportunities transporting produce from Southwest Florida. "He even
instructed seaboard to buy the Naples Hotel, because he had visions of
making Naples the Miami of the West Coast," says Gruszka.
The train's very name evokes images of a more romantic
time and a more elegant way for travelers from the
Northeast to make their way to Naples and Fort Myers,
and the train itself did not disappoint. Warfield had
spared no expense in making the Special the crème de la
crème of trains. The five trains known as Orange Blossom
Specials were all-Pullman trains, each with an observation
library car, its own barber and manicurist, valet and maid
services, and even writing desks stocked with specially
scented (orange blossoms, naturally) stationery.
The Orange Blossom had actually gone into service
in November 1925, but it was not until a little more
than a year later—on January 7, 1927—that folks
in Southwest Florida got the chance to witness the
much-anticipated train's arrival. The trip was a
celebration of the laying of rail lines from Arcadia
to Naples, the completion of the depot in Fort
Myers and the opening of the Naples Depot.
On that inaugural journey, crowds of hundreds to
thousands greeted the train at stops from Arcadia
to Fort Myers to Estero to Bonita Springs to Naples.
And each community-minded group attempted to
put its best foot forward, by showering the visiting
dignitaries (including then-Governor of Florida
John Martin) with local produce, flowers and fish.
When the train reached the Naples Depot, however,
the long-winded speeches along the route had
delayed the Blossom so long that the planned
presentations could not take place. Instead, Mayor
E.G. Wilkinson led the visitors to the Naples Hotel
for a grand lunch accompanied by lemonade (due
to Prohibition). Afterwards, the mayor took
Warfield and several others on boat rides on
resulting Depression pushed Seaboard into receivership
in the 1930s, which coincided with a crash of the
Florida land boom. By the time the state started to
recover in the 1940s, Seaboard was happy to sell its
lines to its former competitor, the Atlantic Coast Line.
Then came World War II.
"The depot was closed during World War II," Gruska
says, "and used as a USO club on Saturday nights.
Naples Bay, while the other passengers made their
way to the beach.
The entourage eventually made its way back to the
depot for the return trip to Fort Myers, where evening
festivities were planned. "But the depot was not fully
finished," Gruszka reports. "They hadn't completed
the wye (the turnaround point for the train) so the
train had to back up all the way to Fort Myers."
Sadly, Warfield never did see his grand visions for the
Orange Blossom Special—or for Southwest Florida—
fully materialize. The stock market crash of 1929 and
After the war, Naples leaders lobbied Atlantic to reopen
the depot."
The message got through and in December 1952,
daily freight and passenger train service resumed
on Atlantic's sleek new West Coast Champion—
intended to eclipse memories of the Orange
Blossom Special. Unfortunately, competition from
cars and planes soon started to take a toll. The last
train left Naples on April 21, 1971.
The depot itself had been heralded as one of the
finest examples of architecture in Naples when it was built, however, it now stood the risk of being
abandoned or demolished. Fortunately, the Naples
City Council and the Naples Jaycees believed that was
an unworthy fate for a building that had served the
community so well and so grandly. The Jaycees took
the lead in preserving the depot, and on September
10, 1974, they succeeded in achieving recognition for
the facility on the Register of Historic Places.
In 1975, a group of interested locals formed Southwest
Heritage, Inc., and after conducting an $800,000 fund
drive, took over responsibility for the depot. Under
idea the group's direction, the building was restored and reconfigured to host meetings and social events. The Naples Garden Club secured the front of the building for its events, and the United Arts Council of Collier County rented space for its offices.
Once again, however, the changes brought by time eventually had a negative effect. More and newer venues led to a decline in demand for the depot to host meetings and social events, and the United Arts Council outgrew its small space and moved on.
"Southwest Heritage saw the depot going into decline," notes Gruszka, "so in 2004, they approached the county commissioners with the
idea to convert the building into the central hub
for our growing museum system." On April 1, 2005,
the county signed a 90-year lease with the goal of
making the depot a focal point in the Fifth Avenue
South redevelopment."
The county has already made significant progress in
restoring the building to its initial state. Stucco and
roof tiles have been replaced, and the front doors
are once again functional. On September 22, 2006,
the Naples Depot re-opened as the newest Collier
County Museum.
Since then, the depot has hosted a number of events,
including a USO-reminiscent event on Veteran's Day
(which Gruszka says was so successful it's planned to
become an annual event) and an NAACP exhibition
and living history program. On January 7, 2007, an
80th anniversary celebration was held.
The Orange Blossom Special may be only a memory
now, but thanks to renewed interest in the Naples
Depot, a special part of Naples' history has been
preserved.
For more information on the Naples Depot, call 262-1776 or visit
www.colliermuseum.com. The program about this landmark is scheduled to air on WGCU Public Media at 8:30 p.m. on April 27,
at 6:30 p.m. on April 28 and at 11 p.m. on April 29. Please check your
local listings to verify dates and times, or visit www.wgcu.org.
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