Rich in tradition and sustained with a goal of excellence, The Useppa Island Club has set standards designed to protect the long legacy of this beautiful island. The history of the island however, is much deeper than the Island Club alone. Long before the days of Barron Collier, Useppa played an active role in the emerging new world.

Continuously inhabited for ten thousand years, Useppa was home to nomadic peoples who roamed in search of food in prehistoric times. About ten thousand years ago, the Calusa civilization arose to become one of the most sophisticated native societies to have evolved in North America.

Useppa was a major stronghold of the Calusa tribe, where native people developed a complex society complete with extensive use of tools, use of the natural resources of the surrounding sea, and both cultural and religious development. Even today, visitors to Useppa can see evidence of the Calusa legacy in the many grand "shell-midden" mounds found throughout the island. Several archeological digs have been conducted on the island, in concert with researchers from the University of Florida. Some of the findings have been archived in the Useppa Island Historical Society's museum.

The Calusa nation, however, met its demise with the arrival of explorers from the New World By the time Ponce de Leon led a Spanish expedition to Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth in 1513, the Calusa had a highly developed maritime culture which dominated all of south Florida. Within 200 years of the arrival of the Europeans, the Calusa Culture had become extinct and faded into history.

Centuries later, the waters around Useppa and the surrounding barrier islands are popularly thought to have been populated by fierce pirates seeking bounty and treasures. In one of the area's most important myths, legend has it that in the late 1700s, a Spanish pirate named Jose Gaspar kidnapped and imprisoned a Spanish princess named Joseffa de Mayorga. Gaspar the Pirate is said to have favored Joseffa over all the many women he had captured in his ocean conquests. When his attempts to capture Joseffa's heart were met with contempt, Gaspar used Useppa Island to imprison the proud princess, and the isle came to be known as "Joseffa's Island." Over many ensuing years, legend says that the changing local dialects gradually morphed "Joseffa" into "Useppa," giving the island it's unique name today.

After centuries of occasional use by fisherman and hardy adventurers, the island was acquired by Chicago streetcar magnate John M. Roach in 1894. Roach built a residence to escape the cold winters of his northern home. Soon his tycoon friends discovered his island hideaway, and convinced him to build a hotel on Useppa so they could also share in his good fortune. One of Roach's guests was the legendary New York advertising executive, entrepreneur, and wealthy Florida land owner Barron G. Collier.

Collier eventually developed much of Southwest Florida, and built the famous "Tamiami Trail" highway between Tampa and Miami. He fell in love with Useppa on his first visit in 1906 and acquired the property, turning it into a classic turn-of-the-century getaway for many industry giants, political bigwigs, and even Hollywood celebrities who escaped to Useppa for her infamous tranquility, elegant accommodations, first-class cuisine, and unsurpassed tropical beauty. Thus began the modern tradition still with us today.

In 1908 the Izaak Walton Club was founded, solidifying Useppa's important role in the area's world-famous tarpon fishing industry, and for some years Useppa served as the private vacation estate of Collier. Some of the notables who frequented Useppa during the "Golden Years" were; The Vanderbilts, Herbert Hoover, Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Gloria Swanson, Shirley Temple and Zane Grey to name a few. The island was later abandoned and used by the U.S. government as a base for the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Gar Beckstead, Useppa's current owner, purchased the island in 1976 and set upon the task of restoring it to its former elegance. New discoveries and the island's unique beauty led to the re-opening of the Useppa Island Club in 1976. Beckstead has owned Useppa Island longer than any other owner, and has dedicated his time here to preserving the island's rich history and legacy of excellence.

In August of 2004, Hurricane Charley devastated the island, causing massive damage to Useppa's lands and property in the wake of its 145 mph winds. The Useppa community rose to the challenge, rebuilding the island under the direction of current CEO Timothy Fitzsimmons.

Today, Useppa is not only restored to it's fabled elegance and pristine beauty, it is now recognized as being even grander and more refined than in years past.

Useppa will always be run in the Old-Florida style of elegant charm that its history dictates. The Useppa Island Club and its individual property owners continue to be driven by a vision of excellence founded on the island's centuries-old tradition of gracious hospitality, and it's long legacy of historical significance.

Useppa Island Historical Society