Goodland Celebrates 75 Years

Goodland celebrated its 75th birthday on Saturday, April 6. Festivities included a Spring Fling Community Picnic and birthday-themed cakes, banners, and balloons. The celebration is one to be remembered, commemorating the rich history of its lively residents and culture.  

Goodland was originally inhabited by the Clausa Indians, and in the 1800s, it fittingly became a fishing community with the abundant natural resources surrounding it. Goodland’s location among the Ten Thousand Islands made it an ideal station for fishing and trade. Shrimping, oystering, and crabbing played an economic cornerstone for the winsome community. 

John H. Roberts was the first pioneer settler at Goodland, naming the community after its fertile soil. In 1885, Roberts started the Tropical Fruit and Vegetable Company which he later sold to Alexander Pettit. Pettit and one of his seven sons single-handedly built a shell road from Goodland to the swing bridge that connected to Marco. Goodland Drive now follows the same path that Pettit created in 1938. 

The heirs of Barron G. Collier decided Goodland would be an ideal spot to create a small fishing community, therefore, the complete village of Caxambas was literally moved to Goodland in 1949. Over the course of several months, a truck transported 26 families along with their homes, the post office, and general store. The Collier Corporation relocated the families free of charge in exchange for payments towards lots in Goodland. Some of the original Caxambas houses still stand, making it one of the only places in the area that resembles its copious history, especially compared to Marco Island, which has been drastically transformed. 

Today, Goodland is home to around 400 year-round residents with the preferred mode of transportation being golf carts - unless they are boating, that is. With local hotspots like Stan’s Idle Hour and Little Bar, Goodland is packed with artistic and dynamic entertainment. Their slogan is “quietly resisting change since 1949”, with residents wanting nothing more than to keep their renowned fishing village the vibrant way it is.