Volume 16, Issue 3
March 2016
Cape Coral Chronicles
The Cape Coral Historical Society—Preserving Our City’s History
MARK YOUR
CALENDAR
Beware the Ides of March:
What is It?
Source: N.S. Gill, Ancient/Classical History Expert at About.com
Mar 8—2:30 PM
*Archaeology Month
Mar 9—1-4 PM
Garden Tours
Apr 2
Volunteer Luncheon
Palmetto-Pine CC
Apr 12—2:30 PM
*Homesteaders of
Mound House on
Fort Myers Beach
Apr 13—1-4 PM
Garden Tours
May 10—2:30 PM
Museum Open
House - Members
*Monthly Meeting
The Ides of March is a day on the traditional Roman calendar that corresponds to the date of March 15 on our current calendar.
The Roman calendar did not number days of an individual month sequentially
from first to last as is done today. Rather than sequential numbering, the Romans counted backwards from specific fixed points of the month. The
Ides typically occurred near a month’s midpoint; specifically on the fifteenth
in March. The Ides were intended to be determined by the full moon.
The Ides of March became well-known and notorious as the official date of
Julius Caesar’s assassination in the year 44 BC. Caesar’s assassination was the
result of a conspiracy by a coalition of Roman senators. At the time of his assassination, Caesar was the dictator of the Roman Republic, and the senators
feared his power, and that he might overthrow them in favor of general tyranny.
Caption Contest
Whoooo is the winner?
?????
Thank you my dear Feathered Friends for participating in our
contest. The winning caption is being decided at the Burrowing
Owl Festival on Saturday, February 27th, which is beyond the
deadline date for this month’s issue.
The winner and their caption will be announced at the Festival
and then posted on the Museum’s website,
www.capecoralhistoricalmuseum.org,
in addition to being listed in April’s newsletter.
P a g e
2
C a p e
C o r a l
C h r o n i c l e s
Ringing Changes
By Dick Stevens
There would be no history if nothing changed,
and sometimes we wish
nothing did change, or
at least not so fast. Life
would be easier to keep
up with.
One relatively recent
invention has undergone very rapid
changes paralleling the
growth of Cape Coral.
The 1960 homemade
directory for the Cape
lists 94 residences, but
only 34 telephones. I
grew up without a telephone, and in the 1960
primitive conditions of
Cape Coral most people
still didn't have them.
It seems strange now,
in the era of the smart
phone. When the new
area code system began, the Cape was in
813, but rapid population growth split the
area and we became
941, only to split again
making us, hopefully
and finally, 239.
In an era
of small,
local telephone
companies, the
local exchange of
WY5 became 542
for everyone in the Cape.
Gradually exchange
numbers were added,
at first some variation
of 54_. With the introduction of cell phones,
exchange numbers lost
connection with geography.
Most people were on an
eight-party line. The
1960 Cape Coral directory explained, "Party
line groupings...are indicated by an alphabetical code following the
telephone number, thus
all numbers followed
by the letter (A) are on
the same party line. If
the telephone from
which you are placing
the call has the same
code as the number you
are calling, they are on
the same party line and
normal dialing is not
possible. To dial a
number on the same
party line, first dial 119,
then dial the number,
then hang up for ap(Continued on page 4)
Biography - Cindy Bear
Cindy is a fifth-generation native Floridian and
holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Ecology and
a Master’s Degree in Science Education. Her involvement with public archaeology came during
her 20-year tenure as a resource teacher with the
Environmental Education Program of Lee County
School District when she led students and teachers on field trips to some of the first excavations
undertaken at the Randell Research Center (RRC)
on Pine Island.
A resident of Pine Island, Cindy also served as a
volunteer and member of the RRC Advisory Board
for over a decade. In 2011, Cindy joined the staff
at the RRC as Coordinator of Programs and Services. In particular, Cindy coordinates group
tours and volunteer activities at the Calusa Heritage Trail of the RRC and oversees land management on the international recognized archaeological preserve applying her background in science,
education, and tourism and finding a great deal of
personal happiness and gratitude in her role.
V o l u m e
1 6 ,
Is s u e
3
P a g e
3
Historical Tidbits From the Prez
Bonnie Potter, President
A HUGE thank you goes out to Wendy Schroder
and all the volunteers who have worked so hard
the past two months keeping the Museum up and
running. The amount of visitors is increasing
every week. The Cape Coral Historical Museum is
finally becoming a destination for visitors.
Just a reminder to all of our wonderful volunteers
of our Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on April
2nd at Palmetto-Pine Country Club.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Surfside Restaurant’s food was so good people hired others to watch their plates if they were
called away. It specialized in huge slabs of beef
from the Beefwagon. By 1962, 400 pounds of
beef were used each Sunday; it was an afterchurch special. In 1960 the Tiki Lounge at the
Surfside Restaurant was a popular place with
many Cape Coral residents; possibly because it
was the only night spot in the place.
Monthly Meeting
March 8 - 2:30 PM
Cultural Park Theater
528 Cultural Park Blvd.
Cape Coral
UPDATES FROM THE CALUSA HEARTLAND
presented by
Cindy Bear, Coordinator, Programs and Services
Randell Research Center - Pineland
In this presentation, Cindy will provide an overview of the Calusa people, and their ancestors, who
lived along the shores of Pine Island Sound for thousands of years. The story of the Calusa people is
one of a remarkable civilization thriving along the shores of a rich and bountiful estuary and building
power and an economy based on their fishing technology. This presentation will provide an overview
of the Calusa civilization and include information on the methods archaeologists and historians have
used to piece together the story we know today. Recently, archaeologists have conducted new excavations at the Randell Research Center and Cindy will highlight these new areas of archaeological investigation and how they are furthering our understanding of this remarkable culture and their ancestors.
Cape Coral Historical Society
544 Cultural Park Blvd.
P. O. Box 150637
Cape Coral, FL 33915
Phone: 239-772-7037
Email: [email protected]
Website: capecoralhistoricalmuseum.org
(Continued from page 2) Dick Stevens
proximately ten seconds. Pick up the receiver, you will first hear a clicking noise, then the sound of the
operator ringing your desired number." Sounds like fun.
Mail delivery also changed from a boat from Fort Myers, to our own small post office with the zip code
of 33904. As the whole country discovered Cape Coral, the post office divided us in April, 1983, into
four areas: 33914 in the SW Cape, 33989 in the NW, and 33990 in the NE. That wouldn't hold and now
we have eight zip codes in the Cape. But I wonder why Fort Myers has sixteen?
G A R D E N
Lee County Master Gardeners
will conduct garden tours at
the Cape Coral Historical Museum every second Wednesday each month from October
through April between 1-4PM.
Our garden is recognized by
Florida University as a “Florida
T O U R S
Friendly Landscape.” this
recognition is given to gardens
— both public and residential —
that have only Florida native
and Florida friendly plants.
The tour is free and plants will
be given away.
Museum Hours
Wednesday &Thursday
Open: 10-4 Tours: 1-4
Saturday
Open: 10-2 Tours: 10-2