Our Henry

Introduction:

“The Silver King” – this is how it all began ?

     Imagine that, in January 1885, you were a “well-healed” tourist from the North visiting Florida. You gazed, wide-eyed, over the rails of a fancy steam-powered paddle-wheeler. You glided gently through Central Florida’s crystalline spring fed rivers. You saw giant Spanish moss-covered oaks extending their century old branches, shading this inland waterway. You had embarked at Palatka on the St. Johns River. You then followed the 74-mile-long Ocklawaha River deep into Florida’s interior. Your destination was Silver Springs at the head of the Silver River. You witnessed this massive system of springs discharging over 350-million gallons of fresh water a day! You saw the natural wonders of Florida’s virgin forests. You knew, then, that you had experienced the sightseeing journey of a lifetime!

     Sunbathing, beachcombing, and swimming had yet to become popular in Florida. Despite miles and miles of pristine coastline, in 1885, Florida’s tourism was limited to its interior sections.

     In other parts of America, led by men like Theodore Roosevelt, big game hunting became popular among America’s affluent. The fleshy trust fund beneficiaries of the “Gilded Age” seemed to require large-animal slaughter to reinforce their masculinity. Florida was not much of a destination for this type of outdoorsman.

     Apart from the highly questionable exceptions of “alligator slaying” and “manatee bludgeoning”, Florida offered little challenge for the big-game guys. Citing the extreme example of the key deer, Florida’s game was undersized and over-rated.

     All of that changed on March 12, 1885. A New York angler, W.H. Wood, landed a 93 lb. tarpon at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River (Ft. Meyers). It was the first time in history that an angler had hooked and successfully boated this silver gamefish. Before Wood’s catch, under the guise of “sportsmanship”, this majestic megalops was often harpooned from a small rowboat! The impaled great silver fish leaped and thrashed desperately as it dragged the boat though the water! This “sleighride” continued until the magnificent fish heaved and took its final death roll. However, despite the bloodthirsty thrill of this savage sleighride, these pompous piscators did not consider “the tarpon” a worthy target. Until Mr. W.H. Wood... Mr. Wood displayed a mount of his tarpon along with the rod and reel used to catch it. He showcased his catch at J.R. Conroy and Company, (a fishing and tackle store on Fulton Street in New York City). The explosion of interest in the “Silver King” was instantaneous! The challenge of catching and boating this powerful silver fish - which might weigh as much as the angler - was infectious!     Our Florida was about to change forever...

     The same year (1885) that W.H. Wood recorded his historic catch; Connecticut railway magnate, Henry Plant, brought the first railroad to Tampa. He also started construction of his new opulent hotel. “The Tampa Bay Hotel” was Florida’s first hotel with elevators, electric lights, and telephones. It also had private baths, a bowling alley, a horse track, and a first-class casino. Its cost: a staggering 3-million dollars! Plant, an avid fisherman, aggressively pushed his railway down the coast to Punta Gorda. When the rail arrived, Plant had a new Queen Anne-Style hotel ready to open:

     “Hotel Punta Gorda” overlooked Charlotte Harbor. The hotel targeted sportsmen arriving in search of the now popular “Silver King.” Competitive hotels opened – “the Tarpon Inn” on Useppa Island; “Hotel San Carlos” on Pine Island, as well as a floating “Hotel Captiva” all catering to the Tarpon fishermen.

     In Ft. Meyers, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Standard Oil millionaire, Ambrose McGregor all built winter homes on the Caloosahatchee River. They were all expert anglers.

     Further South along the Gulf Coast, in 1889, a U.S. Senator from Kentucky, John Stuart Williams, with the help of a Louisville businessman, built the “Naples Hotel”. They also constructed a 600’ fishing pier into the Gulf to accommodate the loading and unloading of freight and passengers from Mr. Plant’s steamship “Tarpon”.

     In addition, the “Marco Inn” which had been built in 1883, was also refitted for the tarpon trade (complete with a unique 2-story outhouse). Most importantly, with the International tarpon craze, Florida’s growth shifted from its interior to its Western Coastline. On Florida’s Gulf coast, Henry Plant recognized this trend and acted. By engineering a causeway and the construction of piers extending into deep-water, Mr. Plant established Tampa as a deep-water port.

     On the Atlantic coast, another business visionary was new to Florida. He, also, was named “Henry”. “Our” Henry would soon adapt his insatiable entrepreneurial spirit to this emerging Florida trend.