In the 1870s, the Collier family settled the island, establishing a trading post to do business with the native Seminoles, and later opening a 20-room inn in 1896. In 1962, the Mackell family bought the island for a mere $7 million; its population at the time was 550 people. The only access to the island back then was via a swinging foot bridge.
The Mackells, however, had a plan.
Today, a fully developed, very up-scale Marco Island plays dual roles as both an upscale affluent retirement community and a world-class resort destination. People come to Marco Island to get away from winter, to fish, to swim, and to enjoy the many opportunities for outdoor recreation in the area: Briggs Memorial Nature Center, Collier-Seminole State Park, the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, Big Cypress National Preserve and the 5,000-square mile Everglades National Park which is nearby.
