March/April 2018 GASPARILLA ISLAND 29
THE TIME OF
THE MULLET
In 1879 the Smithsonian Institute conducted a
survey of the fisheries in the southern states. When
they got to Charlotte Harbor here is what they had
to say:
“… being in immense schools … the upper portions
of the bay afford inexhaustible feeding grounds which
are exceptionally free from predaceous fish … When
leaping from the water in great abundance (the mullet)
make a noise like the sound of thunder; this continues
day and night.”
From this abundance of mullet, a business called
Peekin’s Fish Ranch was built. Two Boca Grande men
– Albert and Raymond Lowe – came to work there
in the late 1880s. Peekin’s Cove (just like the road
name at the north end, just past Boca Grande Resort
and the Courtyard Plaza buildings, across from the
Boca Grande Club), the ranch was one of four mullet
salt fisheries at the head of Charlotte Harbor at that
time. There was one on Captiva and two more on
Cayo Costa (at that time it was called Lacosta).
The Lowe brothers’ father came from Green
Turtle Bay in the Bahamas to Key West in 1873
when he was just 7 years of age. Raymond Lowe
ran away from home at the age of 14 and began
working on ships, sailing the seas far and wide.
He ended up working at Peekin’s Cove and
never left. When his sons Albert and Raymond
were old enough, they worked there as well.
Huge nets were used to catch the mullet, and
with one catch as many as 50,000 pounds of fish
could be pulled onboard. Many men were
needed to unload the boats as it was work
done by hand, one wheelbarrow at a time.
Some of the better-known mullet captains of
the time were “Old Man” Jessie Joiner, Sam and
Dutch Joiner (Jessie’s sons), Tom Joiner, Gus
Cole, Thomas Lowe, Frank Futch, Ray Futch,
Charlie Futch, Ralph Cole, Gene Sands and the
Bradley boys.
In 1910 the U.S. Census numbers came out
for northern end of Gasparilla Island and
Placida. From north of the Lee County line,
Gasparilla Island and “Placida” were both
At right, an aerial view of Gasparilla Village. Below, the railroad
at the north end and a net wheel in the background.