By T Michele Walker
Photos by T Michele Walker & Caroline Clabaugh
As the winter season unwinds and we stare the dog days of summer square in the face,
Boca Grande residents are on the lookout for day trip options. A great place to get
away, unwind and shop is right in our backyard – Venice, Florida.
Founded in the 1870s, Robert Rickford Roberts established a homestead near Roberts Bay
and on what we now call Venice beach. where he planted an orange grove and a few other
crops. In 1884 he sold a portion of his holdings to Frank Higel, who established a citrus and
wine operation. For the next 30 years the Higel family and a man named Darwin Curry, who
was the fi rst postmaster, lived their and named it Venice.
July/August • 2021 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE A