Owners never spent night in riverboat mansion
AMY BENNETT WILLIAMS
awilliams@news-press.com
The pitch came in a four-page brochure filled with photos, diagrams and breathless prose:
“Unique and luxurious residence... Mississippi riverboat converted without regard to cost... a remarkable engineering feat... no longer a boat but a superbly substantial residence... 13 large rooms, five baths and enclosed decks of king-sized proportions... spacious, high-ceilinged rooms fitted with tremendous windows and glass doors... Hollywood-style bathrooms... restaurant-equipped kitchen... enjoys complete privacy on unspoiled Sanibel Island .. tremendous appeal for the investor or developer with imagination to realize its future potentials ...”
The Algiers was Sanibel’s first mansion, a peculiar bit of island history that began as a Sunshine State cliche: wealthy Northerners remaking their piece of paradise to suit themselves.
It all began in 1925 in a Cincinnati shipyard, where a workhorse boat was built to haul automobiles across the Mississippi. For 25 years, the Algiers had been a car ferry until a wealthy Boston couple with a fondness for quirky fixer-uppers bought it at an auction in 1958.
Lathrop and Helen Brown (she was a shipping heiress; he was a New York congressman and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s college roommate and best man) brought the 155-foot Algiers to the then-unbridged island in 1959, where they’d bought 25 acres after vacationing there. The site was on the southeastern shore, off Casa Ybel Road.
But before they moved the Algiers to her new home, they gave the rather plain boat a glamorous makeover.
“The architect William Frizzell did it; it was one of his first jobs,” says Gary Price, a former Sanibel councilman and city manager.
The Browns retrofitted the boat’s exterior with antebellum trimmings: a huge paddlewheel, feathered smokestacks and vintage gingerbread.
Inside, Frizzell created a mid-mod pleasure palace with Italian terrazzo tiles, French marble countertops and sinks inlaid with gold seahorses, and gold-plated dolphin faucets spitting softened water into bathroom sinks. There was an elevator to whisk people to the top deck, and a restaurant-equipped kitchen boasting a microwave — “one of the first microwaves on the island,” says Alex Werner, president of the Sanibel Historical Museum — and maybe in Florida.
To get the Algiers to its destination, the Browns had it pulled by tugboat to Sanibel. Along the way, according to a 1978 article in the Island Reporter, Helen insisted that the workmen play poker “as befitted a proper Mississippi riverboat.”
Then they hired crews to cut a channel through the island’s interior, which they filled in behind themselves as they went.
“They ticked off the conservationists,” says Werner, “and they also ticked off the fire department.”
Turns out the Browns had borrowed the volunteer department’s pump truck to help move water in the canal, but someone had parked it in high grass. It caught fire and burned to a crisp. To make amends, the Browns bought the department a brand-new one.
There was just one remaining detail before they moved in, Werner says. “They owned a house in Fort Lauderdale, and Helen wanted (Lathrop) to sell it first. So she sent him over there to sell the place,” he says, “and as the story goes, Lathrop traverses the Tamiami Trail and took care of it. Then he went to a pizzeria for dinner, came back with indigestion and died the next day at Lee Memorial.”
Broken-hearted, Helen returned to Boston, never to return to Sanibel.
“They never did spend a night in there,” Price says. “When I went in there in the 1980s, there were still mattresses in boxes against the walls.”
Helen fenced the place off and hired a watchman to patrol with a couple of Dobermans. Eventually, she put it up for sale for $550,000 and in 1979, when the newly incorporated city of Sanibel was looking to acquire more beachfront land, Price suggested they consider the Brown property. The deal closed in 1981. By then, the boat was dangerously dilapidated.
Though there was talk of using it as city hall or leasing it for a restaurant, it was beyond repair. So, after everything salvageable had been stripped and auctioned — “a lot of locals got windows and doors,” Price says — the city had the Algiers demolished in 1982.
“The contractor cut it apart with torches and hauled it off,” Price says. “There was a Bobcat pushing things around and the boards were so rotted, the whole thing fell through the deck. The driver about died of fright, but he was fine.”
The one building left standing was the servant’s quarters, which were converted into the restrooms at Sanibel’s Gulfside City Park — also known as Algiers Beach.
From the boat itself, just three scraps remain: the captain’s wheel, the anchor and the bell, which are now on display at the Sanibel Historical Museum.
And that seems about right to Price. “I usually want to preserve anything historical,” he says, “but this was faux history.”
Additional Facts
The cemetary
One of the region’s most interesting studies in contrasts is just a stone’s throw from the former site of the Algiers at Sanibel’s Gulfside City park.
A winding path leads through native vegetation to the island’s pioneer cemetery with a handful of well-tended graves.
As you read the names and try to imagine what those lives must have been like, you can hear gulls crying and kids laughing on the beach.
• Learn more: Betty Anholt’s book, “Sanibel’s Story: Voices and Images from Calusa to Incorporation,” tells about the cemetery and the stories of some of the pioneers who are buried there. It’s available in area bookstores and online.
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Reservation Central Sanibel Island and Captiva Island offer the best selection of vacation rental options on the Islands. Call us today at 1-800-290-6920 or visit http://www.rescen.com to start your search for your next Sanibel Island or Captiva Island Vacation.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Digital signs go up at J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Codes on trail provide Web data
LINDSAY DOWNEY
Special to news-press.com
Mother Nature’s gone digital.
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge will make virtual history Tuesday when it unveils iNature Trail, an interactive, Quick Response code system along Wildlife Drive.
The Sanibel sanctuary will be the first of more than 550 wildlife refuges in the country to use QR codes. It’s believed to be the first QR wildlife trail in the nation.
QR codes are small barcodes that can be scanned by smartphones to pull up websites, videos and other information.
As the refuge’s approximately 800,000 annual visitors travel a quiet, 4.5-mile stretch along Wildlife Drive, they’ll be able to watch videos about everything from the characteristics of the roseate spoonbill to the types of mangroves that dot the 6,400-acre refuge — all with just a few clicks of their smartphones.
iNature Trail features 10 signs, each with two QR codes — one that pulls up videos and educational websites for adults, and another that’s tailored to children.
“We used to say ‘Turn your phones off and enjoy the outdoors,’ but that message doesn’t resonate anymore,” refuge manager Paul Tritaik said, noting the QR system is an effort to bring younger generations outdoors. “If they’re going to be on their smartphones anyway, we might as well have them use them in a way that’s beneficial.”
Developed in Japan in 1994, QR codes are becoming more popular in the United States. Several Southwest Florida real estate firms and other companies use them to list property and other information. A March survey by Baltimore marketing firm MGH found about 65 percent of smartphone users have seen a QR code, and 50 percent have scanned one.
Lars Bredahl, a 2006 Bishop Verot graduate who last month received his master’s in interactive media from Elon University in North Carolina, developed the interactive trail. Bredahl grew up on Sanibel and is nephew of “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society’s executive director, Birgie Vertesch.
Bredahl, 24, approached the refuge about creating a QR system for his graduate school project.
“I was walking around one of the trails at Ding Darling and I saw they already had signs labeling some of the plants. I thought ‘What if we could throw QR codes on that?” he said.
The society spent about $1,100 in private donations to create the system. It should save resources and money because the refuge won’t have to print as many brochures, Vertesch said.
Bredahl worked with Sanibel videographer Ann Peay Potter to shoot one- to three-minute videos with refuge staff. He spent about a month developing the QR codes, and said they let visitors customize their nature tours to learn more about the refuge.
“It’s a way to offer a very multimedia-rich experience without having to build any high-tech stations that take away from the natural setting,” said Bredahl, an intern with SCVNGR, a mobile applications company in Cambridge, Mass. “This is like having a guide at your disposal — a pocket tour guide.”
Additional Facts
QR codes deciphered
• QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes. They also are known as hardlinks or physical world hyperlinks.
• The codes store up to 4,296 alphanumeric characters of arbitrary text. The text can be anything: a URL, contact information, a telephone number, even a poem.
• QR codes can be read by an optical device with the appropriate software. Many newer mobile phones have scanning technology built in. Others can download free programs to read QR codes.
— Source: Google
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Plan your Sanibel Island or Captiva Island Vacation today with the assistance of Reservation Central - http://www.rescen.com . With access to over 2,000 vacation rental home, condo, cottage, hotel and resort options, Reservation Central is the best choice for your next Island Vacation.
LINDSAY DOWNEY
Special to news-press.com
Mother Nature’s gone digital.
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge will make virtual history Tuesday when it unveils iNature Trail, an interactive, Quick Response code system along Wildlife Drive.
The Sanibel sanctuary will be the first of more than 550 wildlife refuges in the country to use QR codes. It’s believed to be the first QR wildlife trail in the nation.
QR codes are small barcodes that can be scanned by smartphones to pull up websites, videos and other information.
As the refuge’s approximately 800,000 annual visitors travel a quiet, 4.5-mile stretch along Wildlife Drive, they’ll be able to watch videos about everything from the characteristics of the roseate spoonbill to the types of mangroves that dot the 6,400-acre refuge — all with just a few clicks of their smartphones.
iNature Trail features 10 signs, each with two QR codes — one that pulls up videos and educational websites for adults, and another that’s tailored to children.
“We used to say ‘Turn your phones off and enjoy the outdoors,’ but that message doesn’t resonate anymore,” refuge manager Paul Tritaik said, noting the QR system is an effort to bring younger generations outdoors. “If they’re going to be on their smartphones anyway, we might as well have them use them in a way that’s beneficial.”
Developed in Japan in 1994, QR codes are becoming more popular in the United States. Several Southwest Florida real estate firms and other companies use them to list property and other information. A March survey by Baltimore marketing firm MGH found about 65 percent of smartphone users have seen a QR code, and 50 percent have scanned one.
Lars Bredahl, a 2006 Bishop Verot graduate who last month received his master’s in interactive media from Elon University in North Carolina, developed the interactive trail. Bredahl grew up on Sanibel and is nephew of “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society’s executive director, Birgie Vertesch.
Bredahl, 24, approached the refuge about creating a QR system for his graduate school project.
“I was walking around one of the trails at Ding Darling and I saw they already had signs labeling some of the plants. I thought ‘What if we could throw QR codes on that?” he said.
The society spent about $1,100 in private donations to create the system. It should save resources and money because the refuge won’t have to print as many brochures, Vertesch said.
Bredahl worked with Sanibel videographer Ann Peay Potter to shoot one- to three-minute videos with refuge staff. He spent about a month developing the QR codes, and said they let visitors customize their nature tours to learn more about the refuge.
“It’s a way to offer a very multimedia-rich experience without having to build any high-tech stations that take away from the natural setting,” said Bredahl, an intern with SCVNGR, a mobile applications company in Cambridge, Mass. “This is like having a guide at your disposal — a pocket tour guide.”
Additional Facts
QR codes deciphered
• QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes. They also are known as hardlinks or physical world hyperlinks.
• The codes store up to 4,296 alphanumeric characters of arbitrary text. The text can be anything: a URL, contact information, a telephone number, even a poem.
• QR codes can be read by an optical device with the appropriate software. Many newer mobile phones have scanning technology built in. Others can download free programs to read QR codes.
— Source: Google
-----------------------------------------------------------
Plan your Sanibel Island or Captiva Island Vacation today with the assistance of Reservation Central - http://www.rescen.com . With access to over 2,000 vacation rental home, condo, cottage, hotel and resort options, Reservation Central is the best choice for your next Island Vacation.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Top five bargain destinations for summer 2011
Original article: http://ping.fm/BCady
Fort Myers
Florida's Fort Myers promises an affordable summer vacation of white-sand beaches and lazy days of shelling, swimming, and kayaking. Nearby Sanibel and Captiva islands (http://ping.fm/7RtIk), once hailed by Condé Nast Traveler as "destinations approaching perfection," round out the offerings. Pair airfare deals (http://ping.fm/u20C8) offering solid value with hotel offers (http://www.rescen.com) around the region, and you've got a sunny summer bargain.
On the airfare (http://ping.fm/qi5K4) front, Continental had a mid-July sale fare from New York of $239 round-trip, including taxes and fees, available at press time. USA3000 had a mid-August round-trip fare of $231 from Chicago, including taxes and fees. And Bing's fare predictor suggests that, at least on these routes, fares could drop further in the next week or so, offering even better value.
Hotels around the region are boosting their appeal by dropping prices for the coming season. At the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa (http://rc.rentalmls.net) in Fort Myers, we found a rate of $152 per night for a mid-July stay that includes a car rental (http://ping.fm/E2QNP/car), a daily $25 gas card, and either a bike or kayak rental. With the Escape to Estero Island promotion, rates start at $99 per night at four beach resorts, and the fourth night is free. For more summer specials around the region, browse a list of the latest hotel offers.
Visit Reservation Central at http://www.rescen.com or call a local accommodation specialist at 1-800-290-6920 for great local accommodation deals!
Fort Myers
Florida's Fort Myers promises an affordable summer vacation of white-sand beaches and lazy days of shelling, swimming, and kayaking. Nearby Sanibel and Captiva islands (http://ping.fm/7RtIk), once hailed by Condé Nast Traveler as "destinations approaching perfection," round out the offerings. Pair airfare deals (http://ping.fm/u20C8) offering solid value with hotel offers (http://www.rescen.com) around the region, and you've got a sunny summer bargain.
On the airfare (http://ping.fm/qi5K4) front, Continental had a mid-July sale fare from New York of $239 round-trip, including taxes and fees, available at press time. USA3000 had a mid-August round-trip fare of $231 from Chicago, including taxes and fees. And Bing's fare predictor suggests that, at least on these routes, fares could drop further in the next week or so, offering even better value.
Hotels around the region are boosting their appeal by dropping prices for the coming season. At the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa (http://rc.rentalmls.net) in Fort Myers, we found a rate of $152 per night for a mid-July stay that includes a car rental (http://ping.fm/E2QNP/car), a daily $25 gas card, and either a bike or kayak rental. With the Escape to Estero Island promotion, rates start at $99 per night at four beach resorts, and the fourth night is free. For more summer specials around the region, browse a list of the latest hotel offers.
Visit Reservation Central at http://www.rescen.com or call a local accommodation specialist at 1-800-290-6920 for great local accommodation deals!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Celebrate NationalFlipFlopDay with a Sanibel/Captiva beach vacation. Call Reservation Central at 1-800-290-6920 | http://www.ResCen.com
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Save over 50% @ Sanibel Cafe http://gr.pn/igTkES
Save $$ on your vacation rental as well w/ResCen http://www.rescen.com | 1-800-290-6920
Save $$ on your vacation rental as well w/ResCen http://www.rescen.com | 1-800-290-6920
Monday, June 13, 2011
School's out! Stay on Sanibel this summer. Plan your family vacation today. http://www.rescen.com | 1-800-290-6920. Rates from $620/wk 2br
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Sanibel/Captiva Reservations: http://www.rescen.com Save 50% at the Dunes Golf Course: http://gr.pn/mIdm1k - Sanibel beaches & golf Save $
Sanibel Island Excursions - USA Today Travel
by Erin Maurer, Demand Media - http://ping.fm/Sl1CQ
Sanibel Island is a small island off the coast of Fort Myers, Florida, with the Gulf of Mexico waters to the west and the Pine Island Sound and San Carlos Bay to the east. As such, Sanibel offers an ideal family vacation spot, with many outdoor sports and activities that every member of the family can enjoy.
-Shelling-
Sanibel Island rates among the top 10 United States' beaches for collecting and gathering shells, according to Ann Shield of "Travel and Leisure." An off-shore shelf protects the island and produces gentle waves, and as a result, shells wash along the shore gently, experiencing less breakage than other beaches. The best time to collect shells is during low tide, recommends the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce. Be sure to wear shoes when shelling, as they can be damaging to bare feet. You might find conch, junonia, lighting welk, cockle, tulip, olive and coquinas shells, as well as sand dollars. They also can be found in art and souvenirs throughout the island. In March, the island hosts the annual Shell Festival.
-Fishing-
Sanibel offers some world-class offshore and bay fishing. The Gulf of Mexico features notoriously warm waters, which keep the fish abundant off the coast. Stop by the Bait Box (thebaitbox.com) for fishing tackle, fishing licenses and up-to-date news on current conditions. Fisherman likely will find redfish, speckled trout, snook and tarpon offshore as well as back bay and inland fishing spots. Saltwater fly-fisherman will find the island rich in redfish and seatrout, as well as ladyfishy, Spanish mackerel, kingfish, flounder, snapper, shark and barracuda. On shore, check out the fishing pier, Bowman's Beach and J.N. Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The island offers several charter companies, including Mangrove Island Fishing Charters (mangroveislandcharters.com) and Catch Me If You Can (catchmeifucanfishingcharters.com).
-Cycling-
Many Sanibel residents use bicycles to get around the island, making it an ideal way to tour the island for visitors. Bike paths cover 22 miles around the island, including paved paths going through the island's premier shopping districts. The majority of the hotels offer bikes for guest use, according to the Chamber of Commerce. Bike rentals also are available at establishments such as Billy's Rentals (billyrentals.com) and Finnimore's Bike Shop (finnimores.com) Child trailers, helmets and other safety equipment also are available. Cyclist will enjoy trails like the Rabbit Road, which travels along the canal behind island homes. Riders will likely spot gray marsh rabbits, heron and even an alligator snout on this scenic ride.
-Tours-
In addition to outdoor scenic activities, the island also offers historic tours for visitors. The Sanibel Island Historical Museum and Village (sanibelmuseum.org) tracks the stories of Sanibel Island from the pioneer days through the modern era. Guests can explore seven historic buildings in the historic village, or step back in time with a visit to the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford Winter Estates ( edisonfordwinterestates.org) in nearby Fort Myers. Wander through a variety of historic buildings and gardens on this 20-acre property. Before leaving, stop by the Estates Museum to view historic artifacts, inventions and exhibits concentration on the life and work of Edison and Ford.
-About the Author-
Erin Maurer began writing professionally for Simply the Best Writing and various other websites in 2009. Concentrating on her interests, she writes about animal issues, craft projects and home improvements. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies from Widener University in Chester, Pa.
**Reservations**
Contact Reservation Central, a local Central Reservations Agency for Sanibel & Captiva Islands, for all of your Island reservation needs. As a local company, Reservation Central has first hand knowledge of available rental homes, condos, hotels, small inns, cottages and resorts. Visit them on-line at http://www.rescen.com or call their local reservation office at 1-800-290-6920.
Sanibel Island is a small island off the coast of Fort Myers, Florida, with the Gulf of Mexico waters to the west and the Pine Island Sound and San Carlos Bay to the east. As such, Sanibel offers an ideal family vacation spot, with many outdoor sports and activities that every member of the family can enjoy.
-Shelling-
Sanibel Island rates among the top 10 United States' beaches for collecting and gathering shells, according to Ann Shield of "Travel and Leisure." An off-shore shelf protects the island and produces gentle waves, and as a result, shells wash along the shore gently, experiencing less breakage than other beaches. The best time to collect shells is during low tide, recommends the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce. Be sure to wear shoes when shelling, as they can be damaging to bare feet. You might find conch, junonia, lighting welk, cockle, tulip, olive and coquinas shells, as well as sand dollars. They also can be found in art and souvenirs throughout the island. In March, the island hosts the annual Shell Festival.
-Fishing-
Sanibel offers some world-class offshore and bay fishing. The Gulf of Mexico features notoriously warm waters, which keep the fish abundant off the coast. Stop by the Bait Box (thebaitbox.com) for fishing tackle, fishing licenses and up-to-date news on current conditions. Fisherman likely will find redfish, speckled trout, snook and tarpon offshore as well as back bay and inland fishing spots. Saltwater fly-fisherman will find the island rich in redfish and seatrout, as well as ladyfishy, Spanish mackerel, kingfish, flounder, snapper, shark and barracuda. On shore, check out the fishing pier, Bowman's Beach and J.N. Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The island offers several charter companies, including Mangrove Island Fishing Charters (mangroveislandcharters.com) and Catch Me If You Can (catchmeifucanfishingcharters.com).
-Cycling-
Many Sanibel residents use bicycles to get around the island, making it an ideal way to tour the island for visitors. Bike paths cover 22 miles around the island, including paved paths going through the island's premier shopping districts. The majority of the hotels offer bikes for guest use, according to the Chamber of Commerce. Bike rentals also are available at establishments such as Billy's Rentals (billyrentals.com) and Finnimore's Bike Shop (finnimores.com) Child trailers, helmets and other safety equipment also are available. Cyclist will enjoy trails like the Rabbit Road, which travels along the canal behind island homes. Riders will likely spot gray marsh rabbits, heron and even an alligator snout on this scenic ride.
-Tours-
In addition to outdoor scenic activities, the island also offers historic tours for visitors. The Sanibel Island Historical Museum and Village (sanibelmuseum.org) tracks the stories of Sanibel Island from the pioneer days through the modern era. Guests can explore seven historic buildings in the historic village, or step back in time with a visit to the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford Winter Estates ( edisonfordwinterestates.org) in nearby Fort Myers. Wander through a variety of historic buildings and gardens on this 20-acre property. Before leaving, stop by the Estates Museum to view historic artifacts, inventions and exhibits concentration on the life and work of Edison and Ford.
-About the Author-
Erin Maurer began writing professionally for Simply the Best Writing and various other websites in 2009. Concentrating on her interests, she writes about animal issues, craft projects and home improvements. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies from Widener University in Chester, Pa.
**Reservations**
Contact Reservation Central, a local Central Reservations Agency for Sanibel & Captiva Islands, for all of your Island reservation needs. As a local company, Reservation Central has first hand knowledge of available rental homes, condos, hotels, small inns, cottages and resorts. Visit them on-line at http://www.rescen.com or call their local reservation office at 1-800-290-6920.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
No better place to be than Sanibel/Captiva Islands! Stay for a nt, wk or more. Great rates available. http://www.ResCen.com | 1-800-290-6920
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Save nearly 35% 6/4-11. Pt Santo Beach Front 2/2. $1099+tax. Sanibel Condo w/pool, hot tub & tennis. http://bit.ly/j05JqU | 1-800-290-6920
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Sunny and 90! No better place to be than the Sanibel/Captiva Island beaches. Book your stay today ... http://www.ResCen.com | 1-800-290-6920
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