From the air, Goodland resembles a sleepy fishing village, which it was in the early 1900s.

Celebrities and the regular Joes came to the island to fish and live the laid-back life, mostly living in mobile homes.

Johnny Roberts is believed to have founded Goodland in the late 1800's. He named it Goodland Point because it featured a 40-acre shell mound, left by the Calusa Indians that was ideal for growing fruit and vegetables.

Roberts would later sell his squatter's rights to Samuel Alexander Pettit, around 1890. Goodland's isolation remained intact until 1938 when State Road 92 was completed and a swing bridge installed, leading to Marco Island, the first roadway entrance to the pristine beaches.

At that time, historians say Pettit's son, Harry, single-handedly built the winding Goodland road to the state road intersection using shells from the Calusa mounds.

By 1949, the shape of Goodland would forever change with the arrival of families from nearby Caxambas.

Photo by ROGER LALONDE

Eagle staff

In the early days Goodland was a sleepy little fishing village, with mostly trailer homes used by fishermen who found Goodland a haven for good fishing. Today, Goodland still has trailers, along with homes on a beautiful waterway that attracts people for its uniqueness, which includes the old-time feeling, yet allows fine restaurants and homey entertainment.

Story: View from above: Goodland's transformation (07-22-07)

Developers moved the families to Goodland in an effort to launch ambitious building plans. Caxambas would later become part of Macro Island. The early development of Marco failed to materialize, until the Mackle Brothers took over in the early 1960s.

Proud and sometimes feisty Goodland residents worked with the county to get a special overlay map to keep its special fishing village feel in early 2000.

Even today it's a laid-back community, with golf carts a mode of transportation by some. On the weekend the village becomes a prime location for many tourists and county locals who stream to Stan's Idle Hour, The Little Bar and the Old Marco Lodge for fine food and unique entertainment.

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