rarely made any move to secure title until their possession was threatened.
In the next few years, both Williams and Haldeman built homes on the beach, hired a Fort Myers firm to build a 600-foot pier, established a general store and post office. At the center of the city was a 16-room hotel situated two blocks inland from the pier at the narrowest piece of land between the beach and the bay. The hotel opened in 1889 and Rose Cleveland, President Grover Cleveland's sister, was the first guest. By that time Naples had a population of about 80 people.
By 1889, the Naples Town Improvement Company was running short of funds and borrowing from Walter Haldeman. He had so far invested $25,000 into the venture,
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the pier, the steamship Fearless that transported guests to and from Naples and General Williams' house. Haldeman continued to promote Naples until his death, but development in the town paused. Despite the slow-down, Naples remained a quiet winter resort town for wealthy families from Ohio and Kentucky.
Ed Crayton, a successful land developer from St. Petersburg, came to town in the early 1900s. There he met Walter Haldeman's son’s secretary and they were shortly married. At the same time, Mr. Crayton bought all of Haldeman's property except for his home. Thus, a new chapter in Naples history began. Mr. Crayton developed Naples until his death in 1938, at which time the estate passed to his wife, Mrs. Lindsey Crayton until the 1950s. Under the Crayton’s supervision, many changes were made during this time including the introduction of electric power in 1926, the rail service in 1927, and the completion of Tamiami Trail in 1928.
and other investors were tired of losing money. On January 10, 1890, the Naples Town Improvement Company was sold at public auction on the steps of the Naples Hotel. The only bidder was Walter Haldeman, and for $50,000 he bought the company in its entirety including 8,600
acres of land, the hotel,