During the war the U. S. Army Air Forces built a small airfield and used it for training purposes. During the peak of the airfield's use, several hundred men and
53 aircraft were stationed in Naples. In fact, many of these soldiers returned to Naples after the war as businessmen and home buyers. Today, this airfield is the Naples Municipal Airport.
By the mid 1950's, Naples had two golf courses and one under development.
flounder through the water. Giant dredges
followed, throwing up the loose rock to
provide a base for the segment of road that
took thirteen years and approximately
$13 million to pave across "America's Last
Frontier."
To celebrate the remarkable completion of
the highway down to the southwest coast
of Florida and across the treacherous
Everglades, the Tamiami Trail Association
arranged a festive county fair in Everglades City. Barron G. Collier led the many dignitaries in the huge motorcade which began in Tampa and three days later ended
in Miami. The original "Trail Blazers" were present to relate their hazardous experience by automobile across the River of Grass. Captain J. F. Jaudon proudly gave an address on the early history of the Trail, and Governor John W. Martin spoke on the value of the Tamiami Trail to the state. Amidst this fanfare, on April 26, 1928 the highway opened to traffic.
Major development was anticipated after the railroad reaching Naples in 1927 and the
Tamiami Trail linking Naples to Miami was completed in 1928. The stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression slowed developement in Naples. A few years later World War II impacted the development of the city.
22
COLLIER'S RESERVE COUNTRY CLUB
Naples from 1930 - 1990
The first was a small nine-hole course built and maintained by the Naples Company.
The second golf course was a 120 acre 18-hole golf course that was first used in the fall of 1930. In 1930, Allen R. Joslin of Cincinnati purchased 200 acres of beach front