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1969 Punta Gorda Isles, Florida Plat Map

PuntaGorda-puntagordaisles-1969
$500.00
Punta Gorda Isles. - Main View
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1969 Punta Gorda Isles, Florida Plat Map

PuntaGorda-puntagordaisles-1969

Retire to an American Paradise.

Title


Punta Gorda Isles.
  1969 (undated)     43 x 32.25 in (109.22 x 81.915 cm)     1 : 4284

Description


An important c. 1969 plat map of Punta Gorda Estates, the first of several planned housing communities in Punta Gorda, Florida. This is likely the earliest attainable map of the development.
A Closer Look
Oriented towards the north, the entirety of the Punta Gorda Isles development is depicted, including single-family homes, multi-family homes (condominiums), a golf course (now the Saint Andrews South Golf Club), and undeveloped tracts. An inset map at bottom-left indicates the location of the development in relation to downtown Punta Gorda, the airport, and nearby waterways. This map looks to be a template that would have been reprinted and modified over time, coloring in lots that became unavailable and were dedicated to single family homes or other uses over time (nearly all the undeveloped tracts seen here were soon developed, mostly as single-family homes).
Turning Vision into Reality
Prior to the 1950s, Punta Gorda and Charlotte County as a whole were a sparsely populated swampy and sandy portion of Florida's southwestern coast. The Florida Southern Railway, which initially terminated at Punta Gorda, and later the Tamiami Trail (now U.S. Highway 41), brought some migrants to the area in the late 19th and early 20th century. But the population only began to grow substantially in the post-World War II period, when a confluence of factors, including the construction of an airfield in Punta Gorda and the postwar population boom in Florida, provided opportunities for clever entrepreneurs.

The company Punta Gorda Isles was founded in 1957 when it purchased 550 acres of land, dredged coastal sands, and crisscrossed the area with dozens of canals. The result was 7,000 lots built on dry land situated on Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. Catering to retirees, the area was known for its affordability while maintaining the amenities (sunshine, boating, fishing, golf) that retirees expected of Florida. Following the success of Punta Gorda Isles, several other similar developments followed, and, despite severe damage from Hurricanes Charley (2004) and Ian (2022), the city has continued to thrive.
Publication History and Census
This map was produced by Punta Gorda Isles, Inc. around the year 1969, and likely constitutes the earliest map of the development. This particular example belonged to the Five Star Realty of Charlotte County, Inc. The only other known example of this map is held by the Library of Congress.

Condition


Average. Areas of loss along fold lines and intersections with professional infill on verso. Discoloration and toning on cover fold.

References


OCLC 10695541.