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Back in the late 1800’s,
Punta Gorda was a bustling town located at the end of the railway system.
The Hotel Punta Gorda was built and catered to wealthy tourists who
brought their yachts and private rail cars to help them enjoy their stay.
The city became a major stop for steamships going between
New Orleans
and
Havana
,
Cuba
. In the early 1920’s Florida Governor Barron Collier bought the
hotel and changed its name to Hotel Charlotte Harbor. It was noted
for its huge swimming pool, tennis courts and private pier.
Unfortunately the hotel was destroyed by fire in 1959. The Punta
Gorda Historic Mural Society chose the Hotel Charlotte Harbor for its
first mural.
Portraits of seven famous
people who stayed in the hotel were on this giant mural. They
include:
Thomas A. Edison (Inventor)
Andrew W. Mellon (Steel)
Harvey S. Firestone (Tires)
Clarence S. Darrow (Attorney/Labor Leader)
Henry Ford (Auto Manufacturer)
Patti Berg (Lady Pro Golfer)
Daniel C. Beard (One of the early Boy Scout founders in
America
)
The artist, Tom Graham began the mural in January 1995. It took
eight months to complete and was dedicated on October 11, 1995. This
mural was destroyed when the building was demolished in 2004. |
