Introduction: A Southern Sanctuary of Sport and Heritage
Along the remote mangrove shores of Southwest Florida lies one of the most storied and enduring establishments in the region’s cultural and sporting heritage — the Everglades Rod and Gun Club. Nestled in the heart of Everglades City, this historic lodge has for more than a century stood as both a monument to Florida’s frontier spirit and a gathering place for generations of adventurers, politicians, and naturalists.
Its story is inseparable from that of the Everglades themselves, a wild and watery frontier once seen as the “last American wilderness.” The Rod and Gun Club’s evolution mirrors the transformation of South Florida — from untamed swamp and isolated fishing camp to one of the state’s most celebrated landmarks of old Florida charm.
This article explores the complete history of the Everglades Rod and Gun Club: its origins in the late nineteenth century, the people who built and preserved it, its connection to the Everglades’ ecological and cultural story, and its enduring legacy as a living relic of a bygone era.
Origins: From Frontier Outpost to Sporting Haven (Late 1800s)
The roots of the Everglades Rod and Gun Club reach back to the late nineteenth century, a time when the southwest coast of Florida was sparsely populated and accessible only by boat or by rugged overland trails.
The earliest settlers in the region were fishermen, plume hunters, and traders who used the Barron River as their lifeline to the Gulf of Mexico. Around this river grew the first nucleus of what would later become Everglades City.
By the 1890s, word had begun to spread among sportsmen from the northern United States about the exceptional fishing and hunting opportunities in the Everglades region. The mixture of mangrove estuaries, tidal creeks, and inland marshes offered unparalleled game — from tarpon and snook to ducks, deer, and wild hogs. Wealthy travelers seeking adventure and isolation began to arrive seasonally, often guided by local fishermen or Seminole trackers.
To accommodate these early visitors, a small boarding house was built on the riverbank — the structure that would evolve into the Everglades Rod and Gun Club. Though modest, it offered fresh-cooked seafood, boat access, and the kind of rustic charm that epitomized early Florida hospitality. shutdown123