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Naples,through time.

5 eras · 1876–2026 · every fact sourced · compiled from the sources shown, not yet reviewed by a historian

Start in 1876
Populationfrom 2000

—

Pioneers and the Naples Company

1876–1923: Pioneers and the Naples Company

Era 1 · 1876–1923

Pioneers and the Naples Company

Naples gained its first permanent residents in 1876, and in 1887 Kentuckians John S. Williams and Walter N. Haldeman bought 112 lots. A 600-foot pier and the Hotel Naples went up in 1888, but in 1890 almost the whole town was auctioned off to Haldeman, the only bidder, for $50,000.

Image shown for this era: Cyanotype of men on the beach at Naples setting up a line of wooden posts and crossbars for the Koreshan Unity's rectilineator, with the long wooden Naples pier stretching out over the water behind them.. 1897 · State Library and Archives of Florida, Florida Memory (Koreshan Unity collection, KOR1462) · Public domain · Source

Key moments

  1. First permanent residents

    Brothers John and Madison Weeks settled near the northern edge of today's Gordon's Pass and became Naples' first permanent residents.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)

  2. Walter N. Haldeman founds Naples (founding; the Town of Naples was incorporated December 1, 1923)

    The City of Naples' own centennial history dates the town's founding to 1885, crediting Walter N. Haldeman. The town was later incorporated on December 1, 1923.

    Source

    1. City of Naples History, Historical Timelines, and Historical Pictures, City of Naples (Naples Centennial) (accessed 2026-09-29)

  3. Williams and Haldeman buy into Naples

    Kentuckians John S. Williams and Walter N. Haldeman bought a combined 112 lots in Naples, which the county history calls a dramatic turning point for the town.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
5 more from this era

  1. Naples Pier and Hotel Naples built

    The first two buildings in Naples were the 600-foot Naples Pier and the 16-room Hotel Naples facing it.

    Source

    1. City of Naples History, Historical Timelines, and Historical Pictures, City of Naples (Naples Centennial) (accessed 2026-09-29)

  2. Town auctioned to Haldeman

    Nearly the whole town, including the hotel, pier, ships and about 8,600 acres, was auctioned to Walter Haldeman, the only bidder, for $50,000.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)

  3. Hurricane destroys the pier

    A 1910 hurricane destroyed the Naples Pier, which was rebuilt to 1,000 feet long.

    Source

    1. City of Naples History, Historical Timelines, and Historical Pictures, City of Naples (Naples Centennial) (accessed 2026-09-29)

  4. Collier County created

    The Florida Legislature split Lee County to create Collier County, Florida's 62nd county.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)

  5. Town of Naples incorporated

    The Town of Naples was incorporated on December 1, 1923.

    Source

    1. City of Naples History, Historical Timelines, and Historical Pictures, City of Naples (Naples Centennial) (accessed 2026-09-29)

Sources

  1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
  2. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
  3. City of Naples History, Historical Timelines, and Historical Pictures, City of Naples (Naples Centennial) (accessed 2026-09-29)
Correct this era: Pioneers and the Naples Company

Era 2 · 1923–1949

Town of Naples: rail, road and war

The Town of Naples was incorporated on December 1, 1923, the same year Collier County was created from Lee County. The Seaboard Air Line Railway reached Naples in 1927 and the Tamiami Trail opened in 1928, though the town had only 300 residents when the railroad arrived and fewer than a thousand by 1945. During World War II the U.S. Army opened Naples Army Air Field to train pilots.

Image shown for this era: Black-and-white photo of a steam locomotive with an "Orange Blossom Special" emblem on its front pulling passenger cars into Naples, with a crowd of people standing beside the track.. 1927 · Robert Fohl, Sr. / State Library and Archives of Florida, Florida Memory (PR01995) · Public domain · Source

Key moments

  1. First passenger train arrives

    The Orange Blossom Special, the Seaboard Air Line Railway's flagship locomotive, was the first passenger train to reach Naples.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)

  2. Tamiami Trail opens

    The Tamiami Trail opened to traffic, completing the first paved highway between Tampa and Miami, 13 years after work began.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)

  3. Naples Army Air Field activated

    The U.S. Army activated a base at Naples Army Air Field to train pilots for aerial combat in World War II.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
1 more from this era

  1. Naples becomes a city

    The Florida Legislature approved a new charter changing Naples from a town to a city.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)

Sources

  1. City of Naples History, Historical Timelines, and Historical Pictures, City of Naples (Naples Centennial) (accessed 2026-09-29)
  2. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
  3. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
Correct this era: Town of Naples: rail, road and war

Era 3 · 1949–1971

A town becomes a city

In 1949 a new charter changed Naples from a town to a city. In the 1950s tourism picked up and motels went up quickly, and vertical development began in the 1960s. The era closed when Amtrak ended passenger train service to Naples in 1971.

Image shown for this era: Black-and-white photo of a palm-lined entrance drive leading to a low clubhouse, with a sign reading "Port Royal Beach Club - Private Club" at left.. 1959 · Gottscho-Schleisner Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. · Public domain · Source

Key moments

  1. Hurricane Donna hits Naples

    Hurricane Donna hit Naples and Collier County directly with sustained winds over 160 mph and caused more than $25 million in property damage in Naples alone.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)

Sources

  1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
  2. City of Naples History, Historical Timelines, and Historical Pictures, City of Naples (Naples Centennial) (accessed 2026-09-29)
  3. City of Naples History, Historical Timelines, and Historical Pictures, City of Naples (Naples Centennial) (accessed 2026-09-29)
  4. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
Correct this era: A town becomes a city

Era 4 · 1971–2017

Arts, Fifth Avenue and a rebuilt pier

The Philharmonic Center for the Arts opened in Naples in 1989. In the 1990s Fifth Avenue was revitalized and designated a Main Street Community, and in 1996 the Naples pier reopened after a nine-month, $700,000 reconstruction. In 2000 Bonnie Mac Kenzie became Naples' first woman mayor.

Image shown for this era: People walking on the beach and along the railing of the wooden Naples Pier on a sunny day, with waves breaking under the pier.. 2006 · Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY · Source

Key moments

  1. Philharmonic Center for the Arts opens

    The Philharmonic Center for the Arts opened in Naples, with Timothy Russell conducting the first concert.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)

  2. Naples Pier reopens

    The Naples pier reopened after a nine-month, $700,000 reconstruction.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)

  3. Hurricane Irma strikes

    Hurricane Irma made landfall on Marco Island and then hit Naples with gusts up to 142 mph, on the 57th anniversary of Hurricane Donna.

    Source

    1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)

Sources

  1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
  2. City of Naples History, Historical Timelines, and Historical Pictures, City of Naples (Naples Centennial) (accessed 2026-09-29)
  3. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
Correct this era: Arts, Fifth Avenue and a rebuilt pier

Era 5 · 2017–2026

Storms and rebuilding

Hurricane Irma hit Naples in 2017 on the 57th anniversary of Hurricane Donna. In 2022, storm surge from Hurricane Ian flooded most of Collier County south and west of the Tamiami Trail, and the NWS put damage in the city of Naples at $989 million. By late 2025 the Ian-damaged Naples Pier was set for a major rebuild with federal support.

Image shown for this era: The long Naples Pier extending into the Gulf of Mexico seen from the sandy beach, with low sun and waves washing up on the shore.. 2020 · Carol M. Highsmith, Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division · Public domain · Source

Key moments

  1. Hurricane Ian's storm surge

    Hurricane Ian came ashore in Lee County as a Category 4 storm, and its surge flooded most of Collier County south and west of the Tamiami Trail. The NWS reported $989 million in damage in the city of Naples.

    Source

    1. Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (NWS Miami/South Florida), National Weather Service Miami/South Florida (accessed 2026-09-29)

Sources

  1. Official Collier County History Website, Collier County Centennial, Collier County Centennial (accessed 2026-09-29)
  2. Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (NWS Miami/South Florida), National Weather Service Miami/South Florida (accessed 2026-09-29)
  3. Naples Pier rebuild one step closer, WINK News (accessed 2026-09-29)
Correct this era: Storms and rebuilding

Then & Now

Naples, 1885 to 2026

Walter N. Haldeman founds Naples (founding; the Town of Naples was incorporated December 1, 1923) · drag to compare

A Seaboard Air Line steam locomotive carrying an 'Orange Blossom Special' emblem stands at the Naples station while a crowd of passengers and onlookers gathers beside the train.
The restored Naples railroad depot on Fifth Avenue South: a cream stucco building with a red tile roof, an arched colonnade and a 'Naples' sign, in morning sun under a clear blue sky, with a vintage rail car at right.
18852026

Then image1927 · State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory (via Wikimedia Commons) · Public domain · Source

Now image2020 · Carol M. Highsmith, Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division · Public domain · Source

Help us get it right

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This timeline is compiled from the public records cited on each era and event. Every quote is checked against its source automatically, and items marked Reviewed have also been checked by a person. Images are public domain or openly licensed, each with its credit. If you know something we’ve missed or got wrong, or you hold records of your own, we’d like to hear from you.

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