It was James and Sarah Lanier who first moved into the log house built about where the old banyon tree stands on Retta Esplanade in what is now Punta Gorda. The year was 1879 and the nearest store for the Laniers was in Charlotte Harbor across the Peace River. After a few years, they left their cabin and moved further east to Cleveland. In 1880 Colonel Issac Trabue of Kentucky, a Civil War Veteran, read about the lush beauty of the area along the Peace River in the Chicago Tribune and decided to explore the region himself. Entranced by the tropical beauty of the site, he purchased about 30 acres from Lanier and hired Captain Kelly B. Harvey to survey and plat what became Trabue and ultimately Punta Gorda. It is believed that Trabue also lived for awhile in the modest cabin on the south shore of the Peace River.
Wednesday, June 17, at 2 PM the city will dedicate an historic marker to mark the home site of the first residence in Punta Gorda. The marker will be placed under the Banyan tree on West Retta Esplanade in Gilchrist Park beside the Best Western.
See how much Punta Gorda history you know.
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