Learn about the Monroe Station & the Trail

When the Tamiami Trail was completed across the Everglades in 1928, Barron Collier set up six patrol stations along the road to help motorists. One of these historic buildings is Monroe Station, once a popular wayside stop in the desolate Big Cypress east of Ochopee.

It became a popular meeting place for hunters who still leave their trucks there when negotiating the Loop Road on swamp buggies. The building has been closed and boarded up for many years but it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

You can hear about the history of Monroe Station, the gladesman culture that favored it, and plans for its future at an illustrated lecture on Friday, December 9, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Church Annex in Everglades City. Speaker Bob DeGross is the Chief of Interpretation and Public Affairs at Big Cypress National Preserve where there are many archival records.

Members of the public are welcome and invited to share their memories of Monroe Station after the formal presentation. This free event is hosted by the Everglades Society for Historic Preservation. For more info, see their website www.evergladeshistorical.org or phone Marya at (239) 695-2905.