From the Archives – Collier County celebrates Tamiami Trail opening

The crowds gathered at then Collier County seat, Everglades City. The Seminole Tribe was represented; there were entertainers, citizens and dignitaries – along with 200 automobiles.

The date: April 26, 1928 – 96 years ago!

And although it was the very first Collier County Fair, the thing that attracted the crowds was the opening of the Tamiami Trail, connecting Tampa and Miami, and changing Southwest Florida forever.

The 284-mile roadway, U.S. 41, was conceived in 1915.

The name Tamiami, as you might guess, is a combination of the road’s destinations, Tampa to Miami. Other name options included the Miami to Marco Highway or the Atlantic to Gulf Boulevard, but the public ultimately took to the clever Tamiami Trail.

Prior to the construction of Tamiami Trail, most people navigated South Florida by boat. This was time intensive and didn’t allow for much cross-state travel. After the hardest part across the Everglades was completed, new doors opened for Florida tourism. Not only did the Trail provide an open road for tourists, it also became  its own sight to see.

Tamiami runs through some of the most beautiful land in South Florida – you can spot alligators, a multitude of birds, turtles and other wildlife.

More Airport Week: 10 photos.10 facts. Blending the past and future at RSW in Fort Myers

And Things to do: This museum in Collier County Dives into the History of the Everglades

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: From the Archives – Collier County celebrates Tamiami Trail opening