Scoop Kiesel to speak at EIHS meeting
Join the Estero island Historical Society on Monday, Jan. 10th, 2011 at 7 p.m. to hear long-time Fort Myers Beach resident and former shrimp fleet owner Charles “Scoop” Kiesel talk about the changes in our area’s ecology, industry and society from 1950 to the present. Hear him speak about the Old Fort Myers Beach and Estero Bay. The presentation, free of charge, will be held at St. Raphael’s Church Parish Hall at 5601 Williams Drive.
Captain Kiesel migrated to Estero Island from Long Island where he owned a boatyard – in 1950. His arrival on our shores coincided with the discovery of “pink gold” in the Gulf of Mexico waters, and soon Kiesel had bought a shrimp boat. “You know how it is,” he said. “One boat led to another, and soon my brother and I owned a fleet of 12 shrimpers. It was a real boom time down here.”
The early days in the shrimp industry featured plentiful sea life, fish houses on stilts in the Back Bay, and a shrimp house on the present site of the Matanzas Inn. Then, in 1960, along came Hurricane Donna, and many features of island life were forever changed.
Scoop Kiesel with his son Charles will talk about shrimping methods, technologies and the configuration of Fort Myers Beach and the Back Bay, then and now. Scoop is known for his engaging speaking style and excellent memory. We look forward to seeing Estero Island Historical Society members and guests on Monday, Jan. 10th for this presentation.
-submitted by Janet Sailian