Early settlement and development (1908–1920) The modern settlement of Ritta Island began in 1908 when developer
Richard J. Bolles purchased 500,000 acres of
Everglades land from the State of Florida for $2 each. Through the
Florida Fruit Lands Company, Bolles marketed the island and surrounding areas to Northern investors as a winter agricultural paradise. The first pioneers arrived to find the island covered in a dense forest of custard apple (pond apple) trees. Early residents were tasked with clearing this vegetation to access the "black gold"
muck soil beneath. In 1911, Bolles constructed the
Hotel Bolles, a two-story wooden structure intended to house prospective land buyers and tourists. By the mid-1910s, a small community had formed, centered on the cultivation of winter vegetables such as tomatoes and beans.
1928 Hurricane and abandonment The settlement was effectively destroyed by the
1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. On September 16, 1928, the storm's powerful winds pushed a massive wall of water from the lake over the southern rim. The surge demolished the island's packing houses, the Hotel Bolles, and most private residences. While neighboring towns on the mainland like
Belle Glade and
Pahokee were rebuilt, the survivors of Ritta Island largely abandoned their properties. The subsequent construction of the
Herbert Hoover Dike fundamentally altered the local geography, leaving the island outside the primary protection zone and rendering it unsuitable for permanent re-habitation. Today, the island remains largely uninhabited and is reclaimed by natural vegetation. ==References==