Click on selections below for Youtube links of short videos about our town’s history.
And see below for our interviews with WWII veterans.
The videos below were produced by the Bonita Springs Historic Society.
BSHS Riverside House
Liles Hotel History Center in Riverside Park
Old US 41 Rd & Imperial River
Four Corners: Old US 41 Rd & Terry St
Early Hotels
Early Businesses
Community Buildings
The Imperial River: A River, A Road and a Retreat
The videos below were produced by the Historic Preservation Board of the City of Bonita Springs as part of a Walking Tour of Historic properties, in conjunction with the Bonita Springs Historical Society.
Liles Hotel Historic Plaza in Riverside Park
BSHS McSwain House
The Shangri La (Heitman Hotel)
Goodbread Grocery
Elementary School
Haldeman House
Williams-Packard House
Nutting House
The videos (12 to 20+ minutes each) below are a wonderful preview of the Societies History Walk (graciously guided) through downtown by Society member, local historian, and native of Bonita Springs, Byron Liles.
PART I
PART II
PART III
PART IV
PART V
The 1:09 hour long video below is edited from a 4 hour workshop on Heritage Tourism and Historic Preservation focusing on small Florida towns. The workshop was hosted by the Historic Preservation Board of the City of Bonita Springs on April 28, 2012. Hard copies of the video may be obtained by contacting the City of Bonita Springs or the Bonita Springs Historical Society.
Heritage Tourism Workshop 2012
The video below is homemade video of aftermath from Hurricane Donna of September 10, 1960. The second part is a history of Survey and Bonita Springs, FL, produced by the Bonita Springs Historical Society.
Hurricane Donna and Origins of Bonita Springs
This video is narrative about Hurricane Donna submitted to the 2017 Bonita Springs Film Festival by Edwin Couto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUJnvEp88oU
A River Winds Through It (historical overview of the Imperial River)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOD5v9JwGYk
Bonita Shells (archaeological & historical overview of local sea shells)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdA0i5XjGxA&feature=youtu.be
The videos below were produced by the Historic Preservation Board of the City of Bonita Springs in conjunction with the Bonita Springs Historical Society as part of an Oral Tradition Project.
Bonita Springs, Way Back When
Interview with Paul Pass and Gary Price
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM92lEHrQp0
Bonita Springs, Way Back When
Interview with Ben Nelson and Don Thomson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l082458-JAc
Bonita Springs, Way Back When
River Stories: Interview with Don Trew & Charlie Strader
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clThrx_V1p4
Don't Hesitate, Incorporate
Interviews re the incorporation of the City of Bonita Springs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-JdzK7RaAM
Hispanic Voices of Bonita Springs
Interviews with Marta Romero, Juan Romero & Baltazar Briceño
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x2-nRaeo-s
Migrant Workers of Bonita Springs
Interview with Alicia Reyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n95fIh6NyEI
The Shell Factory and More
Interview with Dianne Crant DeBoest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2mq14RKLeo
Everglades Wonder Gardens
Night of Memories with EWG guides over the years
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_ptkxByZi8
Breakfast at Dolly’s
Interview with the Liles / Lyles Cousins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuzDm9bPZDQ
A Hogue’s Tale
Interview with Joe Hogue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOGsNBKvEyc
Bonita Springs, Way Back When
Interview with Jean Hogue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHUi5HUQm0w
The Week’s Family
Interview with Jim & John Weeks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrsJflaW7fQ
Bonita Springs, Way Back When
Interview with Wilma Harvard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWZ-dIJ-sIg&feature=youtu.be
Bonita Springs, Way Back When
Interview with Georgia Hortin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKgrKOWbbWs
The Strickland Sawmill, Way Back When
Interview with Jerry Strickland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxol5UR7gFk
Bonita Springs Lions Club
Interviews re 50 years of operations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nTUwHZe2Mc
Railroads I
The business of railroads in Southwest Florida hosted by Alex Grantt
https://youtu.be/CKpaJG44m6w
Railroads II
Railroads in Southwest Florida - hosted by Gregg Turner
https://youtu.be/OmtaTAezpOk
Bonita Springs Greatest Generation, In their own words.
The videos below were produced by the Bonita Springs Historic Society,
with special thanks to Robert Gillette.
20 minute overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl-CZn17pdw&feature=youtu.be
Bonita Springs Greatest Generation In their own words - 20min Edit - YouTube
Bonita Springs Greatest Generation, In their own words.
1 hour overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC521eD7UyI
Vic Buckett
Yeoman 2 Victor Buckett, US Navy: Buckett was one of only a handful of survivors from the USS Indianapolis, the destroyer that delivered the components for the atomic bomb. When his ship was torpedoed killing a good portion of the sailors on board, Vic went overboard. For four days, they waited in those shark-infested waters for a rescue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gDJs4jR99A
Raymond Filmore
Corporal Raymond Filmore, US Army: Filmore was just 18 years old when he entered the US Army. He was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, 89th Field Artillery Battalion based in the Pacific Theater of Operations. His state side posts included time in Georgia, Alabama and California, and overseas duties in the Philippine Islands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7iTS6DXIm4
Myron Kratzer
Tech Sergeant Myron Kratzer, US Army: Kratzer was a chemical engineer/scientist assigned to work on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, New Mexico during the middle part of World War 2. His unit, working in secrecy, was instrumental in the development of the atomic bombs that helped bring an end to the war in Japan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_c7IRYmhbk
Mario Grossi
Staff Sergeant Mario Grossi, US Army: Grossi had just turned 19 years old when he was drafted. He was part of the 4th wave of soldiers that landed on Omaha Beach after D-Day. His unit fought their way across Europe and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. He unit liberated the infamous Wobbelein Concentration Camp in Germany.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgRVIJTkI7w
Lloyd Rauch
PFC Lloyd Rauch, US Army: Rauch was part of a squad that led an advance into Germany, and who helped liberate the infamous Dachau Concentration Camp. During that operation, Lloyd spoke of opening a sliding door of a box car at the camp and being smothered by the rotting bodies that poured out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC-Y86RclKE
Joseph "Clyde" Bacon
PFC Joseph “Clyde” Bacon, US Army: Bacon initially served as a tank instructor assigned to an Armor Unit at Fort Knox, Kentucky and later as a Signal Corpsman in New Jersey. After his stateside duties ended, was reassigned as an Infantryman in England, France, Belgium and later Germany.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q6mK4SJEhA
George West
Tech Sergeant George West, US Army: Infantry TSGT George West was a recipient of the Silver Star for gallantry, our nation’s third highest medal for valor. His posts during the war included duties all throughout Europe. His citation recalls how he became a “one-man patrol” after almost his entire unit was wiped out during a mortar attack in Germany.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX_xHahyR4E
Bill Pace
Staff Sergeant Bill Pace, US Army Air Corps: SSGT Bill Pace was a belly gunner on a B-17 that was shot down over Germany. Bill was ejected out of his plane when it split apart. Due to the confines of the ball turret, he couldn’t wear the chute, so he tossed it in the bubble. When he hit land he was captured and spent the last part of the war in two German POW camps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clqGh611QrU
Alan Moir
First Lieutenant Alan Moir, US Army Air Corps: Moir in essence toured the world as part of a flight crew, flight instructor and communications officer for the US Army Air Corps. His overseas posts during the war included Paris, London, Scotland, Iceland, the Azores, Newfoundland, Africa and numerous state side posts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E13v0djupBQ
