On the top left is Cleveland Bass. He was one of the first African American porters at the Naples Depot. He worked there in the early 1940s, loading baggage and barrels of fish on freight cars and delivering railroad shipments around Naples and Fort Myers in his own truck. Photo courtesy of Collier County Museum
Local News
COLLIER COUNTY CELEBRATES 100 YEARS
Reflecting, preserving local Black history
From being the bulk of the workforce in the early sawmill and agricultural industries to laying down the tracks for a railroad system to connect Florida’s east and west coasts, Black Americans significantly contributed to making the city of Naples and Collier County what they are today.
