Useppa Island Historical Society, Inc.
Located in Florida amidst the serene waters of Pine Island Sound is Useppa Island, a beautiful tropical island only one mile long and a third of a mile at its widest part. Yet as small as this island is, visitors have been coming to Useppa for over 10,000 years and this tiny piece of land has played a significant role in our nation’s history.
First visited by the Paleo people and then thought to have been a tool factory for the Calusas, Useppa was used as a fishing ranchero by Cuban fishermen for several decades. Home to Union supporters during the Civil War, it was a grand sport fishing and vacation resort during the early 1900’s, a training facility for the CIA and the Bay of Pigs during the 1960’s and evolved into a modern resort during the 1970’s.
Today Useppa is a private island accessible only by water or sea plane and home to over a hundred families and the Barbara Sumwalt Museum.
