Look a-yonder comin’Comin’ down that railroad trackIt’s the Orange Blossom SpecialBringin’ my baby back
Well, I’m going down to FloridaAnd get some sand in my shoesI’ll ride that Orange Blossom SpecialAnd lose these New York blues
– Extracted lyrics from “Orange Blossom Special” written by Ervin T. Rouse (1917–1981) in 1938
It has been called the great train race. In 1926 and 1927, two rival railroads reached Naples 11 days apart.
As thousands of new residents settled in Florida during the land boom, and the state Legislature created 13 new counties, including Collier, railroad executives took note. They were eager to capitalize on the growth at a time when railroads were in their heyday.
Two railroads aggressively expanded their lines, and there was a “frenzied race” to reach Naples first, recounts an exhibit at the Naples Depot Museum in downtown Naples. It didn’t seem to matter that Naples was just a tiny, remote resort town.
“It was about bragging rights,” said Lois Bolin, a historian of old Naples. “These are the big boys fighting.”