A Walk Down Memory Lane on Sanibel

Although we did not know Sanibel, pre-causeway (1963)----the biggest influencing factor in the evolvement of the Island---we have known it long enough to gather some great memories.

We share these with you in the hopes you may share some of your own.

Our first big recollection was the creation of Jerry's supermarket. 

Jerry Paulsen, founder of Jerry's Foods in Edina, Minnesota worked during four of his winter vacations to get a supermarket built on the island. Having wintered at the popular "snowbird" getaway for 10 years, Jerry had long seen a need for a grocery store in the area. The public, which questioned in 1983 whether the new store would change the island's character, recently named the Jerry's "Best Grocery Store on the Island." The 27,000 square foot supermarket had many features unique to the area but similar to Jerry's other stores in Minnesota. News articles went into great detail about the unheard of practice of drive-up parcel pickup.

Jerry's in Sanibel, in turn, has many features unheard of in Minnesota. The store is built on stilts 13 feet above ground level because of frequent flooding by tropical storms. Although more expensive than the typical waterproofing construction, the stilts offer the side benefit of underground parking.

The out-of-state location can sell wine, which is prohibited in Minnesota. And it does offer a sizable section of tanning aids and snacks than the Edina store - for those folks who do golf, walk along the beach and relax during their vacations. 

Another milestone was the creation of the award winning Sanibel Library.  Built in 1994, less than three miles from the Gulf of Mexico, Sanibel's Public Library has the distinction of being Forida's first library constructed to withstand 155 mph winds.  Knowing the risks of being so close to the hurricane-prone Gulf of Mexico, library administrators hired engineers to calculate the wind loads and document design specifications to withstand those loads.  When library officials decided to expand the original structure in 2003, they maintained proactive engineering for the addition and used the same architectural firm to match the Category 5 standards of the original design.

Though the creation of both the old causeway and the building of the new causeway have had a major impact on Sanibel, having two great grocery stores (Jerry's and Bailey's) right on Island and an outstanding library make the island a great place to live and vacation.