The Chadwick family settled in Englewood at the turn of the last century. They ran a very successful fish business in Englewood and Punta Gorda. Over the years they acquired a large amount of land on Manasota Key. In 1926 they started developing their property which was called the Chadwick Beach Subdivision.

At first they ferried perspective customers from the mainland to the Key by ferry boat, a 26-foot gasoline-powered open boat. They soon decided in order for their subdivision to be successful it would be more advantageous to build bridges across Lemon Bay. By 1927, Englewood had it’s first mainland-to-key connection thanks to the enterprising and foresighted Chadwick brothers. There were two bridges built. One was a large one that went from the mainland to what we now know as Sandpiper Key. A shorter one went from Sandpiper Key to Manasota Key.

Capt. Clay Chadwick, who worked on building the bridges, remembered, “The bridges cost the Chadwick family $48,000, a hugh sum of money for the 1920s.” The bridges being private, allowed the Chadwicks to collect a toll of 50 cents which the locals thought extremely expensive. The structures were built, but what terrible timing for the Chadwicks and their subdivision. The Florida Land Boom ended and the stock market crashed. Along with so many the Chadwicks lost everything and Charlotte County would eventually acquire the bridges.

When the Intracoastal Waterway came through Lemon Bay, in 1964, the middle of the Chadwick bridge was cut out. Then Charlotte County Commissioner Bill Anger, who was from Englewood, worked hard to save the two remaining ends of the bridge for fishing piers. He succeeded and the piers were named for him.

However, since then Englewood has lost one span of the old wooden bridge. Although no bridge was ever officially named after the Chadwicks, recognition has been given to the family by naming one of Englewood’s public beaches Chadwick Beach.

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