Oral History Project

FRIENDS has played an active role in preserving and promoting the unique heritage of our community through its support of the Pine Island Oral History Project. Spearheaded by FRIENDS board member Jim Friedlander and his colleague Steve Russell, the project captures and shares the stories of long-time Pine Island residents through recorded interviews.

Trained in public history by the University of Florida, Jim and Steve have worked to ensure these oral histories are not only preserved but also made widely accessible. The interviews are stored both at the University of Florida and publicly available on YouTube (Link below), helping connect scholars, students, and community members to the lived experiences of Pine Island's residents.

To further promote access, FRIENDS has made these interviews available through library computers and has created a QR code that links directly to the Oral History Project YouTube site—making it easy for anyone with a smartphone or computer to engage with this valuable resource, regardless of location.

Through this initiative, we are not only preserving community memory but also elevating the voices and stories that define Pine Island’s identity for generations to come.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This channel is devoted to saving and sharing the history of Pine Island. From the first occupants of Pine Island, the Calusa people, to the pioneers and early fishermen on the island, we hope to record as many of the fascinating stories as possible. If you know of anyone who is willing to share stories of Pine Island history, please contact us at piohp25@gmail.com.