El Jobean Hotel - El Jobean, FL
Posted by: 
rogueblack
N 26° 57.862 W 082° 12.733
17R E 379686 N 2983065
The wooden hotel, which seems so unassuming and condemned now, has a history of clowns, daredevils, and movie stars.
Waymark Code: WM47XB
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 07/19/2008
Views: 41
From 1888 until 1921, Southland existed solely as Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railroad depot that serviced Hall Naval Stores and Stephen Brothers turpentine camps that leased prisoners for labor.
In 1922-23, Joel Bean had the town replatted and renamed to an anagram of his name, El Jobe-an, and began building up the town by providing a Post Office & General Store and a Hotel.
In 1931, Metro Goldwin Mayer used the hotel to house film crews and actors. In 1942, Joel Bean sold the property to Leo Simon, a.k.a. Suicide Simon. The hotel became home base for Suicide Simon’s daredevil acts and the winter quarters for many other carnival acts including the Flying Wallendas.
In 2004, it was one of Charlotte County's historical sites to survive Hurricane Charley.
Now privately owned by the El Jobean Historical Property, Inc, the disheveled structure is a shadow of the fantastic, colorful history it can tell. Florida's dense vegetation has shrouded its expansive walls and concealed its former grandeur.
Sources: National Register of Historical Places;
Lindsey Williams;
Sun Times: Our Lives at the Millennium, Charlotte County Timeline
Charlotte County Property Appraiser: Real Property Record for 4381 Garden Road