Caxambas Publishing

01/23/2017

Pioneers of Marco Island are in the spotlight as the new Pioneer Exhibit opens next week. Historical Re enactors dressed as Island pioneers appear at private and public receptions January 24 and 26. Read about pioneer history and then check out the museum exhibit.

The Marco Island Historical Society announces that The Pioneer Era: A Tale of Two Villages opens to the public.

01/16/2016

It was a pleasure to portray my heroine Tommie Barfield for the fourth grade students from Tommie Barfield Elementary School at the Collier County Museum on January 13th and 14th following their tour. Students can learn so much about their own history and the pioneer life on the island, its struggles and joys. Many of the students were born in other states and migrated to the island as did Tommie, quite a few were born on the island.One young fellow raised his hand in the question and answer period to tell me he was a member of this family. Indeed? To my surprise I met the great, great grandson of Tommie Barfield!

12/16/2015

Happy Holidays to all the history lovers everywhere. Delving into the past with the Olds family helped me appreciate life as it was lived on Marco Island 100 ago.Thank you Will Smith for sharing your family with all of us this Christmas and many to come.

10/17/2015

Meet the Author at South Regional Library. Thanks to all for coming and for making it fun.

12/28/2013

My friend Joanne, president of the Marco Island writers group interviewed me. Check out her blog. Blog :http ://Joanne tailele. WordPress. com

11/30/2013

Matlacha,FL Authors Fest. Nov. 30and December 1st,tell your. friends!

11/03/2013

Stop in and say hello to Betsy at the Goodland Bazaar. She is in the Southwest Florida History tent introducing her new book "into the Florida Wilderness."

10/05/2013

People have asked how I started writing about the history of SW Florida and Marco Island and it all began with the program "Tea With Tommie Barfield" presented at the MI public library in 1998. I re-enacted my favorite pioneer, Tommie Camilla Barfield, and told some of her exploits such as lobbying Lee County Commissioners (all men) before women had the right to vote, or becoming the first Superintendent of Collier County schools despite her 3rd grade education . Everyone adored Tommie as much as I did. The program was repeated many times at the library, once while a tropical storm raged outside. The research notes and oral histories turned into a book with the help of Kappy Kirk, my 81-year old friend and Tommie's niece and legal ward.

Below is the picture of Betsy Perdichizzi as Tommie Barfield.

10/04/2013

To purchase this book please go to www.caxambaspublishing.com.

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Tommie Barfield, a remarkable woman for any age, was a businesswoman, wife, mother and early Lee County lobbyist who lobbied for schools, roads and ferries to help bring southwest Florida out of isolation; she was instrumental in helping billionaire Barron Gift Collier carve out Collier County. She believed Mr. Collier's promise to the legislators that he would complete the "Tamiami Trail" and that he would develop the area as it should be developed. The Great Depression and the illness and death of Mr. Collier caused Tommie to struggle on with her problems. The book is a combination of history and biography. It forges historical facts, anecdotes, folklore, and author invention into a unique amalgam to portray the life and times of Tommie Camilla Stephens Barfield. The time span is 1895 to 1947. Her story has never been told.