History of the Bank of Everglades Building

This month, we are celebrating the life of Arita Parker, who passed away on September 5. Everyone knew Arita and her sister Babs. In 2006, the Everglades Society for Historic Preservation invited both of them to speak at our first “Nostalgia Night,” reminiscing about growing up in Everglades City.  

More recently, after the Bank Building was donated to ESHP, Arita shared her memories with ESHP of working at the Bank of Everglades when she graduated from Everglades City High School in 1952. Arita moved away after she married her husband, Kenneth Parker, and returned in 1992, a year and a half after his death.  

Arita began her bookkeeping career at the Bank of the Everglades when the Vice-President, Mildred Cooke, hired her at the recommendation of one of the Collier brothers and bought her proper “business” clothes. She learned a lot from Mildred (“an excellent bookkeeper”) and worked there as a teller bookkeeper, counting the cash and putting it in the safe, which was located inside the vault.  

 Some of Arita’s comments were: 

“The bank was a wonderful place to work.” 

“I didn’t know Barron Collier, Sr., but Dad did. Dad said he was just an everyday fellow.” (Mr. Collier hired Arita’s father, Ivan Hoffman, as the city electrician; he turned the streetlights on every evening and off every morning in addition to working at the power plant that was owned and operated by the Collier Corporation.) 

“I’ll tell you one thing: Collier Corporation was one fine bunch of people to work for. …. They were so good to everybody, all their workers. They were good people…good people.” 

Arita also mentioned that the Bank manager would invite the employees once a month to dinner at the Rod & Gun Club.  

The original stairs were located on the outside of the building for access to the second floor, which housed the corporate offices of Humble Oil, the District School Board, and the Collier Corporation. Arita recalled the time she asked the manager why the employees were not allowed to go upstairs. He told Arita that the bank employees only went upstairs to be fired! 

Arita also assisted us with information about the layout of the first floor of the building, where the bank manager’s office was located, as well as his assistant, and the interior colors of the building. ESHP plans to bring back the original trim, floors, and windows, and include a place to honor those who owned and worked in the building over the years.  

With a recent donation of $5,000.00, ESHP has established an Arita Parker Fund to honor her with sponsorship of one of the 20 historic windows. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to remember Arita, visit www.eshp.org and click the “donate” button, or mail to ESHP, P O Box 46, Everglades City, FL 34139. 

Arita, we will miss you. You taught me a lot about this community, which inspired me to get involved with its history. Your smile, determination, and love of Everglades City will always be a part of us.