Todd Turrell, an ocean engineer who has spent his career providing marine engineering and environmental consulting services along the waterfront of Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean, is a cartophile. His keen interest in natural history along coastal environments prompted him to found Island Map Publishing in Naples in 2005. The company has since created more than 100 maps and three history books; most recently, they designed and created the Naples Centennial Map. On March 22, a copy was donated to Naples City Hall and dedicated to the late Lavern Norris Gaynor; a Neapolitan since 1976, she was an enthusiastic community advocate and philanthropist.
The map will be on display at city hall for years to come. Proceeds from map sales will benefit the Naples Historical Society and will specifically fund replacement of the Indian Canal marker signage that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. The educational marker signs, found in two locations in downtown Naples, inform the public about the historic Indian Canal, an impressive piece of engineering work that is 1.5 miles long, more than 40 feet wide, and 25 feet deep. It once ran from the beach in downtown Naples to Naples Bay, and it is believed that the canal was in use from circa AD 700 to AD 1400.
Unframed Naples centennial maps (that include a dotted line showing the Indian Canal) in either glossy poster paper or fine art canvas are available for purchase in three sizes online. Turrell’s company also offers more than 100 similarly styled maps from waterside regions worldwide for sale. A collector of antique maps, Turrell says his goal is to make modern and colorful maps—ones that you would want to hang on your wall. Now there is a whole collection for fellow cartophiles to choose from.
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