BANK OF THE ISLANDS
From left, Bank of the Islands’ Heather Harrison, Eugene and Velma Gavin, and bank Vice President David Lowden.
Bank of the Islands is saluting Black History Month through the images and stories of three multi-generational families who have called Sanibel home since as early as 1917. On display through February, the exhibit is located in the lobby of the Sanibel office, at 1699 Periwinkle Way. The bank shared that Sanibel marked the arrival of its first Black families in the early 20th century, starting with the Gavins in 1917 followed by the Walkers in 1927. While both families originally settled as sharecroppers, subsequent generations went on to become entrepreneurs and business owners. Under the leadership of Oscar Gavin, Gavin’s Plumbing, Heating & Gas Services remains a well-regarded owned and operated family business. Eugene Gavin, who started as a plumber with his brother, Oscar, went on to own a home repair and landscaping business. The third family profiled are the Jordans. Island caterer Mozella Jordan played a key role in making the Sanibel school the first integrated school in Lee County in 1964. Jordan’s son, Jim, attended the elementary school. He went on to be the city’s planning director until his retirement in 2018, at which time he was the longest serving municipal employee in Sanibel’s history. The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular operating hours.