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A white 40s-style rectangular cottage sits on the edge of the water at the northern tip of Longboat Key, just where the land ends. The dolphin-filled blue-green Gulf of Mexico water laps peacefully under the water-facing porch of the house, and it has been this way since the Mayers family bought the property in 1936. Today, they remain one of the oldest families on Longboat Key.

Its not uncommon to see Tom Mayers throwing a cast net from the large pelican-perched dock, which has been rebuilt three times over the years there is even an award-winning photo of his father, Frank, casting a net on the same dock.

According to a 1913 map of New Pass, Lands End has, arguably, the best fishing on the west coast of Florida. Its fitting, then, that the original settler of Lands End and relative of the Mayers family, Italian-born John Saverese, was in the fishing business.

The early yearsThe year 1885 was an ideal time to begin a fishing company in Tampa because the construction of the Plant Railroad in 1884 connecting Tampa to the northern region of the U.S. allowed for a more massive fish transportation operation. Within 10 years, Saverese had employed 550 men, 15 sailing vessels, 150 small boats and a large steamer, The Mistletoe.

It was the biggest fish house in the United States, says Tom Mayers, former Longboat Key Historical Society president. Theres nothing like that today.

The 75-foot-long Mistletoe was used to bring vacationers from Tampa to Longboat Key two times per week. Due to the success of Savereses business, he acquired extensive building and real-estate holdings including what would eventually become Lands End. About 1914, Saverese built a vacation home on the edge of the water.

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