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Thousands of years ago, the Colusa Indians originally inhabited the fertile grounds of the region, comprised of towering mounds of shale. Following their decline, Southwest Florida saw a long period of relative desolation until, in the 19th century, the Seminole Indians migrated into these rich lands. The first white settlers, drawn by the promise of opportunity after the Civil War, trickled in from the Southern states during the 1870s and 1880s, seeking a new beginning in this untamed paradise.