From Doctors to Wiggins: How Naples’ Scenic Passes Got Their Memorable Names

Photo: RB Photo

From towns to roads, there are memorable names attached to locations in Southwest Florida, and some of Naples’ scenic passes are no different. So, have you ever wondered how those names came about? It turns out, the origins are oftentimes tied to individuals that played a part in early Naples. 

Doctors Pass

Doctors Pass connects the Gulf with Hurricane Harbour to the south, and Moorings Bay to the north. According to at least one expert, the name doesn’t have the happiest memory, but it was indeed attached to a doctor. According to reports, the doctor befriended some others while staying at the old Naples Hotel, and all went out fishing. Their boat ended up overturning, and the doctor was the only survivor when rescuers arrived the next day. They were found in the area close to what we now call Doctors Pass.

Wiggins Pass

The place we call Wiggins Pass today is actually named after a man named Joe Wiggins. He arrived in the 1860s, and along with a man named Roger Gordon, is considered one of the very first documented settlers in the Naples area. It was around this time that people could claim squatter’s rights to land, which they used for farming, hunting, or fishing.

Gordon Pass

As for Gordon Pass, it takes its name from Roger Gordon. Of course, Gordon Pass marks the entrance to the Bay from the Gulf. It’s said Gordon arrived around the same time as Wiggins and settled land nearby the area we now call Gordon Pass. In fact, he once had a fishing camp on the end of Gordon Pass. As one of the first settlers in Naples, he also has the Gordon River named after him, along with Gordon Drive, which is where you’ll find some of the priciest homes in the county.