CIHS wraps up season with screening

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CAPTIVA ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY The final event of its season, the Captiva Island Historical Society (CIHS) premiered “Al, Bix, Ding, Kent: Captiva's Awesome Foursome” on April 8 at BIG ARTS on Sanibel.

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CAPTIVA ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY Descendants of Captiva's Awesome Foursome, from left, Mary Jo Johnston, Nancy O'Brien Wagner, Cheryl Barrett, Henry Caldwell, Ben Barrett, Dave Wagner and Kelly Johnston.

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CAPTIVA ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY Ben Barrett, grandson of Harold Bixby, with his wife Cheryl, and the book he published about his grandfather's role in Charles Lindbergh's historic flight.

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The Captiva Island Historical Society (CIHS) premiered “Al, Bix, Ding, Kent: Captiva’s Awesome Foursome” on April 8 at BIG ARTS on Sanibel. The 11th film in its Captiva Memories Collection, it tells the story of Captivans Alice O’Brien, Harold Bixby, J.N. “Ding” Darling and Kent Curtis, who made an impact on the island in the middle decades of the 20th century. The documentary was produced by award-winning filmmaker and acclaimed broadcast journalist Ken Sneeden, with CIHS board members helping to gather information. Descendants of O’Brien, Bixby, Darling and Curtis were interviewed for the film, and several traveled from around the country to attend the screening. The CIHS hosted a pre-event luncheon at the Captiva Island Yacht Club for the group, which included: Bixby’s grandsons, Ben Barrett and Henry Caldwell, and his great-niece, Vanessa Stevens; O’Brien’s great-niece, Nancy O’Brien Wagner; and Mary Jo Johnston, great-niece of Curtis. Several current island residents were also interviewed to help tell the story. In addition to attending the premier, they spent the day with Jay N. Darling Legacy Center Director Samuel Koltinsky, who did interviews with them for his upcoming documentary commemorating the 150th anniversary of Ding Darling’s birth. The CIHS voiced appreciation for its 2025-26 season sponsor, Florida Trust Wealth Management.