The Guthries, Fulfords, Bells, and Taylors were among the core families who settled along Sarasota Bay. They built simple wooden homes on stilts, docks extending into the water, and fish houses where catches could be salted, iced, or shipped north. By 1887, the settlement was large enough to merit a name. “Cortez” was chosen—likely inspired by Hernán Cortés, though why the name was selected remains uncertain.
Life was not easy. The settlers faced isolation, mosquitoes, hurricanes, and the challenge of building community from scratch. Yet fishing bound them together. Mullet, in particular, became Cortez’s lifeblood—netted in massive schools during seasonal runs, processed in fish houses, and sold across Florida and beyond.
The 1995 Net Ban and Its Aftermath
The greatest turning point in Cortez’s modern history came in 1995, when Florida voters approved a statewide ban on gill nets in nearshore waters. For over a century, these nets had been the backbone of mullet fishing. Their sudden prohibition devastated Cortez’s fishing economy almost overnight.
Many families saw incomes collapse. Some left the industry entirely, while others adapted by using cast nets, hook-and-line, or focusing on other species. The ban was viewed by many in Cortez as a political and cultural assault on their way of life. Yet resilience remained. Fishermen reorganized, fish houses shifted operations, and the community sought ways to preserve its identity. shutdown123