When Capt. Louis Roberts and his wife, Ocean Hansen Roberts, made their home on Siesta Key (then known as “Sarasota Key”), the island was known for its mosquito swarms, snakes, wild cats and ornery wild boars. There was no bridge to the mainland, and everything had to be ferried out by boat.
The Robertses left more than their civilizing influence on the place. In 1906, they turned their large boarding house into a hotel that would become a magnet for the Eastern winter elite. Later, Hollywood royalty, including Cecil B. DeMille, Bette Davis and Charlton Heston, stayed and dined there.
The following year, the captain and two partners formed the Siesta Land Co., platted Siesta Village and gave the island the name it has had ever since.
via Market Snapshot: Roberts Point on Siesta Key | HeraldTribune.com.