The beginning of Monkey Island

   In the early 1960s, G. A. "Furgy" Furgason, a key figure in developing Homosassa, unintentionally created Monkey Island while addressing a navigational hazard in the Homosassa River. Upon returning from an overseas trip, he discovered a small, barren island had emerged outside his yard. Furgy transformed this “eyesore” into a captivating attraction by adding a lighthouse and, later, a group of mischievous monkeys originally brought to America to assist with polio vaccine research.