Lake Harbor (1912 to 1931)

The Bolles Hotel, Lake Harbor, built by
Richard Bolles, ca. 1911.
Ritta Island lent its name to Ritta Shore, on the mainland, where developer Richard J. Bolles built a hotel in 1911 to house prospective land purchasers. Ritta Shore, located on the Miami Canal, was later known as Miami Locks and as Lake Harbor, which is now an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP). Two post offices called Ritta Rural Station and Southshore Rural Station operated from 1945 until 1978 and 1977 respectively, when their mail was forwarded to Clewiston in adjacent Hendry County.

Community church in Lake Harbor, 2010.
Courtesy Richard A. Marconi.
In recent years, Lake Harbor has been considered for a historic-place designation of its buildings as well as a historic district.