The East Side of the River: A True Story

When author Jessie Allen Chesser was growing up in Naples, Florida, it was a time of small-town living, where folks were hard workers, where friendships were cherished and enduring. In The East Side of the River, Chesser's moving and well-researched tribute to the history of Naples and her family's place in its nineteenth century origins, readers are introduced to a world of settlers on the town's working-class east side, fishermen and farmers who struggled through hardship and hurricanes, yet forged ahead to add their name to the founders of Collier County. Chesser recalls in vivid prose her days from childhood through the teenage years in the 1940s and 50s, days that were carefree and sometimes trying, a lifestyle that disappeared when our lives became global and we lost the sense of community. For anyone interested in the development of a small coastal town, the lifestyle once lived, and the people responsible for its history, this is a delightful and often poetic book.

Jessie Allen Chesser was born and raised in Naples, Florida. She retired in 2000 after twenty-two years employment with Collier County Government. She still lives in Naples with her family of six generations. Jessie rises early every morning for her mandatory cup of coffee and watches the birds feed and chatter from the dining room window. She loves reading, listening to music, going to church, spending time with her children and grandchildren, strolling on the beach and pier, traveling, watching her flowers bloom, and attending her annual sisters’ reunions - family parties - and Naples High School Girls’ luncheons. This is her first book, a memoir and nostalgic tribute to her family and their contribution to the history of Naples and Collier County.