John (Jack) McCann was born in Key West, Florida in 1866. He arrived in what came to be Punta Gorda in 1886 as a captain of Perry McAdow’s schooner “Silver Spray.” In 1892, he married Mary Frances Roe with whom he had three children born in Punta Gorda: Maive, Bertram and Edward.
Captain McCann obtained fame by taking the former President Teddy Roosevelt in search of the devil fish in March of 1917. The widely publicized event had resulted in Roosevelt’s catch of a 16 foot, 8 inch manta ray.
McCann was the city’s Marshall and was in charge of the storm warning service for more than 30 years beginning in 1912. He displayed storm warnings from a 75 foot high steel structure on the bay front.
Captain McCann was also a member of Punta Gorda’s first Board of Trade. He also had many hobbies including horticulture. He was the first person to develop a double hibiscus and the first pink and white double amaryllis.
McCann died at his home at 713 West Retta Esplanade in 1944.
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