Through the years

It was 1968, and Buffalo, N.Y., orthodontist Dr. Murray ‘Murf’ Klauber sat on the shore just outside of the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort. Admiring the natural beauty of the beach, he asked himself, ‘What am I doing in Buffalo?’ Weeks later, he and his wife, Joanna Brown, moved their three children, Michael, Katie and Tommy, to Longboat Key to buy the Colony. It was hospitality history in the making.

More than four decades later, Klauber’s office is covered with photos documenting the resort’s history. The following photos offer a look back at the early years of 1968 through 1995. For a look at 1996 through 2000, pick up the Sept. 30 issue of The Longboat Observer.

To download a PDF of the "Colony: Through the Years" spread, click here.

To download a PDF of noteworthy guests who have stayed at the Colony in the past 41 years, click here.