The ruins before you are the remains of homestead constructed and occupied by Henry Scharrer and his family from 1892 to 1934. A Swiss immigrant, Scharrer settled here at the age of 32 after roaming the American Midweast working odd jobs. In 1892, Caladesi island was known as "Hog Island". Following construction of the homestead, the island was affectionately known as "Scharrer's Island". The small bay just west of the ruins, beyond the mangrove, is "Scharrer's Bayou", where remains of a dock are visible.

Educated as a schoolmaster at the University of Zurich, Scharrer married Catherine McNally, an Irish immigrant, in 1894. The couple was married in the prominent palm grove just north of the ruins. They had one daughter together, Myrtle, in 1895. Scharrer sustained himself largely by worknig odd jobs on the mainland and by trading fish, fruit, and vegetables obtained from his homestead.

In October 1921, South hog Island was created after a Category 3 hurricane separated it from the northern half of Hog Island, thus creating "Hurricane Pass". Hence, what had been known as "Hog Island" became South Hog Island and North Hog Island. South Hog Island was later named Caladesi Island and North Hog Island was later named Honeymoon Island.
While hospitalized in Dunedin in 1934, Scharrer's residence was pillaged and burned. Although the perpetrators were never identified, it is widely believed they were certain hunters who had stolen and poached from Scharrer over the years. An account of the incident was documented in a December 1934 issue of the Clearwater Sun. Heartbroken from the loss, Scharrer succumbed to this illness in Dunedin at the age of 74 and was buried next to his wife.

Other homesteaders have occupied the island, but none so prominently as Scharrer. Over a period of 15 years, prior to her marriage, Scharrer's daughter Myrtle recorded many varieties of wildlife, including over 158 species of birds on the island.

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