The Golden Gate area was first conceived, platted and developed by the Gulf American Land Corp founded by Jack and Leonard Rosen. In the late 1950s they bought 175 square miles of swamp land, paying approximately $100 per acre platted into 1.25 acre sites. In 1960 the Board of County Commissioners approved the subdivision which is believed to be the world’s largest subdivision. In 1965, 90% of the land was platted and marketing was well underway. The Estates portion of Golden Gate comprised 163 square miles (111,000 acres), nearly 8% of the County’s total land area and by 1967 18,000 lots had been sold, mostly sight unseen by their buyers. In the 1970s the county changed their minds and ruled that 2.5 acres would be the minimum required lot size going forward. Today Golden Gate Estates is thriving and is highly regarded as a community where residents enjoy peace and quiet rural living on 1.14 – to over 5 acres, with no association fees.