Early Fort Myers—Where Everybody Knows Your Name to Modern Fort Myers—Backwater Beginnings Beget Bold Present #4

Fort Myers was a great place to grow-up, and from Untold Stories: Fort Myers Part 1&2 it seems like it has always been that way. The videos start where the history of Fort Myers should start—its beginning. It is odd to think that a simple fort that was semi-influential during the Seminole Wars would grow to a lush area with a state college and a university. It was for all measures abandoned, however, until the war of northern aggression when it was re-staffed as a union fort. The first citizens would found the city not too long after. During this time it wasn’t the county seat of Lee County; it was apparently a part of Monroe County which was based in Key West. A bureaucratic dispute over the rebuilding of an arson destroyed school caused the few citizens to incorporate into their own county. As locations tend to do, Fort Myers grew steadily from their gaining items such as railways, a major stop along the path from Tampa to Miami, and two airports. Notable People began to take an interest in the location as well, such as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Though things were brighter, attitudes were still in need of adjustments. Fort Myers itself has the dishonor of being one of the last cities to end racial segregation in the United States. This dark era did in fact end, and with came a large boom in culture. Art and Theatre had large venues for exhibition with generous grants from patrons and appropriations from governmental funds. All totaled, Fort Myers has blossomed into an amazing metropolis. It will be interesting to watch how it grows from here.

[Image Credit: Eloise Pennington, Local Trainer and Graphics Specialist. 2004]