Fort Myers History

How It All Started

Believed to be one of the stops Ponce de Leon made in his journeys the Spanish and Cuban settlers made camps along the Barrier Island coast in 1513 and again in 1521. However it was still a savage area and the Spanish Armada was not welcome there. In fact, it wasn’t until the late 1700’s that the coastline appeared in the British maps of the area.


Florida became a US Territory in 1821, and the ensuing wave of settlers asked for protection from the native Seminoles. Fort Myers was built along the Caloosahatchee River as one of the first bases of operations during the Seminole Indian Wars. Fort Myers was named in honor of Colonel Abraham C. Myers, the son-in-law of the commander of Fort Brooke in Tampa.


In 1821, Florida finally became a US Territory, paving the way for a myriad of settlers. All along the Caloosahatchee River pioneers set up camp, but the Seminole Indians were not please. This would eventually cause the Seminole Wars.


After the wars, troops abandoned their forts and Federal troops moved into them. Eventually all troops left and the forts were torn down. Some of the supplies and old wood would be used to build what is now known as Fort Myers.


The original town of Fort Myers only started with 10 families a very modest start for such a large community now. Fort Myers started to grow and with that growth came, Cattle Farming, fruit and vegetable farming, and logging. Pineapple was a big crop that helped build the towns commissions.


With all of that farming going on creating more jobs, the town had grown to 350 people. Fort Myers was the second largest town in Southwest Key. The town was going so large that Thomas Edison heard about it and stopped to see it in 1885.


Edison was so fond on the town he built a home and laboratory, Seminole Lodge, right on the Caloosatchee River becoming the most famous resident in Fort Myers.