Revealing the Heart of Fort Myers: Journal Entry #4

Fort Myers is very fortunate for having so many historical buildings preserved. The scene of these buildings and structures in downtown Fort Myers is the true heart of the city. Fort Myers was originally named Fort Harvey, a military outpost that was named after a soldier who died in 1841.  The city was one of two cities in the original Monroe County. Monroe County consisted of Fort Myers and Key West. However, in 1884, Lee County was established, named after General Robert E. Lee, which included today’s Hendry and Collier County as well.

 Something that I found very interesting was the effect that Thomas Edison had on this city. He came in search of bamboo and before you knew it he was buying land, having visitors, building homes for family and friends, and becoming a city icon. I see his name throughout the city, but never understood the impact he had on the city’s development. Also, in the 1940’s Fort Myers was known as on of the top producers in the world for gladiolus. Boy Scouts used to knock on neighborhood doors selling gladiolus for fundraisers.

I also discovered how certain developments would actually hurt the soul of the city. In 1968 the Edison Mall was opened and it actually hurt the business and scene for downtown Fort Myers. Many people decided that they would rather spend their day in the air conditioned mall rather than walking the streets of the town. This made me realize how important it is to conserve the city’s heritage so we can show the development foundation of the city. Overall, I discovered a lot about Fort Myer’s history and how fortunate we are to still have historical structures preserved as well as keep the story of this city’s development alive.