Going back in time and hearing about old Ft Myers beach while getting to enjoy homemade sea grape jelly and lemonade really reminded me of sitting at home with my grandparents hearing old war stories and about life on the farm in the early 1930’s in Iowa. I cannot recall the name of the sweet old woman who took her time to tell our class about her childhood on Ft Myers beach but I definitely will not forget this trip. Today, Ft Myers beach is look at as a crazy vacation place as one of the top 10 beaches in the United States and a landing ground for local college students. Our tour guide on this trip (the sweet old woman) went back about 2,000 years and began with the Calusa Indians that started with the construction of the shell mounds, where one is still being preserved today. The place we visited was almost like a museum of Pictures and artifacts of Ft Myers from the past 20 years. She has pictures of the hurricanes that devastated the island and the very first bridges that were built but were destroyed. This woman told her stories and this history and made me feel like I was living on the beach and saw all the history happening right around me. It must be quite an experience for this woman to have lived and watched history happen all around her and be able to share her experience with students who only know the present day Ft Myers Beach.
Hearing stories just about how much this beach has changed in the past 100 years blows my mind, just imagine what other important places in Florida looked like over 100 years ago. If we do not preserve these beaches and the beautiful nature around us then we will have nothing left to enjoy in Florida. Our beaches are the main attraction for Florida and although the tourists do not exactly know how to treat the beach, such as not feeding the seagulls and throwing trash in the designated cans, etc, they still are important for the government and each county and beach as an individual. We pride in our beautiful beaches and the awesome history that follows each beach. The town of Fort Myers beach recently celebrated their 13th birthday. But since 1935, the residents of the beach have discussed incorporation and thankfully with the approval of the development of Estero Island, Ft Myers beach was successfully incorporated. The residents and tourists keep this beach a lively business and community involved society to the present day.
This website definitely summed up some of the history we heard about during our trip: http://www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov/index.aspx?nid=60
I also researched and found several pictures of Past and Present Ft Myers Beach.
Damage from 1960 Hurricane Donna:
Old Satellite picture of Fort Myers Beach:
Current Satellite Picture:
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