Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida | |
---|---|
City | |
Nickname(s): "City of Palms" | |
Location in Lee County, Florida | |
Coordinates:26°37′N 81°50′W [87][2] | |
Country | United States |
State | Florida |
County | Lee |
Founded | March 24, 1885 |
Government | |
• Type | Council–manager |
• Mayor | Randy Henderson, Jr. |
Area | |
• Total | 49.04 sq mi (127.00 km2) |
• Land | 39.84 sq mi (103.19 km2) |
• Water | 9.20 sq mi (23.82 km2) |
Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 62,298 |
• Estimate (2018)[6] | 82,254 |
• Density | 2,064.61/sq mi (797.15/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code(s) | 33900-33999 |
Area code(s) | 239 |
FIPS code | 12-24125[5] |
GNIS feature ID | 0282700[4] |
Website | cityftmyers.com [88] |
Fort Myers or Ft. Myers, is the county seat[7] and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. It has grown rapidly in recent years. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 62,298 and in 2018 was estimated at 82,254.[5][6]
Fort Myers is a gateway to the Southwest Florida region and a major tourist destination within Florida. The winter estates of Thomas Edison ("Seminole Lodge") and Henry Ford ("The Mangoes") are major attractions.[8] The city is named after Colonel Abraham Myers, the quartermaster general of the Confederate States Army.[9][10]
Fort Myers, Florida | |
---|---|
City | |
Nickname(s): "City of Palms" | |
Location in Lee County, Florida | |
Coordinates:26°37′N 81°50′W [87][2] | |
Country | United States |
State | Florida |
County | Lee |
Founded | March 24, 1885 |
Government | |
• Type | Council–manager |
• Mayor | Randy Henderson, Jr. |
Area | |
• Total | 49.04 sq mi (127.00 km2) |
• Land | 39.84 sq mi (103.19 km2) |
• Water | 9.20 sq mi (23.82 km2) |
Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 62,298 |
• Estimate (2018)[6] | 82,254 |
• Density | 2,064.61/sq mi (797.15/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code(s) | 33900-33999 |
Area code(s) | 239 |
FIPS code | 12-24125[5] |
GNIS feature ID | 0282700[4] |
Website | cityftmyers.com [88] |
History
Spain originally had colonial influence in Florida, succeeded by Great Britain and, lastly, the United States.
Seminole Wars
Blockhouse at Fort Myers in Florida
During the Second Seminole War, between 1835 and 1842, the US Army operated Fort Dulany at Punta Rassa, at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. When a hurricane destroyed Fort Dulany in October 1841, army operations were moved up the Caloosahatchee River to a site named Fort Harvie.[11][12] Fort Harvie was abandoned in 1842, as the Second Seminole War wound down. After a white trader was killed by Seminoles on the Peace River in 1849, the Army returned to the Caloosahatchee River in 1850. The new Fort Myers was built on the burned ruins of Fort Harvie.[13] The fort was named for Brevet Colonel Abraham Charles Myers, quartermaster for the Army's Department of Florida. It covered about 139 acres (56 ha), and soon had 57 buildings, including a two-story blockhouse that was pictured in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, and a 1,000-foot-long (300 m) wharf at which ships could dock. Irvin Solomon notes that Fort Myers was described "as 'one of the finest and largest' forts of the Seminole Wars". It was abandoned in 1858, at the end of the Third Seminole War.[14]
Civil War
During the American Civil War, Confederate blockade runners and cattle ranchers were based in Fort Myers. These settlers prospered through trading with the Seminole and Union soldiers.[15]
The United States Army set up a camp on Useppa Island, near the entrance to Charlotte Harbor, in December 1863. It was intended as a place from which to recruit Union sympathizers and Confederate deserters and conscription-evaders, and to raid into the interior and interfere with Confederate efforts to round-up cattle for supply to the Confederate Army. After some probes along the Peace and Myakka rivers, which had mixed results, operations were moved to the mainland.[16] Troops from the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Regiment of Florida Rangers (later reorganized as the 2nd Florida Cavalry Regiment (Union)) left Key West for Fort Myers early in January 1864. The Union soldiers reached Fort Myers quickly enough to capture three Confederate sympathizers before they could act on orders to burn the fort to keep it out of Union hands. Beyond the principal reason for occupying the fort of providing support for Union sympathizers and local residents disaffected with Confederate taxation and conscription, the fort provided access to the large cattle herds in southern Florida, support for the blockade of the southwest Florida coast being conducted by the U.S. Navy, and a haven for any escaped slaves in the area.[17]
In April 1864, after the troops from the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment had been transferred to Louisiana, Companies D and I of the 2nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment were transferred from Key West to Fort Myers, and remained at the fort until it was abandoned.[18] Company G of the regiment had also been sent to Fort Myers by early May. [19] Solomon argues that Brevet Brigadier General Daniel Phineas Woodbury, commandant of the District of Key West and the Tortugas, intended that action to be an irritant to the Confederacy. The presence of the black soldiers, who made up the majority of troops used in raids into Confederate territory, played on Confederate fears of armed blacks. It was reported that Woodbury took pleasure in placing a "prickly pear cactus under the Confederate saddle".[20]
By the Spring of 1864, Fort Myers was protected by a 500-foot-long (150 m) breastwork, 7 feet (2.1 m) high and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide, extending in an arc around the land side of the fort. The Seminole War-era blockhouse had been repaired and another two-story blockhouse built. The fort was soon harboring more than 400 civilians and Confederate army deserters. Many of the white men enlisted in the 2nd Florida Union Cavalry. Although designated as cavalry, the members of the regiment stationed at Fort Myers were never mounted. Escaped slaves that came to the fort were recruited into the 2nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment.[21]
The Union achieved control of the full length of the Mississippi River after the fall of Vicksburg in July 1863. The Confederate Army then became dependent on Florida for most of its supply of beef. By the end of 1863 between 1,000 and 2,000 head of cattle were being shipped to the Confederate Army from Florida every week.[22] As 1864 progressed, Union troops and sympathizers began driving cattle to Punta Rassa to supply Union ships on blockade duty and Union-held Key West, reducing the supply of cattle available to Confederate forces. The increased shipping from Punta Rassa led the Union Army to built a barracks and a wharf there.[23] By one Confederate estimate, the Union shipped 4,500 head of cattle from Punta Rassa.[24]
The Battle of Fort Myers was fought on February 20, 1865, in Lee County, Florida during the last months of the American Civil War. This small engagement is known as the "southernmost land battle of the Civil War."[25] (However, see Battle of Palmito Ranch.)
Settlement and Founding
The Fort Myers community was founded after the American Civil War by Captain Manuel A. Gonzalez on February 21, 1866.[26][27] Captain Gonzalez was familiar with the area as a result of his years of service delivering mail and supplies to the Union Army at the Fort during the Seminole Indian Wars and Civil War.[26][27] When the U.S. Government abandoned the fort following the Civil War, Gonzalez sailed from Key West, Florida to found the community.[26][27][28] Three weeks later, Joseph Vivas and his wife, Christianna Stirrup Vivas, arrived with Gonzalez's wife, Evalina, and daughter Mary.[29]
Gonzalez settled his family near the abandoned Fort Myers, where he began the area's first trading post. Gonzalez traded tobacco, beads, and gunpowder, and sold otter, bobcat, and gator hide, to the neighboring Seminole.[15] A small community began to form around the trading post.
In the late 19th century, northerners began to travel to Florida in the winter. Some saw development opportunities. In 1881, the wealthy industrialist Hamilton Disston of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania came to the Caloosahatchee Valley. He planned to dredge and drain the Everglades for development. Diston connected Lake Okeechobee with the Caloosahatchee River; this allowed steamboats to run from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Okeechobee and up the Kissimmee River.[15]
On August 12, 1885, the small town of Fort Myers—all 349 residents—was incorporated. By that time, it was the second-largest town on Florida's Gulf Coast south of Cedar Key.[30]
In 1885, inventor Thomas Alva Edison was cruising Florida's west coast and stopped to visit Fort Myers.[30] He soon bought 13 acres along the Caloosahatchee River in town. There he built his home "Seminole Lodge", as a winter retreat. It included a laboratory for his continuing work. After the Lodge was completed in 1886, Edison and his wife, Mina, spent many winters in Fort Myers. Edison also enjoyed local recreational fishing, for which Fort Myers had gained a national reputation.[31]
In 1898, the Royal Palm Hotel was constructed. This luxury hotel attracted many tourists and established Fort Myers nationally as a winter resort destination.[32]
20th century
The Mangoes: Henry Ford's Winter home
Architecture of Downtown Fort Myers.
On May 10, 1904, access to the Fort Myers area was greatly improved with the opening of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, connecting Punta Gorda to Fort Myers. This route provided Lee County both passenger and freight railroad service.[33]
In 1908, the Arcade Theater was constructed in downtown Fort Myers. It served originally as a vaudeville house. Thomas Edison viewed films here for the first time with friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone.[34] With the growth of the film industry, the Arcade Theatre was converted into a full movie house. A wall divided the stage in order to form two screening rooms. Changes in moviegoing habits since the late 20th century have led to the renovation of the theater for use again in live performance. It is now host to the Florida Repertory Theatre, a performing arts hall.
During the period of 1914-1918 (World War I), Edison became concerned about America's reliance on foreign supplies of rubber. He partnered with tire producer Harvey Firestone, of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, and Henry Ford, of the Ford Motor Company, to try to find a rubber tree or plant that could grow quickly in the United States. He sought one that would contain enough latex to support his research endeavor. In 1927, the three men contributed $25,000 each, and created the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in an attempt to find a solution to this problem.[30]
In 1928, the Edison Botanic Research Corporation laboratory was constructed. It was in Fort Myers that Edison conducted the majority of his research and planted exotic plants and trees. He sent results and sample rubber residues to West Orange, New Jersey, for further work at his large Thomas A. Edison "Invention Factory" (now preserved in the Thomas Edison National Historical Park). Through Edison's efforts, the royal palms lining Riverside Avenue (now McGregor Boulevard) were imported and planted. They inspired Fort Myers' nickname as "City of Palms".[30]
After testing 17,000 plant samples, Edison eventually discovered a source in the plant Goldenrod (Solidago leavenworthii). The rubber project was transferred to the United States Department of Agriculture five years later.[30]
In 1916, automobile magnate Henry Ford purchased the home next door to Edison's from Robert Smith of New York. Ford named his estate "the Mangoes". Ford's craftsman-style "bungalow" was built in 1911 by Smith. Ford, Harvey Firestone and Edison, were the three top leaders in American industry. They were part of an exclusive group titled "the Millionaires' Club". The three men have been memorialized in statues in downtown Fort Myers' Centennial Park.
In 1924, with the beginning of construction of the Edison Bridge, named for Thomas Edison, the city's population steadily grew. The bridge was opened on February 11, 1931, the 84th birthday of its namesake. Edison dedicated the bridge, and was the first to drive across it. Thomas Edison died in 1931.
In the decade following the bridge's construction, the city had a real estate boom. Several new residential subdivisions were built beyond Downtown, including Dean Park, Edison Park, and Seminole Park [31] Edison Park, located across McGregor Boulevard from the Edison and Ford properties, includes a number of Fort Myers' most stately homes. The historic development showcases a variety of architectural styles. In the 21st century, it is known for its community activities and strong neighborhood ties.[35]
In 1947, Mina Edison deeded Seminole Lodge to the City of Fort Myers, in memory of her late husband and for the enjoyment of the public. By 1988, the adjacent Henry Ford winter estate was purchased by the city and opened for public tours in 1990. The combined properties today are known as the Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 40.4 square miles (105 km2), of which 31.8 square miles (82 km2) is land and 8.6 square miles (22 km2) (21.25%) is water.
Fort Myers has a Humid subtropical climate bordering extremely closely on a Tropical monsoon climate and Tropical savanna climate.
The temperature rarely rises to 100 °F (38 °C) or lowers to the freezing mark.[36] Rainfall averages just over 56 inches per year, strongly concentrated during the rainy season (June to September) with its frequent showers and thunderstorms; on average, these four months deliver 68 percent of annual rainfall. From October to May, average monthly rainfall is less than three inches. In years with drier than average conditions from winter into mid-spring, drought can develop, and brush fires can be a significant threat. Reflecting the June to September wet season, Fort Myers has 89 days annually in which a thunderstorm is close enough for thunder to be heard, the most in the nation.[37]
The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 64.2 °F (17.9 °C) in January to 83.4 °F (28.6 °C) in August, with the annual mean being 75.1 °F (23.9 °C).
Records range from 24 °F (−4 °C) on December 29, 1894 up to 103 °F (39 °C) on June 16–17, 1981.[36]
Climate data for Fort Myers, Florida (Page Field), 1981–2010 normals,[1] extremes 1892–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) | 92 (33) | 94 (34) | 96 (36) | 99 (37) | 103 (39) | 101 (38) | 100 (38) | 98 (37) | 95 (35) | 95 (35) | 91 (33) | 103 (39) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 84.3 (29.1) | 85.0 (29.4) | 87.7 (30.9) | 90.8 (32.7) | 94.7 (34.8) | 96.3 (35.7) | 96.2 (35.7) | 95.6 (35.3) | 94.1 (34.5) | 91.8 (33.2) | 88.2 (31.2) | 84.9 (29.4) | 97.2 (36.2) |
Average high °F (°C) | 73.9 (23.3) | 77.2 (25.1) | 80.4 (26.9) | 84.6 (29.2) | 89.4 (31.9) | 91.5 (33.1) | 91.9 (33.3) | 91.8 (33.2) | 90.5 (32.5) | 86.7 (30.4) | 81.3 (27.4) | 76.6 (24.8) | 84.7 (29.3) |
Average low °F (°C) | 53.2 (11.8) | 55.9 (13.3) | 59.4 (15.2) | 63.1 (17.3) | 68.7 (20.4) | 73.5 (23.1) | 74.5 (23.6) | 74.9 (23.8) | 74.3 (23.5) | 69.1 (20.6) | 62.0 (16.7) | 56.4 (13.6) | 65.5 (18.6) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 37.0 (2.8) | 40.0 (4.4) | 44.9 (7.2) | 51.7 (10.9) | 60.8 (16.0) | 68.5 (20.3) | 71.3 (21.8) | 71.9 (22.2) | 69.8 (21.0) | 57.3 (14.1) | 48.9 (9.4) | 40.0 (4.4) | 34.5 (1.4) |
Record low °F (°C) | 27 (−3) | 27 (−3) | 33 (1) | 39 (4) | 50 (10) | 58 (14) | 66 (19) | 65 (18) | 63 (17) | 45 (7) | 34 (1) | 24 (−4) | 24 (−4) |
Average rainfall inches (mm) | 1.94 (49) | 2.15 (55) | 2.88 (73) | 2.18 (55) | 2.65 (67) | 10.09 (256) | 9.04 (230) | 10.14 (258) | 8.31 (211) | 2.88 (73) | 1.96 (50) | 1.71 (43) | 55.93 (1,421) |
Average rainy days(≥ 0.01 in) | 5.5 | 5.2 | 6.2 | 4.2 | 6.8 | 16.0 | 17.6 | 17.9 | 15.4 | 6.8 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 110.5 |
Source: NOAA[36][38] |
Demographics
Fort Myers Demographics | |||
---|---|---|---|
2010 Census | Fort Myers | Lee County | Florida |
Total population | 62,298 | 618,754 | 18,801,310 |
Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 | +29.2% | +40.3% | +17.6% |
Population density | 1,559.1/sq mi | 788.7/sq mi | 350.6/sq mi |
(Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian) | 54.6% | 53.9% | 57.9% |
Black or African-American | 32.3% | 18.3% | 16.0% |
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 20.0% | 20.4% | 22.5% |
Asian | 1.6% | 1.4% | 2.4% |
Native American or Native Alaskan | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Two or more races (Multiracial) | 2.8% | 2.1% | 2.5% |
Other races | 8.0% | 4.7% | 3.6% |
The population of Fort Myers was 62,298 during the 2010 census.[41] Between the 2000 census and 2010 census, the city's population increased at a rate of 29.2 percent.
Fort Myers is one of two cities that make up the Cape Coral-Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2010 population for the metropolitan area was 618,754.[41]
The population of Lee County, Florida and the Cape Coral-Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area has grown 40.3 percent since the census in 2000, much faster than the average growth rate of 17.6 percent experienced throughout the State of Florida.
Government
Fort Myers is governed by a six-member city council where each member is elected from a single member ward. The city practices a council–manager form of government where the city council is responsible for the legislative functions of the municipality. The city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local ordinances, voting appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city.
The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The current mayor of Fort Myers is Randy Henderson, Jr.
Policing of Fort Myers is performed by the Fort Myers Police Department.
Education
Secondary schools
Bishop Verot Catholic High School
See: Lee County School District for other public schools in the area.
- Secondary schools in the city include:
Dunbar High School whose Science Olympiad teams won 15th place overall in the 2007 Florida State Science Olympiad, including a win in the remote sensing category.[42]
Fort Myers Senior High School, an International Baccalaureate school, is ranked as one of the best public schools in the nation by Newsweek magazine.[43]
Bishop Verot High School, a private, Roman Catholic high school in Fort Myers, operated by the Diocese of Venice, Florida.
Higher education
Institutions of higher learning in the city include:
Libraries
See: Lee County Library System for other libraries in the county. Library Services include:
Fort Myers Regional Library: The Fort Myers Regional Library is the hub for the Lee County Library System, holding the main collections of legal, business, news, and financial information. The Library is located in Downtown Fort Myers at 2450 Main Street and is home to Cornog Plaza.[48]
Dunbar-Jupiter Hammon Public Library: The library officially opened on October 7, 1974. The founders named the library Jupiter Hammon Public Library in honor of the first African poet to have his work published. Dunbar, the community's name, was added at the request of its residents. The library was moved in 1996 to its current location at 3095 Blount Street. It is home to the largest African-American book collection in Southwest Florida.[49]
Sports
The City of Palms Classic is an annual high school basketball tournament held in Fort Myers, Florida, since 1973. Several of its alumni have made it to the NBA.
Points of interest
Murphy-Burroughs House
The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium[50] is a private, not-for-profit, environmental education organization. Set on a 105-acre (0.42 km2) site, it has a museum, three nature trails, a planetarium, butterfly and bird aviaries, a gift shop and meeting and picnic areas.
City of Palms Park, former home of the Boston Red Sox spring training program, close to downtown Fort Myers.
Edison and Ford Winter Estates
Edison Mall
Historic Downtown, waterfront entertainment district
Murphy-Burroughs House
Imaginarium Science Center
Southwest Florida Museum of History
Public Transportation
Airports
Fort Myers has experienced rapid population growth.
The Fort Myers Metropolitan Area is served by two separate airports in and around the city limits.
The area is primarily served by Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), located southeast of the city. The airport, which sits on 13,555 acres of land is the 45th busiest airport (by annual passengers). In 2018 the airport served 9,373,178 passengers. It has been ranked as one of the top ten airports serving under ten million passengers in the United States.
The Fort Myers area is secondarily served by Page Field, which is a small general aviation airport whose primary traffic consist of smaller aircraft.
Ground Transport
Buses run by LeeTran provide local service in Fort Myers.[51]
Fort Myers in popular culture
In film
The abandoned city scene with the Edison Theatre, from the movie Day of the Dead (1985) was filmed in downtown Fort Myers.[52]
Some courthouse and other "city" scenes in Just Cause (1995) were filmed in downtown Ft. Myers.[53]
Part of the independent film Trans (1999) was filmed in Fort Myers, Florida.[54]
In print
Fort Myers is part of the setting of Red Grass River: A Legend (1998), an award-winning novel by James Carlos Blake[55]
Notable people
Present
Dan Vogelbach - MLB player
Nate Allen - safety for Miami Dolphins
Haley Bennett - actress
Jason Bartlett - Tampa Bay Rays shortstop
Bob Beamon - track and field athlete, gold medalist in 1968 Summer Olympics long jump, world record holder 1968 to 1991
Bert Blyleven – Hall of Fame pitcher for Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and California Angels[56]
James Carlos Blake - author and former faculty member of Edison Community College
Phillip Buchanon – cornerback for the Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders[57]
Stacy Carter – former WWE wrestler[58]
Terrence Cody – nose tackle for Baltimore Ravens[59]
Casey Coleman - former pitcher for Chicago Cubs [60]
Bill Davey – professional bodybuilder[61]
Noel Devine – running back for CFL's Montreal Alouettes[62]
Richard Fain - former NFL player
Earnest Graham – NFL running back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Greenwell – former Boston Red Sox left fielder and NASCAR driver[63]
Mario Henderson – offensive tackle, Oakland Raiders[64]
Nolan Henke – professional golfer[65]
Anthony Henry – cornerback, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns
Adam Johnson - former pitcher for Minnesota Twins[66]
Tarah Kayne - figure skater, 2016 national champion
Jevon Kearse – defensive end, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans
Terri Kimball – Playboy Playmate of the Month for May 1964[67]
Derek Lamely - professional golfer[68]
Craig Leon – music and visual producer of the Ramones, Blondie, Luciano Pavarotti, Joshua Bell
George McNeill - professional golfer
Peter Mellor - English-born American footballer and coach
Terry-Jo Myers - professional golfer, winner of three LPGA Tour tournaments[69]
Seth Petruzelli – professional MMA fighter[70]
Plies (Algernod Lanier Washington) – rapper[71]
Lennie Rosenbluth (born 1933) - college and NBA basketball player
Deion Sanders – Hall of Fame NFL cornerback for six teams, inducted to Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Dallas Cowboy, and Major League Baseball outfielder for five teams[72]
Peggy Schoolcraft – professional bodybuilder, 1997 NPC Team Universe Champion[73][74]
Chad Senior - two-time Olympian (Sydney Australia, 2000 - Athens Greece, 2004), competed in pentathlon
Vonzell Solomon – American Idol third-place finisher[75]
Greg Spires- former NFL player[76]
Elissa Steamer – professional skateboarder
Sammy Watkins - wide receiver for Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams
Tommy Watkins – former Minnesota Twins baseball player[77]
Jeremy Ware - cornerback for Oakland Raiders[78]
Walt Wesley – professional basketball player (1966–1976) for Cincinnati Royals and six other NBA teams[79]
Cliff Williams – bass player for AC/DC
Julio Zuleta – former first baseman for Chicago Cubs
Past
Verna Aardema - children's book author
G. Harold Alexander - Florida Republican Party state chairman, c. 1952-1964
Patty Berg – Hall of Fame golfer, one of LPGA's founders
Gerard Damiano – adult film director
Thomas Edison – improved and perfected the incandescent light bulb and audio recording methods, had a winter estate next to Henry Ford's
Harvey Firestone – founded Firestone Tire Company, had a winter estate near Edison and Ford's homes[80]
Henry Ford – founded the Ford Motor Company, and father of the assembly line, had a winter estate next to Thomas Edison's
Charles Ghigna – poet and children's author known as "Father Goose;" boyhood home 1950-1973
Sara Hildebrand – United States Olympic diver (2000, 2004)[81]
Andrew Jacobson (born 1985) - Major League Soccer player
Jerry Lawler – WWE wrestler and announcer[58]
Denise Masino – professional bodybuilder
Mindy McCready – country music artist[82]
Norma Miller – Lindy Hop dancer, choreographer, actress, author, and comedian known as the Queen of Swing
Diamond Dallas Page – former WCW and WWE wrestler, actor
Kimberly Page – former member of the WCW Nitro Girls and Playboy model
Marius Russo - professional baseball player
Walt Wesley - professional basketball player
Sister cities
Fort Myers has a twinning agreement with:
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