| The reputation of Fort Myers Beach as a sleepy | | | | on Estero Island on the Shell Mound on the Bay during |
| beach community belies its original roots as home to | | | | the late 1870s. Rather than settling permanently, they |
| Indians and a number of adventurers. Some of its | | | | later moved to Sanibel where they homesteaded a |
| tumultuous history includes the unlikely combination of | | | | tract of land at the head of Tarpon Bay. Many of the |
| pirates, homesteaders, and mosquitoes. Today, Estero | | | | "homesteaders" who filed the original patents failed to |
| Island and its sister island, San Carlos, make up the | | | | settle permanently because of the difficulties in battling |
| community of Fort Myers Beach. | | | | storms and resulting crop issues. In fact, in 1899, a |
| Estero Island was once the center of the Caloosa | | | | freeze hit Florida with temperatures as low as two |
| Indian heartland. This geologically young barrier island | | | | below zero in Tallahassee, killing trees, oranges and |
| was formed well after the Earth's last ice age. Prior to | | | | other fledgling crops. It was so cold in the Western |
| the arrival of the white man, the Caloosa Indians used | | | | part of Florida, legend has it, that thousands of chilled |
| many of the Florida West Coast islands as their | | | | migratory birds fell out of the sky to freeze on the |
| hunting and fishing grounds. "Shell Mounds," or the | | | | ground. |
| remains of their meals and community debris, mark | | | | The last homesteader to stake his claim on Estero |
| Estero Island and other key landmarks around Fort | | | | Island in 1914 was Leroy Lemoreaux, who cleared his |
| Myers Beach. | | | | land and survived by growing vegetables and fishing. In |
| Historians agree that Juan Ponce de Leon and his men | | | | several historical tracts, Lemoreaux muses over which |
| were the first to see Florida and gave the lush state | | | | was the worst predator - the bears and panthers who |
| its name in the early 1500s. They were followed by a | | | | stalked the island -- or the lethal mosquitoes clouding |
| number of other European explorers seeking their | | | | the air. In the 1890s, the only weapon against |
| fortune. The Caloosas bitterly resisted these arrivals. In | | | | marauding mosquitoes was smoke. This was all |
| 1566, a fortune hunter named Menendez landed near | | | | before the time when a bridge linked the island to the |
| their hunting grounds on the beach and killed King | | | | mainland of the Fort Myers area. In 1921, the first bridge |
| Carlos, the Chief of the Caloosas, and 20 of his men. It | | | | built was a wooden swing bridge which charged 50 |
| is from this event that the name "Carlos" dominates | | | | cents for five people. The 1926 hurricane washed it |
| much of the West Coast nomenclature, including | | | | way and severed the neck of land attaching San |
| Carlos Bay, Carlos Pass, and San Carlos Island. The | | | | Carlos to the mainland, rendering it an island. Today it's |
| Caloosas' origins remain shrouded in mystery but | | | | still referred to as Hurricane Pass. |
| some scholars believe they may have traveled by | | | | During the World War II years, the growth all over |
| rafts from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Ultimately, they | | | | Florida flattened, but by the early Fifties, the area |
| met their demise from many of the diseases the | | | | "caught on" again. Fort Myers Beach grew as more of |
| European explorers brought with them, including | | | | a permanent destination than a visitors' stop. Tourists |
| measles. | | | | were slow to discover Fort Myers Beach as it was at |
| Explorers were not the only sailors frequenting the | | | | the end of the road, and not particularly well lit. There |
| Western Coast. During the 1870s, pirates dominated | | | | were no motels although hotels existed and several |
| along the shores of Black Island. After defeat by the | | | | cottage courts flourished. It's only been recently that |
| US Navy, a renowned pirate by the name of Black | | | | the Beach has been "rediscovered" as gentrification |
| Augustus (for whom the island was later named), took | | | | projects and new shopping and dining sites open. A |
| his loot and settled on the island. The family of John | | | | great source of pride to the area are the deeply |
| Butterfield squatted on Mound Key in Estero Bay | | | | rooted Fourth of July and Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet |
| during that time, providing the aging pirate with sugar, | | | | celebrations. For a number of years, the Beach was |
| coffee and other luxuries in exchange for vegetables. | | | | the site of the only major fireworks show in the |
| When the pirate finally died, legend has it he repaid the | | | | county. In cooler weather in March, the community |
| Butterfield family by showing them where to dig for | | | | celebrates the blessing of the fleet with a week long |
| treasure. Rumors of forgotten and still-buried treasures | | | | Shrimp festival, including many special dishes based on |
| abound. | | | | the popular "pink gold" shrimp. |
| The Sam Ellis family was the first white family to stay | | | | |