Information about Fort Myers-Sanibel, FL and the small, locally-owned businesses located there.

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A little about Fort Myers-Sanibel

Fort Myers-Sanibel Island is popular for its beaches, fishing, shopping – and the opportunity to learn about two of the nation’s most famed inventors and business leaders. You and your family can experience one-on-one natural encounters, play on top-notch beaches and treat yourselves to endless family-friendly attractions, restaurants and resorts in Fort Myers and surrounding areas along southwest Florida’s sunny Gulf Coast. And don’t miss the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter estates. Back in 1916, Ford bought land in downtown Fort Myers, next door to Edison, his mentor. Now, both estates serve as museums that honor their founders and remind all of us about what they overcame and what they accomplished.

The history of Fort Myers-Sanibel

Fort Myers was one of the first forts built along the Caloosahatchee River as a base of operations against the Seminole Indians during the American Indian Wars. During the Seminole Wars, Fort Myers was a strategic location for its visibility and access to Atlantic waterways. After the Wars, Confederate blockade runners and cattle ranchers called Fort Myers home. These settlers prospered through trading with Seminole Indians and Union Soldiers. 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. In 1908, the Arcade Theater was constructed in downtown Fort Myers. It served originally as a vaudeville house, and was an auditorium that Fort Myers resident Thomas Edison sat in to view his first films, with his friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone. The Arcade Theatre was eventually converted into a full movie house.

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