Fort Myers history and landmarks: the fort, Edison and downtown

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. Sources: the Edison and Ford Winter Estates’ history article “The Making of Fort Myers” (May 9, 2023), the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places listed properties file (May 22, 2026 edition), and the museums’ and the city’s own pages, linked below.

Fort Myers began as an Army post on the Caloosahatchee River during the Seminole Wars, became a cattle town after the Civil War, and turned into a winter retreat once Thomas Edison arrived in 1885. Much of that story still stands: downtown’s brick streets, the river estates on McGregor Boulevard and buildings tied to the city’s Black history in the Dunbar community.

Visit

• Edison and Ford Winter Estates: 2350 McGregor Blvd., 239-334-7419, open daily 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., last admission 4:30 p.m.
• IMAG History and Science Center: 2000 Cranford Ave., Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m., closed Tuesday
• Fort Myers Cemetery (city): 3200 Michigan Ave.; City Clerk’s office, 239-321-7037

How Fort Myers began

From the Edison and Ford Winter Estates’ history of the city:

• Oct. 19, 1841: A major hurricane hits Fort Harvie and Fort Dulaney on the Caloosahatchee.
• Feb. 20, 1850: After Maj. Ridgely picks the high, dry ground at the old Fort Harvie site, troops set up camp and raise a U.S. flag. Gen. David E. Twiggs names the post Fort Myers after Abraham C. Myers, whom his daughter Marion had fallen in love with. The fort grows to 57 buildings, from barracks and a hospital to a bowling alley.
• 1856: Winfield Scott Hancock serves as the garrison’s quartermaster during the Third Seminole War.
• 1866: After the Civil War, Manuel A. Gonzalez becomes the first settler at the abandoned fort, with his son, his brother-in-law John Weatherford and family friend Joseph Vivas.
• Cattle years: Cattlemen drive steers to Punta Rassa for shipment to Key West and Cuba. Capt. Francis Asbury Hendry becomes known as “The Father of Fort Myers.”
• 1885: Thomas Edison arrives with Ezra Gilliland and buys his estate within a day.
• Aug. 12, 1885: The City of Fort Myers is incorporated.
• May 13, 1887: With the county seat far away in Key West, Fort Myers breaks from Monroe County and the new county is named Lee.

National Register of Historic Places in Fort Myers

The National Park Service lists 16 properties with a Fort Myers address. Dates are the date each was listed.

The Park Service file also lists the Tice Grammar School (4524 Tice St., 1999) and the J. Colin English School in North Fort Myers (1999), outside the city. Most listings are of local significance; the Henry Ford Estate is listed at the state level.

The historic downtown

The Fort Myers Downtown Commercial District, listed in 1990, covers about 82 acres of the River District. Its Park Service record cites commerce, settlement, government, architecture and social history, and it takes in the old Lee County Courthouse on Main Street, listed on its own in 1989.

Black history landmarks

• McCollum Hall, on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, is the newest listing (2022), recognized for architecture, commerce, entertainment and Black heritage. The city is seeking an operator to run it as a music and performing arts venue, according to its Oct. 12-16 public notice.
• Paul Laurence Dunbar School (1992), at 1857 High St.
• The city’s Roberto Clemente Park, 3265 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., has a Black History Museum on site, the city’s park page says.

Museums and places to visit

• Edison and Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd. Edison’s and Ford’s winter homes, both on the National Register. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; last admission 4:30 p.m.; 239-334-7419.
• IMAG History and Science Center, 2000 Cranford Ave. Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m., closed Tuesday; closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
• Fort Myers Cemetery, 3200 Michigan Ave., run by the City Clerk’s office. Cemetery business at City Hall is by appointment, weekdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the clerk’s page says; 239-321-7037.
• Terry Park Ballfield, 3410 Palm Beach Blvd., on the National Register since 1995.

What this means for you

• Start at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, then walk the downtown district.
• Sixteen National Register listings carry a Fort Myers address.
• Fort Myers is older than its county: the city came first, in 1885, and Lee County in 1887.

Related: parks and trails, things to do this month and population and growth.

Frequently asked questions

When was Fort Myers founded?

Troops set up camp at the site and raised a U.S. flag on Feb. 20, 1850, and Gen. David E. Twiggs named it Fort Myers after Abraham C. Myers. The City of Fort Myers was incorporated on Aug. 12, 1885.

Who is Fort Myers named after?

Abraham C. Myers, an Army officer. Gen. David E. Twiggs, whose daughter Marion married Myers, named the fort for him in 1850, according to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates.

How many National Register historic places are in Fort Myers?

The National Park Service lists 16 properties with a Fort Myers address, from the Murphy-Burroughs House (1984) and the Thomas Edison Winter Estate (1991) to McCollum Hall (2022), plus the downtown and Dean Park historic districts.

What are the hours of the Edison and Ford Winter Estates?

Open daily 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with last admission at 4:30 p.m., at 2350 McGregor Blvd. The phone number is 239-334-7419.

When did Lee County split from Monroe County?

On May 13, 1887. With the county seat hundreds of miles away in Key West, Fort Myers broke away from Monroe County and named the new county Lee.