Fort Myers & Sanibel/Lee County Traveler's Guide 2008 - (Page 58) ®® A R T S , C U LT U R E & H I S T O R Y This progress is chronicled in small collections at museums such as the Southwest Florida Museum of History in Fort Myers, the Museum of the Islands on Pine Island, Sanibel Historical Village on Sanibel Island, the Mound House – and the Davison cottage, home to the Estero Island Historic Society and next to Matanzas Pass Preserve in Fort Myers Beach. In the late 1800s, Dunbar emerged east of downtown Fort Myers. The story of this industrious African-American community is told at Williams Academy Black History Museum at Clemente Park. About the same time, the wealthy discovered a paradise playground. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford established winter homes on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. Others followed for the superb sport fishing and mild climate, including Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Mary Roberts Rinehart, to name a few. And presidents continue to visit to this day. Many museums have collections from the First and Second World Wars; Fort Myers was an important training ground for airmen and support staff at Buckingham and Page Field airports. Ancient Indian as well as more recent history (1950s and 60s) is on display at the Cape Coral Historical Museum. See the marketing genius of the Rosen calusa shell mounds T he Calusa, who lived off fruits of the sea, built longhouses atop shell mounds for their royalty and ceremonies. They also built systems of canals that are still visible today at the Calusa Heritage Trail in Pineland. This artist’s rendition shows Calusa preparing to fish nearby waters. PAGE 58
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.