Downtown Field Trip

As a history major, I found the downtown field trip very interesting because there is so much history around downtown Fort Myers. I really liked the statue of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Firestone because it showed the important figures living and collaborating in Fort Myers. I also really like that there has been a major effort to maintain and restore the history of the city. Many of the buildings have been there for years, such as the Kress building. We learned that the awnings attached to many of the buildings are restored as well. Another building I found interesting was the postal office, I like that they kept the same building, and the sushi looked good!

The social and economic roles of downtown have gradually changed over time. In the early years the town was used for cattle ranching, which was very significant for the Confederates during the Civil war. The North used many blockades to cut off food supply to the South, so the cattle ranching industry in Ft. Myers was very influential. Slowly the town became a tourist industry after Henry Ford and Thomas Edison built their winter estates on the Caloosahatchee River. The city is still a place of tourism today, of course with most downtown areas, banking and business do prosper in the area.

The use of the Caloosahatchee River has definitely changed over the years. The river was basically a highway during the Civil War era and after until the automobile became a common use of transportation. Today the Caloosahatchee River is used mainly for leisure and fun. Today it is common to see boaters, jet skiers, and fishing on the river. Before, the city was ever established the Calusa Indians inhabited the area. Unfortunately, none of the Calusas are living today, there have been some theories that they migrated to Cuba but it is not proven.

Overall, Downtown Fort Myers, has much more of a historical record than I anticipated and i really enjoyed the field trip.