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73-892: The first bridge built across the Peace River in Charlotte County was built in 1921 in anticipation of the construction of the Tamiami Trail and was known as the Charlotte Harbor Bridge. It was located just east of the Barron Collier Bridge, running from Live Oak Point on the north bank of the river to Nesbit Street in Punta Gorda (near where the Laishley Park fishing pier stands). The Charlotte Harbor Bridge became part of

146-624: A U.S. territory in 1821, a number of settlers moved into Florida, causing conflict with the local Seminole Indians. Fort Myers was built in 1850 as a military fort to fend off Seminole Indians during the Seminole Wars . The fort was named after Col. Abraham C. Myers , who was stationed in Florida for seven years and was the son-in-law of the fort's establisher and commander. In 1858, after years of elusive battle, Chief Billy Bowlegs and his warriors were persuaded to surrender and move west, and

219-766: A center of tourism in Southwest Florida. It is about 120 miles (190 km) south of Tampa at the meeting point of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caloosahatchee River . Lee County is the home for spring training of the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball teams. The area that is now Lee County has several archaeological sites that show evidence of habitation by peoples belonging to

292-557: A computer and 87.2% of households had a broadband internet subscription. As of 2010, 78.99% of residents spoke English as their first language, and 15.19% spoke Spanish, 1.28% French Creole (mostly Haitian Creole,) 0.88% German, 0.59% Portuguese, and 0.55% spoke French as their main language. In total, 21.01% of the population spoke languages other than English as their primary language. Lee County's stronger economic sectors include construction, retail, leisure, and hospitality. Hertz moved its headquarters from New Jersey to Estero in 2016,

365-523: A map and accorded the credit for coining the word "Tamiami" to Dickie, although D. C. Gillett, who was president of the Tampa Board of Trade, later claimed to have originally suggested the name. On August 3, 1915, the Board of Commissioners of Dade County agreed to fund part of the survey for the road by providing their county engineer. Two days later a team surveyed the first 3.5 miles (5.6 km), and

438-610: A one-mile-long (1.6 km) project to lift a portion of the road to allow the more natural water flow into the southern Everglades. At the Everglades Foundation's America's Everglades Summit held in mid-May 2010, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, Thomas Strickland, revealed that the Interior Department's National Park Service released a draft Environmental Impact Statement recommending an additional 5.5 miles (8.9 km) of bridging

511-421: A result, which still stands today. The original Barron Collier Bridge opened for traffic on July 4, 1931. It included a drawbridge span for vessel traffic on the river. The old Charlotte Harbor Bridge was then closed to traffic, and its swing span over the navigation channel was removed. The sides were converted into fishing piers, which were demolished in the late 1970s. In 1976, the adjacent Gilchrist Bridge

584-615: A six-runway supersonic airport. The project would also transform the Tamiami Trail into a multi-lane expressway . Conservationists were worried about the impact an airport that size would have on the environment of the Everglades and Big Cypress. After several court hearings, a ban was placed upon further development. The widening of Tamiami Trail as a part of the Jetport had been stopped. One runway had already been completed; so

657-460: A year-round warm, monsoon -influenced climate that is close to the boundary between tropical and subtropical climates (18 °C (64 °F) in the coldest month), thus is either classified as a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ), which is the classification used by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , or a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw ). Lee County has short, warm winters, and long, hot, humid summers, with most of

730-403: Is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. It was one of the first areas of Florida to break away from a Solid South voting pattern. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944. Since then, Adlai Stevenson II , Lyndon Johnson , Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama have been the only Democrats to manage 40 percent of the vote. Lee County

803-940: Is a public university located just south of the Southwest Florida International Airport in South Fort Myers. The university belongs to the 12-campus State University System of Florida . FGCU competes in the ASUN Conference in NCAA Division I sports. The school is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate's , 51 different types of bachelor's , 29 different master's , and six types of doctoral degrees. The parks are maintained by

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876-630: Is also responsible for corrections, court operations, and civil proceedings. There are multiple specialized units within the agency including Aviation, K9, SOU, Fugitive Warrants, Marine, Electronic Surveillance, and Tactical Narcotics Teams. Colleges in Lee County include Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Barry University , Nova Southeastern University , Florida SouthWestern State College , Cape Coral Technical College, Fort Myers Technical College, Hodges University , Keiser University , Southern Technical College , and Rasmussen College . FGCU

949-537: Is from Fort Myers, and was instrumental in bringing his team to the city for spring training. The deal for JetBlue Park left City of Palms Park without a tenant. County officials have discussed the possibility of securing another team for City of Palms. Terry Park Ballfield (also known as the Park T. Pigott Memorial Stadium) in East Fort Myers is also not currently in use by a Major League Baseball team, though it

1022-549: Is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Byron Donalds of the 19th district and by Greg Steube of the 17th district . Most of the county is in the 19th, while the far eastern portion is in the 17th. As of May 31, 2024. A small port operation continues in Boca Grande , being used as a way-point for oil distribution. However, Port Boca Grande has been in decline for many years as

1095-505: Is the southernmost 284 miles (457 km) of U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) from State Road 60 (SR 60) in Tampa to US 1 in Miami . A portion of the road also has the hidden designation of State Road 90 ( SR 90 ). The 163-mile (262 km) north–south section (hidden SR 45 ) extends to Naples , whereupon it becomes an east–west road (hidden SR 90) crossing

1168-637: The Caloosahatchee culture (500 to 1750 AD). By the time of European contact, the area was more specifically occupied by the Calusa . After European contact, fishermen from Cuba and other Spanish colonies set up fishing camps, known as ranchos in Spanish, on the southern portion of the Gulf Coast of Florida. These ranchos extended from Charlotte Harbor south to San Carlos Bay and the mouth of

1241-672: The Everglades (and forming part of the northern border of Everglades National Park ). It becomes Southwest 8th Street in Miami-Dade County , famous as Calle Ocho in the Little Havana section of Miami (and site of the eponymous annual festival ), before ending east of Miami Avenue as Southeast 8th Street at Brickell Avenue in Brickell , Downtown Miami . The idea for a trans-peninsula highway that connected

1314-698: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,212 square miles (3,140 km ), of which 428 square miles (1,110 km ) (35.3%) are covered by water. Rivers and streams include the Caloosahatchee River , the Imperial River , the Estero River , Hendry Creek, and Orange River. Lee County is on the southwest coast of Florida. It is about 125 miles (201 km) south of Tampa , 115 miles (185 km) west of Fort Lauderdale via Interstate 75 , and roughly 125 miles (201 km) west-northwest of Miami via U.S. Highway 41 . Lee County has

1387-644: The United States Army Corps of Engineers , this was only a partial solution to the problems of the Everglades and the Tamiami Trail. In 2003, after considering a variety of plans involving the rebuilding of US 41/SR 90, the Corps recommended that a 3,000-foot-long (910 m) causeway be built near the Northeast Shark Slough northeast of Everglades National Park , all road fill removed that would otherwise be adjacent to

1460-555: The 1870s, Tervio Padilla, a wealthy merchant from the Canary Islands, came by way of Key West to Cayo Costa and established trade with natives and "ranchos" that extended northward to Charlotte Harbor. His ships often made port at Cayo Costa at the entrance to the harbor. Enchanted by the tropical island, he eventually decided to settle there. Padilla prospered until the outbreak of the Spanish–American War , when his fleet

1533-579: The American Civil War. Fort Myers first became a nationally known winter resort with the opening of the Royal Palm Hotel in 1898, built by New York City department store magnate Hugh O'Neill. Fort Myers was the frequent winter home of Thomas Edison , as well as Henry Ford . In 1911, Fort Myers was incorporated as a city. In 1923, Collier and Hendry Counties were created by splitting these areas from Lee County. Construction of

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1606-625: The Caloosahatchee. Likely established in the latter part of the 1600s, they were precursors to the larger European settlements that would be established in the following centuries. As the 18th century came to an end, the Calusa who had once inhabited the area were replaced with the Seminole . In particular, in 1799, an Indian agent noted the existence of a Seminole town on the "Cull-oo-saw-hat-che" or Caloosahatchee River. After Florida became

1679-724: The Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ), which, along with the Naples - Marco Island ( Collier County ) MSA and the Clewiston ( Hendry County , Glades County ) Micropolitan Statistical Area ( μSA ), is included in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers-Naples Combined Statistical Area ( CSA ). Lee County was established in 1887 from Monroe County . Fort Myers is the county seat and

1752-494: The Central Florida Highway Association, Perry introduced a resolution which was seconded by Tampa's E. P. Dickie, for the construction of the "Tamiami Trail", which was to run from Tampa through Riverview, Bradenton, Sarasota, Arcadia, Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples, Marco, then east directly across the state to Miami. Perry traced the route of the proposed Tamiami Trail on

1825-755: The Chevelier Corporation began laying out a new route for the road and in 1921 began construction on the new segment of the Tamiami Trail. This segment is today known as Loop Road (located in Big Cypress National Preserve ). In 1922, the State of Florida ran out of construction funds for the east–west portion. The following year, Barron Collier , an advertising mogul who had recently diversified his holdings by investing in various types of businesses and millions of acres of southwest Florida wilderness, pledged that he would bankroll

1898-674: The Downtown Intermodal Transfer Center ; in addition, suburb-to-suburb routes are operated, as well as park-and-ride service to and from both Fort Myers Beach and Southwest Florida International Airport. The Downtown Intermodal Transfer Center in Fort Myers also serves as an intermediate stop on Greyhound Lines bus service. Newspapers include The News-Press and Florida Weekly . Arbitron standard radio market: Ft Myers-Naples- Marco Island . With an Arbitron-assigned 783,100 listening area population,

1971-554: The Fort Myers area. A cross-town rivalry has developed with the Minnesota Twins , which conduct their spring training at Hammond Stadium in south Lee County, which has a capacity of 7,500 and opened in 1991. The Red Sox' lease with Fort Myers ran through 2019, but the Red Sox were considering exercising the early out in their contract that would have allowed them to leave following the 2009 spring season. On October 28, 2008,

2044-520: The Lee County commission voted 3–1 to approve an agreement with the Boston Red Sox to build a new spring-training facility for the team in south Lee County. That stadium, named JetBlue Park at Fenway South, is located off Daniels Parkway near Southwest Florida International Airport. The stadium opened in time for the 2012 season. City of Palms Park had been built in 1992 for the Red Sox' spring training. Former Red Sox left fielder Mike Greenwell

2117-600: The Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects program to complete the Tamiami Trail Next Steps project, intended to allow more north-to-south water flow into the Everglades. This grant matches a $ 43.5 million commitment by the State of Florida for the raising and reconstruction of the remaining 6.5 miles (10.5 km) of the eastern Tamiami Trail roadway. As of September 2020, the plan to complete and finish

2190-620: The State Road Department agreed with Collier County. Even so, the Board of County Commissioners of Dade County supported the Chevelier segment, since so much money had already been invested, and only a few miles of road were left to be completed. Despite this protest, the State Road Department reinstated the original route of the Tamiami Trail to be completed, and the already completed portion of roadway in Monroe County

2263-632: The Tamiami Trail Bridge, built across the Caloosahatchee River in 1924, sparked the city's growth. After the bridge's construction, the city experienced its first real estate boom and many subdivisions sprouted around the city. In 1927, a property purchased by the City of Fort Myers was turned into an airport, eventually called Page Field . During World War II , Page Field served as an advanced fighter training base and home to

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2336-605: The Tamiami Trail has been approved for the final steps of the project. Through the Trump Administration, The Florida Department of Transportation, and Everglades National Park, they have been able to finalize these plans. This will help improve water flow within the wetlands and to restore many parts of the Tamiami Trail and the Everglades National Park as a whole. These plans to begin the final steps will start November 2020 and should be finished by

2409-476: The Tamiami Trail, which was fully completed in 1928. After the trail was completed, it was determined that the Charlotte Harbor Bridge was insufficient for the needs of the Tamiami Trail because of poor construction and its lanes were too narrow. Barron G. Collier, who owned the Hotel Charlotte Harbor, was one of the main proponents of building a new bridge for the Tamiami Trail. Work began on

2482-533: The Tamiami Trail. The Everglades Foundation is a group that supports the Tamiami Trail bridging and dedicated to Everglades restoration. In 2013, Florida announced a $ 90 million commitment to elevate 2.6 miles (4.2 km) of the road to allow natural drainage into the Everglades and Everglades National Park. In June 2019, a $ 60 million grant was announced by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to Everglades National Park through

2555-489: The US ;94 signage was replaced with US 41 signs, over a decade after AASHO modified its guidelines to discourage short (under 300 mi or 480 km) U.S. Highways that are entirely within one state. In the 1950s, the newly configured US 41 was extended eastward and northward, first to downtown Miami along US 1 in 1950, then to Miami Beach along US 1 and SR A1A in 1953. In 1965, US 41

2628-415: The annual mean being 75.1 °F (23.9 °C). Records range from 24 °F (−4 °C) on December 29, 1894 up to 103 °F (39 °C) on June 16–17, 1981. As of the 2020 United States census , 760,822 people, 288,916 households, and 187,877 families resided in the county. About 4.6% of that population was under 5 years old, 17.3% was under 18, and 29.2% was 65 or older; 51.0% was female; 89.3%

2701-623: The bridge, the 57 culverts that are already in place maintained, and the appropriate water flow rate maintained under the non-causeway portions of the Tamiami Trail crossing the Everglades. The proposed causeway is being called the Everglades Skyway by the Sierra Club , Audubon Society , World Wildlife Fund , and other organizations in an Internet-based effort to lobby Florida and United States government officials for project construction money. In December 2009, construction began on

2774-451: The city experienced a significant influx of settlers. In 1885, when Fort Myers was incorporated, its population of 349 residents made it the second-largest city only to Tampa on Florida's west coast south of Cedar Key, even larger than Clearwater and Sarasota, also growing cities at the time. Lee County was formed in 1887 from Monroe County , with Fort Myers serving as the county seat. It was named for Robert E. Lee , Confederate general in

2847-519: The completion of the Tamiami Trail, U.S. Highway 94 ( US 94 ) extended from the intersection of Ninth Street South and Fifth Avenue South in Naples (the southern terminus of US 41) to the intersection of South Eighth Street and Brickell Avenue (US 1) in Miami. At the time it was considered a major achievement of engineering that was the only route from Naples (and, by extension, from Tampa) to

2920-404: The completion of the Tamiami Trail; in return, the State legislature would establish a new county and name it after him. So in 1923, Collier County was created out of the southern portion of Lee County. Almost immediately contention arose over the change of the route. The sponsors of the new county advocated for the original route, which was completely inside the boundaries of Collier County, and

2993-1006: The county's Parks & Recreation Department. The department also maintains spring training facilities for the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins . Some of the main tourist attractions in Southwest Florida are its beaches. Lee County is home to ten beach parks and an additional seven beach accesses, maintained by Lee County Parks & Recreation. Popular beaches include Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva Island, Bonita Beach, Bunchee Beach, and Lovers Key. The Lee County Library System has 13 branches. The towns of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, though located in Lee County, maintain their own independent public library entities. The Lee County Library System currently provides more than 294,000 county residents with over 1.5 million items and materials available for use or patron circulation, as well as an online library materials catalog, free wi-fi, public computer access, and scanning and printing capabilities. Unlike most urban counties, Lee County

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3066-400: The east–west highway to its intended terminus at an interchange with I-95 . However, planners made the decision in 1973 to shift I-75's proposed route to instead cross the Everglades along Alligator Alley over environmental concerns related to upgrading the Tamiami Trail, which runs along the northern border of Everglades National Park. Additionally, Alligator Alley itself needed upgrading, as

3139-494: The east–west stretch later that year, thanks to funding from Barron Collier . In 1926, both the north–south section and the east–west stretch were designated U.S. highways . Although the Trail was intended to be one road, the two sections received two different numbers: as each section was completed, the north–south portion received US 41 signs, and the east–west stretch was designated US 94 upon completion (to comply with

3212-537: The end of 2024. Lee County, Florida Lee County is located in southwestern Florida , United States, on the Gulf Coast . As of the 2020 census , its population was 760,822. In 2022, the population was 822,453, making it the eighth-most populous county in the state. The county seat is Fort Myers , with a population of 86,395 as of the 2020 census, and the largest city is Cape Coral , with an estimated 2020 population of 194,016. The county comprises

3285-469: The expedition did not arrive on time, it was speculated they had become lost and likely died which drew national attention to the expedition. Planes were sent to try and find them and parties to rescue them would be dispatched from both coasts. The expedition did end up making it to Miami. The first 11 would come to Miami 19 days after it started and the rest would come a few days later, but the expedition did lose three of their vehicles. Construction started on

3358-469: The final section was completed in April 1928. The Tamiami Trail took 13 years, cost $ 8 million (equivalent to $ 112 million in 2023 ), and used 2.6 million sticks of dynamite in its construction. The Tamiami Trail officially opened on April 26, 1928. To celebrate, a convoy of over 500 cars would leave out of Tampa on the morning of April 25 and arrive in Miami during the late part of the next day. Upon

3431-738: The first major corporation to relocate to Lee County. The largest employers in Lee County as of 2019 are: The Lee County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for Lee County, Florida headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida . The Lee County Sheriff's Office responds to all calls for service within unincorporated Lee County and employs civilian dispatchers who provide dispatch for LCSO Deputies and Florida Southwestern State College Police. The Cape Coral Police Department , Fort Myers Police Department , Sanibel Police Department and Lee County Port Authority Police maintain their own police dispatch centers. The Lee County Sheriff's Office

3504-623: The fort and the Confederate forces retreated. After the war, the fort was again deserted. The fort was later disassembled and some of its wood was used to build parts of downtown Fort Myers. During the Civil War, Fort Myers was occupied by federal troops with the intention of disrupting the Confederate cattle supply from Florida. In February 1865, it was the site of the Battle of Fort Myers . The first settlers in Fort Myers arrived in 1866. In

3577-478: The fort was abandoned. Billy's Creek, which flows into the Caloosahatchee River, was named after a temporary camp where Billy Bowlegs and his men awaited ships to take them west. In 1863, the fort was reoccupied by federal troops during the Civil War . In 1865, in the Battle of Fort Myers , the fort was attacked by a small group of Confederates. The Union's garrison, led by Captain James Doyle, successfully held

3650-416: The goal of reaching Miami. The Blazers wanted to do this as a publicity stunt to try and get national attention. It would consist of a motorcade of 10 vehicles, a commissary truck, 7 Ford Model T's , an Elcar and a tractor, conveying 29 people (25 men and 4 women). The party consisted of members of Florida county boards, the road department, as well as several native guides, most likely Seminoles . When

3723-434: The hotel on the corner of First and Fowler was torn down. Lee County has been the host to several Major League Baseball teams for spring training over the past several decades. The county received a boost in 1983 when Southwest Florida Regional Airport (now known as Southwest Florida International Airport ) opened. On August 13, 2004, the county was struck by Hurricane Charley , a category 4 storm, particularly on

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3796-710: The metropolitan area ranks 62/299 for the fall of 2006. The metropolitan area is home to 32 radio stations . Nielsen Media Research designated market area : Ft. Myers-Naples Number of TV homes: 479,130 2006–2007 U.S. rank: 64/210 Fort Myers is home to Florida Gulf Coast University . Its teams, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles , play in NCAA Division I in the ASUN Conference . The Eagles' men's basketball team had an average attendance of 2,291 in 2013. The Boston Red Sox hold their annual spring training at JetBlue Park at Fenway South in

3869-542: The north in 1968. Since then, traffic on the Tamiami Trail across the Everglades has lessened significantly, while urban sections of the road are now often congested. In 1968, the Dade County Port Authority began construction on what was to become the world's largest airport. The Miami Jetport was located 36 miles (58 km) west of Miami, just across the Collier County line. It was to be

3942-506: The north, on Southwest Seventh Street, as the easternmost 2.7 miles (4.3 km) of the U.S. Highway now lie along a one-way pair ). While US 41 and SR 90 have not significantly changed since the 1960s (aside from the widening to the east of SR 997 in Miami-Dade County in the 1970s and in 2002-2005), its importance to motorists of southeastern Florida has changed since the opening of Alligator Alley (I-75) to

4015-469: The northwestern islands of Captiva , Gasparilla , and North Captiva . On September 10, 2017, Lee County was struck by Hurricane Irma as a category 2 storm. On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Lee County as a category 4 storm, causing major damage to Sanibel , Pine Island , and surrounding areas. Sanibel Causeway partially collapsed in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. 71 deaths occurred in Lee County as of October 4. According to

4088-552: The original Barron Collier Bridge in December 1929. The original Barron Collier Bridge was built a block east of the Charlotte Harbor Bridge at King Street (right next to Collier's hotel). The construction of the bridge necessitated the demolition of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ’s dock at King Street, as well as its original passenger depot. The railroad built a new passenger depot on Taylor Road as

4161-501: The peninsula. The configured Interstate would not be completed for another 19 years. Since then, the Tamiami Trail has been designated a National Scenic Byway by the United States Department of Transportation for its unique scenery in the Everglades and the Big Cypress National Preserve . In 1928, the Tamiami Trail was considered a feat of engineering, although there appears to have been minimal consideration of

4234-520: The potential damage to the Everglades by the roadway and the Tamiami Canal. Both have acted as a dam to block water flow from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay at the southern tip of the peninsula. As a result, the Everglades—the "River of Grass"—has had its water flow greatly diminished over the years, resulting in a devastating effect on the ecology of the region. In the 1990s, a few canals were filled and additional culverts were constructed under US 41 to help regulate water flow. Yet, according to

4307-417: The route-numbering guidelines of AASHTO ). In addition, both sections south of Fort Myers received the State Road 27 designation. North of Fort Myers , it was designated State Road 5. While a 1927 Rand McNally map indicated the southern terminus at Fort Myers , US 41 signs had already been erected on the completed segment (south to Naples) in late 1926; US 94 signs made their appearances when

4380-416: The runway was allowed to be used as a flight training center. The runway remains today as a part of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport . Also in 1968, construction of an extension of Interstate 75 (I-75) south from Tampa to Miami was started, with an eye toward routing the freeway along an upgraded Tamiami Trail from Naples to a soon-to-be completed SR 836 whereupon it would continue on

4453-418: The several bomber groups. Following the war, a small terminal was built in the mid-1950s as the airport transitioned to commercial use. Another airfield was constructed in 1942 called Buckingham Army Airfield . The base was closed down in 1945, after which the barracks served as classrooms for Edison College until 1948. Following the end of World War II, the Royal Palm Hotel was closed permanently, and in 1947,

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4526-431: The shipping industry has moved north, especially to the Port of Tampa . In addition, a private enterprise operates a high-speed, passenger-only ferry service between Fort Myers Beach from San Carlos Island and Key West . Another ferry service is offered from Fort Myers to Key West. Fixed-route bus service is provided by the Lee County Transit Department , operated as " LeeTran ". Several routes extend outward from

4599-413: The southeastern coast of Florida. In 1945, a restructuring of Florida's State Road system resulted in the removal of the SR 27 signs from US 94 and the assignment of the hidden Florida Department of Transportation designation State Road 90, which continues to be applied to the east–west stretch of highway to this day. The north-south section was assigned the designation State Road 45. In 1949,

4672-424: The then-narrow toll road was dangerous to both motorists and wildlife (most notably the Florida panther ) alike, and SR 836, with its left exits and narrow lanes, was not being built to Interstate Highway standards , with the costs to upgrade it being too expensive. As a result, construction for a rerouted I-75 in southern Florida began in 1974, now with I-75 using Alligator Alley instead of US 41 to cross

4745-430: The west and east coasts of Florida originated in April 1915 at an informal meeting in Tallahassee between Francis W. Perry, then president of the Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, and James F. Jaudon of Miami, after which they returned to their respective cities and began advocating for the construction of what was originally called the Miami to Marco Highway. At a subsequent meeting in Orlando, on June 10, 1915, of what became

4818-415: The work on the Tamiami Trail had officially begun. The team consisted of Hobart Crabtree (county engineer), James F. Jaudon, L. T. Highleyman, Van Cleve Hallowes, Wallace Culbertson, Walter Ludlam, J. T. Albritton, A. W. Frederick and one helper. At the time, Lee County was a much larger county (Collier and Hendry Counties were created out of Lee County in 1923). In 1919, for financial reasons, Lee County

4891-411: The year's rainfall occurring from June to September. The temperature rarely rises to 100 °F (38 °C) or lowers to the freezing mark. At 89, Lee County leads the nation in the number of days annually in which a thunderstorm is close enough for thunder to be heard. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 64.2 °F (17.9 °C) in January to 83.4 °F (28.6 °C) in August, with

4964-413: Was 25 years or older were high-school graduates and 28.5% of those 25 years or older had a bachelor's degree or higher. The median household income was $ 59,608 with a per capita income of $ 34,818. About 10.5% of population below the poverty threshold . The median value of owner-occupied housing units between 2016 and 2020 was $ 235,300 and the median gross rent was $ 1,225. Around 94.2% of the households had

5037-402: Was accepted as a "South Loop" of the Tamiami Trail. As construction of the north–south section resumed, Collier hired A. R. Richardson to be the head engineer of the Naples-to-Miami section. A few months later, A. W. Frederick replaced Richardson, who returned to the Everglades Drainage District. The Tamiami Trail Blazers would launch an expedition leaving out of Fort Myers on April 4, 1923, with

5110-403: Was burned and scuttled. He then turned to another means of livelihood – fishing. When the government claimed his land, he was disinclined to set up another ranch, so moved with his wife further down the island and as before, simply homesteaded. The Padilla family is one of the first pioneer families of Lee County and many still reside within the county, mainly around the Pine Island area. In 1882,

5183-561: Was opened to traffic. Southbound traffic was rerouted onto the Gilchrist Bridge, while both lanes on the Barron Collier Bridge carried northbound traffic. On January 12, 1983, the current Barron Collier Bridge was opened to traffic. It is 45 feet tall, eliminating the need for a drawbridge. It is essentially identical to the Gilchrist Bridge. The old Barron Collier Bridge was then demolished, and its remains were sunk into Charlotte Harbor for an artificial reef. Tamiami Trail The Tamiami Trail ( / ˈ t æ m i ˌ æ m i / )

5256-517: Was rerouted as a bypass along unsigned SR 45A around Venice Gardens , while Business US 41 signs grace the three-mile-long (4.8 km) former alignment (which is still named Tamiami Trail). This configuration of US 41 south of Tampa remained intact until the U.S. Highway was truncated to US 1 and Southwest Eighth Street in Miami in 2001—the historic eastern terminus of US 94, former SR 27, and current SR 90 (westbound US 41 and SR 90 now begin one block to

5329-471: Was unable to complete its portion of the Tamiami Trail. Jaudon had already purchased 207,360 acres (83,920 ha) of land, mostly in Monroe County . His company, the Chevelier Corporation, came to the rescue and offered to build a link of the highway through its holdings in Monroe County if Dade and Lee counties would agree to re-route the Tamiami Trail through Monroe County. The proposal was accepted;

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