Permanent Collection:
The Museum: Housed in the former Atlantic Coastline Railroad depot, the Museum is home to the history of Southwest Florida. Paleo Indians, the Calusa, the Seminoles, Spanish explorers, and early settlers are just a few of the people you will meet as you view our exhibits. An authentic replica of a pioneer "Cracker" house, a 1926 La France fire pumper, and a 1929 Esperanza private Pullman rail car are also part of the tour. In addition, the museum also houses an extensive artifacts collection detailing early civilization, the Fort, the first settlers, the cattlemen and agriculture, turn of the 20th century, Calusa Indians, Boating and Fishing industries, World Wars I & II and more.
Paleo Florida: During the reign of the dinosaurs, Florida was covered by a shallow sea. Global sea levels were elevated due to higher temperatures melting polar ice caps. The resulting Florida seas were roamed by enormous sea animals such as the Basilosaurus and Megalodon as depicted in this exhibit.
Inside Paleo Florida: The Florida savannah was inhabited by giant beasts such as the Giant Ground Sloth- North America’s largest mammal - and the Colombian Mammoth. Following these mega herbivores were the infamous predators of the ice age including the fearsome Saber Tooth cats, a 9-foot predatory bird and Giant Dire Wolves. In this exhibit, you will see the Giant Sloth skeleton as well as that of the Saber Tooth Cat!
Paleo Indians: Despite a harsh changing environment, this habitat would become home to the first humans to step foot on the Florida peninsula. These Paleo Indians reached Florida in a time of great change: the ice age was ending; sea levels were rising along with global temperatures and the dry savannah was being transformed into a lush tropical habitat. Here, you can see how the earliest inhabitants survived and buried their dead.
Calusa Indians: The Calusa were builders, during their reign that lasted into the early 1700s, they transformed the landscape of Southwest Florida by building hundreds of shell mounds, altering the waterways and constructing canal highways that connected the coasts. The diorama in this exhibit provides an overview of Calusa lifestyle along with the many tools, artifacts and displays.
Spanish: Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon became the first European to see the Florida peninsula in the spring of 1513. He was immediately enamored by the beauty of this land giving it the name, la Florida. His exploration brought him around the peninsula and into a protected harbor on the west coast of Florida by 1521. An uneasy peace characterized the relationship between the Calusa and Spanish.
The Seminoles: Finding no natural source of gold the Spanish lost interest in Florida and with the exception of a few trading posts and fishing camps, had little influence in 17th & 18th century Florida. It was during this time, that the Seminole Indians established their presence in the peninsula. Not native to Florida, the Seminoles migrated into the area from their ancestral homes in the Creek nations. The early Seminoles of north and central Florida brought with them their knowledge of agriculture to cultivate Florida’s fertile soils.
The Fort: In this display, you can see a model and diorama of the Fort built in 1850. The Fort was named for Col. Abraham Myers who was engaged to the daughter of Gen. Twiggs, then leader of the United States armies in Florida. Though Col. Abraham Myers never saw the Fort or town, named in his honor nor did he serve in Southwest Florida, his name continues to be representative of the area today. Fort Myers became an important landmark during the third Seminole War. Seminole Indian Chief Billy Bowlegs was brought to Fort Myers in 1858 and offered a final cease fire. Bowlegs accepted this cease fire and in turn moved himself and many of his people out of Florida, though a few hundred Indians chose to remain.
The 3 Cs and Early Settlers: Cattle make up the first of what are referred to as the 3 Cs of Florida agriculture: Cattle, Citrus and Cane. The cattle you see here is a real Florida Scrub cattle. It is not a native breed but was brought here by the Spanish and became the predominant cattle raised in the area in the early 1900s due to its ability to withstand the harsh climate of Southwest Florida. Like cattle, citrus and cane were Spanish imports during their occupation of Florida. The Citrus industry continues today to be the most recognized of Florida agricultural industries and the orange has become a symbol of our state. Many families began moving to Fort Myers with the promise of land and freedom. The booming industry drawing many to Fort Myers was cattle. Post Civil War Florida became one of the largest suppliers of cattle and the lure of opportunity and adventure as well as land, drew many to try their hand in this growing industry. The most successful of these early cattlemen was Jacob Summerlin. Later referred to as the King of the Crackers, Summerlin and his cattlemen would become synonymous with Florida. The term ‘Cracker’ refers to the Florida cattlemen specifically referencing the way cattle was herded in Florida. Florida scrub cattle were notorious for needing a little persuasion. That persuasion came by way of a bullwhip, the loud crack was used to herd the cattle.
20th Century Fort Myers: By the beginning of the 20th century, the small cattle town of Fort Myers had blossomed becoming the center of cultural and economic Southwest Florida. In 1884, the town celebrated the arrival of its most famous winter resident, Thomas Alva Edison. The growing town would also see the 1st edition of the newspaper; the Fort Myers Press published in Nov 1884. And three years later, Fort Myers would commemorate its independence from Monroe County and be named the county seat of the newly established Lee County. Growth would continue at a rapid pace fueled by the arrival of the railroad in 1904, a booming real estate market and the construction of a new downtown Fort Myers.
Train Depot: The arrival of the railroad in 1904 connected Fort Myers to the rest of the United States for the first time. By 1923, rail travel had grown so much in Fort Myers that the city needed to construct a new depot. The new Atlantic Coast Line Train Depot was completed in 1924 and would serve thousands of passengers until its decommissioning in 1971.
Boating and Fishing: Capitalizing on the area’s rich marine life, boating and fishing provided plentiful seafood, shells and fed tourism as visitors find through this exhibit area.
Fire: In this exhibit room maintained by our next-door neighbors, the Fort Myers Fire Department, you will find a 1926 France LaPumper, several artifacts and displays of fire fighting equipment and insignia and a tribute to their fallen comrades on 9/11. As Fort Myers came into the 20th century, all buildings, docks and homes were made of wood. Drought coupled with the lack of proper fire fighting equipment and readily available water supply brought about the near demise of the town on more than one occasion prompting the eventual purchase of the LaPumper.
Military: Fort Myers was finally lifted out of depression during World War II with the construction of two military bases in Lee County. The largest military base - Buckingham Field - was one of the nation’s premier flexible gunnery training schools. At Buckingham Field servicemen were taught the art of aerial gunnery. Page Field located south of Fort Myers, was an advanced pilot training facility. During the war every type of plane in the American arsenal made a stop at Page Field including one celebrated visit from the famous Memphis Belle. During World War II, over 20,000 service men and women were stationed at both bases tripling the population of Lee County which had only 10,000 permanent residents at the time.
Outdoor Exhibits
Esperanza Rail Car: The Esperanza is an 83-foot 101 ton private rail car that was the height of luxury back in 1929 transportation. It features three state rooms, a lounge, a private dining car and a galley kitchen and servants quarters. Filled with brass fixtures and Cuban mahogany, the train car remains a favorite among museum visitors.
Cracker House: Built in the late 1800s and early 20th century, these homes were single room homes of the early cattlemen dubbed ‘crackers’ for the sound their whips would make when rustling cattle. Their features include sloped rooves (for rain), elevation (for flooding and heat circulation) and front porches.
Park in Front: The park on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (MLK) in front of the museum was planted to enhance the landscaping along MLK and around the City Museum and since the City is known as the City of Palms, the Beautification Advisory Board wanted to create an educational palm park. The park consists of 1.1 acres and now holds 28 varieties of palm trees in the park with two 2 donated park benches by the Ladies Auxiliary of American Legion Post 38 and Irwin Moskowitz. The planting of this lovely park was done by various departments of Public Works and was the brainchild of the Beautification Advisory Board.