The purpose of the Expedition was to cross the Everglades from Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast to Miami on the Atlantic Coast. Fort Myers was established as one of the first of many military forts constructed along the Caloosahatchee River during the Seminole Wars. In the mid 1860s after the Seminole Wars and the U.S. Civil War, the first permanent settlers began to create homesteads in Fort Myers. Some of the earliest settlers were veterans of the wars, many of whom became cattle ranchers, farmers and traders with the Seminoles. The town was incorporated in 1885 and became the seat of the newly created Lee County (Fort Myers had been part of Monroe County until 1884). The U.S. Post Office officially named the town Myers in the 1870s, and both names were used regularly until the name officially changed to Fort Myers in 1901. By 1885 it was already one of the largest towns on the Gulf coast, and it was a popular tourist destination, particularly for recreational fishing. In 1886 Thomas Edison constructed his winter home, "Seminole Lodge," and a lab in the town. The population was 575 according to the 1890 Census. The Expedition party reached Fort Myers on March 13, and established Camp No. 1 on the outskirts of the town about one mile south east of the Post Office on March 14. They remained there until their departure on March 16.
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For other topics referenced in the Expedition texts, please refer to the Index to Subjects and Names.
1892 Everglades Exploration Expedition : Three Digital Texts, 2015