Captain Francis Asbury Hendry, known as the "Father of Fort Myers," was one of the founders of Fort Myers and a leading cattle rancher in the state. His sons, George and Frank Hendry, accompanied the Expedition from Fort Myers to Fort Shackleford, acting as guides. Francis and his family lived for a time at Fort Meade before settling in Fort Myers, and he also founded the town of LaBelle, Florida. The Hendry family interacted with the Seminoles regularly. In the late 1870s, at the request of a young Native American, Billy Conapachee, he took the boy in to raise and educate him along with their own children. Many years later, when the Seminoles received the news that Francis A. Hendry was dying in 1917, Billy and his brother, Billy Fiewel, honored the man by visiting him before he died. Following his death, the State of Florida honored him with the newly created Hendry County.
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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