Hendry House

In 1889 Louis A. Hendry bought the family home and property on the Caloosahatchee River from his father, Francis A. Hendry. He added rooms and created a hotel, the Hendry House, which he operated until 1897 as the biggest hotel in the small town. Some of the Expedition party members ate meals at the hotel while in Fort Myers. The hotel was full of tourists at the time of their arrival. In 1892, the hotel was open year-round and rooms at the Hendry House cost $2-$8 per day. Guests at the Hendry House were regularly listed in the Fort Myers Press newspaper. The Hendry House was sold in 1897. It was torn down and in its place the much grander hotel, the Fort Myers Hotel, opened in 1898. It was subsequently renamed the Royal Palm Hotel.

Credits:

• Photo, Hendry House hotel - Fort Myers, Florida, State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
• Fort Myers Press, March 24, 1892, available on microfilm, University of Florida Smathers Libraries

Sources:

• The Story of Fort Myers by Karl H. Grismer, 1949
• Fort Myers, by Gerri Reaves, 2008
• Fort Myers Press, 1892 (microfilm held at the University of Florida Smathers Libraries

References in the Texts:

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• March 13, Sunday
• March 14, Monday

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