Ford shared Edison's enthusiasm for Fort Myers, eventually
purchasing the property adjoining his friend's estate
and became a frequent winter visitor as long as Edison
lived.
Edison's light burns a little brighter each year
during the Edison Festival of Light, as the City of
Fort Myers annually celebrates his February 11th birthday
with two weeks of citywide events, culminated by the
Grand Parade of Light. The celebration attracts thousands
of visitors who view a colorful grand parade, join
in street dances, and compete in contests ranging
from fishing to shuffleboard. The King and Queen of
Light area crowned at the coronation ball and reign
at the Grand Parade of Light.
During the building boom between 1898 and the 1920's,
torrents of winter visitors from the north flocked
to Florida seeking their fortunes in land investments.
The opening of the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) linked
Fort Myers to Tampa and Miami, adding more to the
growth of the Big Boom in the 1920s. Growth radiated
in all directions until the 1930s.
Two devastating hurricanes in 1921 & 1926, combined
with poor publicity and inadequate planning brought
a collapse in Florida's boom time. Fort Myers suffered
along with the rest of the nation during the Great
Depression. Still, there was moderate progress as
some of the more elegant buildings in Fort Myers were
built during the 1930s.
In the early 1940s, every county in Florida had air
bases due to the advantageous flying weather. The
Fort Myers area had Buckingham and Page Fields, and
the city was home to thousands of servicemen, many
of whom returned and became permanent residents.
In the years since World War II, the city has grown
along with Lee County and the rest of Southwest Florida.
Commercial and residential growth has pushed development
in all directions to create Cape Coral, North Fort
Myers and Lehigh, as well as adding to the coastal
settlements of Fort Myers Beach, Pine Island, Sanibel
and Captiva Islands, and Bonita Springs.
Fortunately, the older downtown area and the City
of Fort Myers historic districts have retained much
of their charm, and proper preservation measures are
in place to ensure that charm will be treasured for
many generations to come.
