Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida. According to 2008 estimates, the population is 65,394.
Established in 1886, Fort Myers is the historical and governmental hub of Lee County. It is the gateway to the Southwest Florida region, which is a major tourist destination in Florida. It was also the winter homes of Thomas Edison (Seminole Lodge) and Henry Ford (The Mangoes), which are both primary tourist attractions in the region and are located on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers.
Fort Myers was built in 1850 as a military fort to fend off Seminole Indians that were massacring the area's few settlers. It was named after Col. Abraham C. Myers, who was stationed in Florida for 7 years and was the son-in-law of the fort's founder and commander.
By 1885, when Fort Myers was incorporated, it was the 2nd largest city after Tampa on Florida's west coast.
Fort Myers first became a nationally known winter resort with the building of The Royal Palm Hotel in 1898. But what really sparked the city's growth was the construction of the Tamiami Trail Bridge built across the Caloosahatchee River in 1924. After the bridge's construction, the city experienced its first real estate boom and many subdivisions sprouted around the city.