A Rich History and Heritage A RICH HERITAGE Our community is named after the Estero River, a scenic
freshwater ribbon that opens into Estero Bay, a treasured and protected aquatic preserve. Here, stately live oaks, color-saturated blooms, elegant wading birds and even elusive Florida panthers are all part of Estero’s beautiful tapestry of plants and wildlife. Mother Nature’s year-round sunshine invites healthy out- door fun and explorations. Our championship golf courses, miles of bike paths and well-marked paddling and nature trails present endless options. Parks, preserves and historic sites beckon every age. Just minutes away, pristine sugar-sand beaches hug the spar- kling Gulf of Mexico and stretch for miles. Estero also offers exceptional community resources, state-of-
the-art healthcare facilities and educational institutions, perform- ing arts centers, museums and art galleries and world-class shop- ping and dining. All are within easy reach of Estero’s charming neighborhoods.
Calusa Indians and Spanish Adventurers Estero’s colorful past includes Native Americans, Spanish
adventurers, enterprising pirates, hardy pioneers and forward thinking entrepreneurs. More than 2,000 years ago, several tribes of Native Ameri- cans made up the Calusa nation and established settlements in Southwest Florida near fresh water tributaries. Tey paddled cy- press canoes to colonies in other areas of Florida and used shells discarded from their seafood-rich diet to construct huge flat- topped pyramids, or mounds, that served as temples and dwell- ings. Archeologists believe that Mound Key in Estero Bay was the ceremonial center for the Calusa. Tis 125-acre island, soaring some 33 feet high, is the highest Calusa mound in Florida and was probably the center of an extensive network of shell islands that made up the kingdom of this hunting and gathering people. Te Calusa dominated Southwest Florida until the 1500s,
when Ponce de Leon and other Spanish explorers and pirates ar- rived. Tese new inhabitants named the area “Estero,” the Spanish word for estuary, a body of water formed where freshwa- ter from a river flows into the ocean. During the 1600s, Spaniards continued exploring “La
Floride.” Estero Bay was a frequent hideout for pirates who raid- ed Spanish galleons loaded with New World gold.
IN THE REGION’S HISTORY
Estero Historical Society for use as a museum and society center.
• 1894 A celibate community, followers of “Koresh,” Dr. Cyrus Teed, moved from Chicago to 300 acres along the Estero River, donated by Damkoehler.
• 1895 Te Estero Post Office was established in a small, one-room general store on the Estero River.
• 1903 A new and larger general store re- placed the original, and the post office was transferred to Highlands Avenue in the home of Postmaster Frank Hall.
• 1908 Floweree was the largest citrus grove owner in America, with 60,000 trees. East Broadway used to be Floweree Lane.
• 1904 Estero was incorporated by the Koreshans.
• 1907 Te Town of Estero was dissolved by the State of Florida.
• 2014 Estero voted to become its own mu- nicipality, the Village of Estero, within Lee County.
• 2015 Estero held an election for the first village council. Te elected council’s inaugural meeting was held, and Nick Batos was voted the village’s first mayor.
2019 Estero Chamber of Commerce 13
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