In August 28, 1902, John Morgan Dean bought a 37 acre plot of land in Fort Myers.  The sellers were Ferdinand Peck and his wife Tilla Peck of Chicago.  The land was bordered by the Caloosahatchee River and Billy’s Creek. The selling price was $8500.

     The plan envisioned by Dean included an exclusive residential development with paved roads, sidewalks, landscaping and underground utilities. He held off with the project until he could be assured the potential buyers were willing to pay for these features.

     The project began in 1916.  Dean hired a crew to dredge and pump 150,000 cubic yards of sand from the Caloosahatchee River into the low lying swampy land of the future Dean Park.

     The first house in Dean Park was built in 1916.  It was a two story structure at 2716 Providence Street.The owners were Marvin and Mabel Picton recently moved from Tampa.

       Early during the home construction phase, the area was known as Hyde Park.  After John Morgan Dean recorded the subdivision with the Lee County Clerk of Courts in May , 1920, the area was known as Dean Park.