Hugh O’Neill was a wealthy New York merchant. He had visited the Fort Myers area multiple times in the late 1890’s. He was impressed with the potential of this area. In 1897, he bought a Hotel known as the Hendry House located at Fowler and First Street in Fort Myers. He razed the building. He used the area as a site for to build  a grand wood frame hotel with 50 rooms originally known as the Fort Myers Hotel.   The construction costs were estimated to be $70,000.  The hotel was the first building to be electrified.  The hotel opened in 1898. It was an exotically landscaped resort hotel.  The name was later changed to the Royal Palm.

     Over the years, the hotel declined in business.  In 1907, Tootie McGregor bought the Royal Palm Hotel and expanded and remodeled it.  Despite this, the fortunes or the hotel continued to decline. During the last few years of it’s existence, the hotel became a favorite spot for members of the military stationed in the area during World War 2.   The hotel, dock, swimming pool and the casino were demolished in 1948.

Featured was a promenade dock for yachts, swimming pool and a casino.

In 1907, Tootie McGregor bought the financially strapped Royal Palm Hotel. She renovated it and enlarged the building. As years went by, the hotel met on hard times. The pool, promendade dock, and the hotel buildings were demolished in 1948.

     The site of the new Oxbow Restaurant in Fort Myers has an interesting history.   It was originally known as the Fort Myers City Pier Building on the Calooosahatchee  River.   It was built in 1999 at a cost.of 1.9 million dollars.  The purpose of the structure was to establish high speed ferry service to Key West.  $20,000 was set aside for a party at the start of service.  Unfortunately, the service never happened.

     For a time, the building was used as the site of Art of Olympians Museum and Galleries.  The museum sought to showcase the connection between sports and art.  Unfortunately, the museum closed.  The building served as a sales office for condominiums for a while.

      Oxbow and its parent company Mansail Lodging and Development won the right to the building  at 1300 Hemdry Street in 2017. The Oxbow opened in March, 2021.  It is the only riverfront restaurant in downtown Fort Myers.  It is 5000 square feet.  It seats 150.  The 2400 square feet second floor is to be used for private events.

     Buckingham Army Airfield is a now inactive army airfield located in Florida approximately 10 miles from Fort Myers. It was in.service for 39 months during World War 2

    In 1941, A group of government officials from.Fort Myers and Lee County government purchased 7000 acres of predominantly swamp land in Lee County.  They leased the property to the U.S. War Department for a future Army Airfield.  The project was sold as job creator for the local economy. 

     The base project began in.February, 1942.  The airfield  was supervised by Captain Richard Duggan and Colonel Delmar Spivey.  The first part of the project consisted of digging of drainage canals, building roads and erecting buildings.  By August, 1942 500 buildings were underway.   In 1943, col Spivey was replaced by Colonel Jenkins

   Initially, three concrete runways were in place; this was expanded to six

     The main mission of Buckingham Army Airfield was to train aerial gunners for B 17, B 24 and B 26 bombers.  This was accomplished in their 5 to 6 week flexible gun school. Over the 39 months that the school was active over 50,000 students were trained.

     Buckingham Army Airfield was responsible for the Naples Airfield and two crash boat bases ( one on Marco Island and the second on the Caloosahatchee Rover near the Gulf of Mexico.

     In 1945, after the end of War World 2, the airfield was scheduled to close.   This was not a total surprise.  It was always scheduled to be temporary.  It is estimated that 126 million was spent during the 39 months the base was in operation.   For a short period the barracks were used by Edison State College.    However the college pulled out in 1948.  Most of the original base buildings were removed.

     In the 1950’s, the land that was BAAF was acquired by Lee Ratner.  Working with Gerard Gould, he proposed the community of Lehigh Acres.  A street grid was laid out of quarter and half acre plots for housing. Strips of land along major thoroughfares WA set aside for commerce.

     

  Six Miles Cypress Slough is an area of 3500 acres of wetland with a boardwalk trail.  This is located in Fort Myers at 7751 Penzance Boulevard.  The following pictures were taken during the week of 5/8/2021.  There is an interpretive center.

     Tice Elementary School (aka Tice Grammar School) is a historic school located at 4524 Tice Street, Fort Myers.    The school was built in 1927.  Architectural style is Mission/Spanish Revival.  Architects were W.O. Sparklin and A.C. Roundtree.

     In 2014,the architectural firm of Parker, Mudgett, and Smith preserved the historic exterior.  They supervised a full renovation and remodel of the interior. Constructed a single story building addition.  Constructed a chiller building.  Built a PE building.   Built a covered play area.

     This historic building is located at 101 South Washington Boulevard in Sarasota.  The building was constructed from 1925–1926.   The architects were Francis Palmer Smith and Robert Smith Pringle.  The contractor was  Charles  Edward Ringling.   The building style is Renaissance Revival.  It features 125 rooms all with private baths.. It is located at former site of the number one green of the Old Gillespie Golf Course.

     The height of the building is 124.67 feet.  It is 11 stories.    The structural system is rigid frame.  The structural material is concrete.  Facade material is brick. Construction costs were $750,000.

     The building was originally known as the Ringling Terrace Hotel.  Later its name was changed to the Sarasota Terrace Hotel.  Over the next 30 years, it operated under several managements.  Its name was changed to the New Terrace Hotel in the 1950’s.  The hotel was acquired by Arthur C. Allyn, Jr. in 1962.  He was a majority stockholder of the Chicago White Sox major league baseball team.  He spent over $100,000 renovating the building.  During the spring practice season, the players stayed at the hotel.  They played their games at Payne Park (which was across the street). The minor league team the Sarasota Sun Sox also stayed at the hotel.  Under Allyn, the building had many changes reflecting a baseball motif.

     Both in 1964 and 1967,a motel section was added at the back of the building.   The name was changed in 1967 to The Sarasota Motor Hotel.  The building closed in 1972.

     The hotel building was purchased by Sarasota County in 1972. It became the county’s Administrative Center.  It served in this capacity from 1972 to 1995. In December of 1995, the Sarasota County Administrative Center moved moved into the renovated GTE building.