An illustrated history of Fort Myers and Lee County, Florida, paired with histories of the local companies.

In 1821, Dr. Jacques Bishop purchased a tract of land called Singleton's Crossroads; and by 1828, the village was known as Bishopville. In 1902, Lee County was established and Bishopville flourished as its seat of government and center of activity. Images of America: Bishopville and Lee County is a journey back to a time when Bishopville's Main Street on a Saturday teemed with a crowd so thick that downtown patrons had to weave their way down the sidewalk, and cotton was a booming business not only in Bishopville but in Lynchburg, Elliott, Lucknow, and Wisacky as well.

Lee County illustrates the region's history through vintage photographs, many of which are previously unpublished. This truly multi-cultural, central Texas county is home to a variety of ethnic communities, including the Wends of Serbin and the Czechs of Dime Box, as well as the more diverse settlements of British and German immigrants and former slaves throughout the county. This pictorial retrospective of Lee County begins before the county was formed and continues to about 1940. Narratives taken from local citizens' letters, diaries, and memoirs provide an informative commentary, and individual portraits personalize the accounts. The major foci are the larger towns of Lexington in the northeast and Giddings in the southwest, and the diagonal of the Old San Antonio Road, although shots of the rural areas and towns give a fascinating glimpse into the everyday lives of residents.

Although best known as the winter home of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, Fort Myers has one of the most engaging and extraordinary histories of any city in Florida. The spawn of a hurricane, Fort Myers began as a U.S. Army post during Florida's Seminole Wars. During the Civil War, it became a battleground between Confederates and Yankees for cattle and, after the war, a gun-slinging cowboy town. New York cartoonist Walt McDougall blew into the area on a fishing trip, and his glowing description lured down other wealthy Yankee sportsmen who helped turn this isolated frontier town into a modern tourist destination. Historian and author Cynthia Williams explores the hidden stories behind the growth of this beautiful city.