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History of Bonita Springs/Estero
For thousands of years, Florida was home to many Native American villages. In 1513, Ponce de Leon sailed along the SWFL beaches and first made contact with the Calusa Indians. Unfortunately, due to disease and the slave trade, the large Calusa tribe was greatly diminished. In the 1870s, the Army Corps of Engineers surveyed Southwest Florida and created the first village. The town, originally named "Survey," was renamed to "Bonita Springs" in the early 1900s.
Much of Estero's early history is similar to that of Bonita Springs because at the time, it would have been considered part of the same area. The real beginning of Estero's history is near the late 1800s, when a few farmers called the Estero River home and grew citrus there. The Estero River was the passage ships would take to transport and move much of the harvest from the area north. During this time, a group called the Koreshan Unity inhabited much of the area and was able to claim nearly 110 square miles of land, turning it into the town of Estero in 1904. Sadly, this wouldn't last long, as the city was quickly disbanded in 1907. You can visit the town established by the Koreshans today by visiting the Koreshan State Park.
In the early 1920s, Baron Collier extended the Fort Myers-Southern Railroad down to Bonita Springs. At the same time, the Tamiami Trail was nearing completion in 1928. This caused the population to start growing in the area and inevitably led to the incorporation of Bonita Springs as a city a few years later (at least temporarily). During this time, the Everglades Reptile Garden was created in 1936. You can visit it today!
Much of the same benefits that helped Bonita Springs grow also directly benefited Estero. What became of the Koreshean, the true founders of Estero? They slowly dwindled in the mid-1900s. During their time with the land, they had acquired nearly 7,500 acres and constructed more than 70 buildings. Over time, members left the group until 1956, when there were only five members left. A few years later, these five donated 305 acres of the original town to be turned into a historic site. The five stayed on the site until the last member died in 1982.
Many changes came with the economic boom after World War II. Some of the inventions, like the air conditioner and the construction of I-75, made Bonita Springs a more viable option. The economic freedom of the time also allowed many families to take a risk and move to Bonita Springs. With all the families moving, opportunities for housing and entertainment followed, and the area saw a boom in the 1980s and 1990s. This led to Bonita Springs being reincorporated as a city in 1999.
During the mid-90s and early 2000s, a lot of effort was made to distinguish Estero. This can be seen even today. Estero has a building style and quality that separates it from Bonita Springs and Fort Myers, and this started during this time with the ECCL (Estero Council of Community Leaders). During this time, Estero became a new epicenter for growth. Many new communities and attractions came to be, including the coveted Coconut Point. Thoughts of incorporation started coming together during the early 2010s...
In recent times, the population has exploded. Bonita Springs has ensured to preserve many of the old staples of the city, but has also made an effort within the last two decades to ensure smart urban development planning. There have been many renovations to US41, old 41, and the downtown area. Thanks to many of these efforts, Bonita Springs has exploded as a popular tourist destination for many, and has welcomed travelers from foreign countries including, but not limited to, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, and many others.
A lot has happened in an incredibly short time for Estero. In the summer of 2013, the ECCL, chaired by Nick Batos, started the incorporation efforts, and a resounding 86 percent of Estero residents voted to incorporate in 2014. The 20-mile community officially became the "Village of Estero" on December 31, 2014. On March 17, 2015, Nick Batos was the Village's first mayor. In 2019, Estero's population was estimated to be around 34,000.