Centennial stats

Marina Berkovich, JHSSWF President

Summer has traditionally been Southwest Florida’s time to evaluate the past season and make plans for when the snowbirds return. In 100 years of its history, Collier County went from being a part of Lee County to its own entity when, on May 8, 1923, Florida Governor Cary A. Hardee officially made it the state’s 62nd county. It also changed from restricting Jews settling in it to a Jewish presence of about 10,000 people in the total population of nearly 400,000.

This county is named after Barron Collier, an advertising mogul, who came to Southwest Florida from New York and furthered his wealth through land ownership. In exchange for establishment of the new county, Barron Collier agreed to build the Tamiami Trail through what was then Lee County, which later became Lee, Collier and Hendry counties.

Another Southwest Florida centennial county is Hendry County. It was founded on May 11, 1923 and named after Francis Asbury Henry, Berry for short, a cattle rancher born in Georgia who served in Seminole wars and became a Confederate officer. He later served two terms as Florida senator (1865-1867; 1875-1878) and in the Florida House of Representatives of Lee County (1893-1904). He died in 1917 in Fort Myers, a city he championed to incorporate and among whose first councilmen he also served.

LaBelle was designated as the Hendry County government seat. It is the city Berry Hendry planned in 1895, naming it after his daughters Laura and Belle Hendry. Its population in 2021 was 40,313.

Lee County was established on May 13, 1887 from Monroe County and named after a distinguished Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, with Fort Myers becoming its county seat. The Battle of Fort Myers was the southernmost and one of the last major battles of the American Civil War, fought February 20-25, 1865.

Fort Myers was named after Abraham C. Myers, a Jewish officer, on Feb. 14, 1850, well over a decade before the Civil War separated the patriotic Americans into Union and Confederate sides. Approximately 761,000 people live in Lee County. Jews have been there since the early 20th century and number about 12,000 together with Charlotte County.

Charlotte County was founded on April 23, 1921, with Punta Gorda being its county seat. Its current population is about 187,000. It was named for the Bay of Charlotte Harbor, which was initially named Bahia de Carlota by the Spanish in 1565 and renamed by the English in 1775 after the wife of King George III, Queen Charlotte Sofia.

Glades County was founded on April 23, 1921 as well and is named for the Florida Everglades. Its government seat is Moore Haven and its population is estimated at just over 12,000.

Sarasota County is the largest in Southwest Florida. It was founded on May 14, 1921, with the city of Sarasota being its seat. Its population is 434,000. The exact origin of the word Sarasota is unknown, but legend credits the beautiful daughter of explorer Hernando DeSoto, Sara, as the source of the naming. The Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community has a combined population of 35,300 (2019).

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We can be reached at 833-547-7935 (833-JHS-SWFL), www.jhsswf.org or office@jhsswf.org. The Virtual Museum of SWFL Jewish History is located online at http://jewishhistorysouthwest florida.org/.

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