Fort Dulany was a Second Seminole War fort, where the Caloosahatchee River runs into San Carlos Bay. It was established in November 1837 and abandoned in May 1838. The fort was reestablished in September 1841 to be a point to gather the Seminoles when they surrendered, but the fort was destroyed by a storm on October 19, 1841 (possibly a hurricane.) The fort was reestablished for one last time during the Third Seminole War in 1856. In 1866 a telegraph office was opened at the remains of the buildings of former Fort Dulany, and it is said that they had to plug up holes in the walls made by musket balls in order to make it more comfortable.

Fort Harvie was established on November 4, 1841 and was abandoned on March 21, 1842. It was reactivated as Fort Myers on February 20, 1850 and stayed active until 1858. The fort was reoccupied during the Civil War by Federal forces, and the remote location made it pretty safe from Confederate attack. The last remains of the fort were timbers that were put in the Fort Myers Public Library building, on the corner of Bay and Jackson Streets.

A visiting officer described Fort Myers in 1854 as having a beautiful garden and well maintained parade ground. Shell sidewalks were around the post, and all the quarters were spacious and well maintained.

Two Army Lieutenants stationed at Fort Myers in 1855 at the beginning of the Third Seminole War were Winfield Scott Hancock and Lieutenant George L. Hartsuff. Both became famous generals during the Civil War. Hancock was in the Union Army, and Hartsuff was in the Confederate Army.

Mrs. Hancock, wife of Winfield Scott Hancock, in 1855 told a quite different opinion of life at Fort Myers. She said that supplies from Tampa were not frequent enough and often lost at sea. The Florida cows did not produce sufficient quantities of milk. And often, terrible thunderstorms made it impossible to light cooking fires.

There was a trading post on the Caloosahatchee River where it meets the bay, at the modern city of Cape Coral. On July 23, 1839 the Seminoles under Chakaika and Hospetarke attacked and burned the trading post, killing most of the soldiers and settlers there. Colonel William S. Harney had to flee for his life wearing nothing but his undergarments. Of the lives lost under Harney's command, only Major Dade and the Battle of Okeechobee had more casualties during the war.

Colonel Harney never forgot the attack where he barely escaped by the seat of his pants. He led a bloody campaign of revenge against the Seminoles in the Everglades. To show his animosity against the Seminoles, he threatened to hang women and children prisoners at Fort Myers during the Third Seminole War when they would not betray the location of Billy Bowlegs' village. He even had the noose around a child's neck before the parents talked. The old Indian fighter also had a reputation for always keeping a rope by his bed to hang Indians. Harney orders in 1840 were to, "Kill or capture all you see, -- young or old, he or she. Spare them only as they spared my poor boys over the Caloosahatchee."

In December 1840 Colonel Harney conducted a search and destroy mission in the Everglades to find and kill Chakaika. A surprise attack on Chakaika's island hideout killed the Indian leader. After soldiers shot Chakaika while pleading for his life, they scalped him and hung his body from a tree. The army force was successful because they wore Seminole style clothing and traveled in dugout canoes; an excellent covert mission before the Special Forces were created the next century. The Seminoles were very upset about the killing of Chakaika, because they do not believe in hanging people like dogs.

In Fort Myers is the Billy Bowlegs Memorial Stadium, named after the famous chief.

This island was the site of the Calusa town of Calos. Mound Key can be considered a capital city of the Calusa, and Calos gathered tribute from a wide area. Menendez from St. Augustine visited Calos here in 1566. The Spanish were never able to defeat the Calusa, who towered over the Europeans in strength and size.

The island is almost all made up of shell deposits. Quite an amazing accomplishment to build a whole island out of shell when you see how big it is. There are several large mounds, including a temple mound, rising 30 and 40 feet high, with a few other large dwelling mounds, making it the highest point in the county. The Calusa Indians are believed to have lived here for at least 1,000 years.

The temple mound on this island looks very close to the Mayan temples of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It is believed by some that the Calusa had an active trade with the Mayans, but there has not been archaeological evidence to verify this.

The only way to visit this island is by boat. There is a boat ramp at Koreshan state historic site, and canoe rentals are available. Don't try going here without an experienced local, because the thick mangrove swamps can be hard to navigate.

Calusa Heritage Trail, Randell Research Center
Pineland Mounds:

The Calusa used to have a very large village at Pineland, on the west end of Pine Island. This was a major hub of Calusa trading activity.  This was the Calusa village of Tampa.  Later map makers got the site confused when they named Tampa Bay further north, and maps have never been correct since!

There are several mounds and villages sites that have been excavated. A long canal going from Pine Island to Cape Coral and the Caloosahatchee River was studied. This area was at least as important as Mound Key, and also still inhabited well after the Spanish visited Mound Key.

The site includes natural trails to the mounds.  Well worth the visit.

Museum of hte Islands, Pine Island:

I haven't been to this one yet, so if anyone has a report, please let me know.
Exhibits include the archaeological history of the Calusa people of Pine Island.

Southwest Florida Museum of History, Fort Myers:

This museum has a very good exhibit on the Calusa Indians who used to live in the area. Exhibits in the museum cover the history from the Calusa to the beginning of the 20th century.

Barbara Sumwalt Museum, Useppa Island:

I haven't been to this one yet, so if anyone has a report, please let me know.  And to make things more difficult, there is no road access; only by boat.
Exhibits include information on the Calusa Indians including "Useppa Woman," a sculpture bust made from a 1,400-year old burial found here.
 

The Mound House, Fort Myers Beach:

I haven't been to this one yet, so if anyone has a report, please let me know.
The oldest house in Fort Myers Beach is also built on top of a large mound.  Exhibits interpret the mound.

De Soto National Memorial, Bradenton:

I haven't been to this one yet, so if anyone has a report, please let me know.
Exhibits include a recreated 16th century village.

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© 1998, 2002, 2007 Chris Kimball
Note: None of this material can be reproduced without written permission from the author.