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Southwest Florida has a rich history of homesteaders carving out a living from the untamed wilds. Peek at just a handful of previous decades and it becomes clear that many of our local communities are built upon the efforts of early settlers. My family can even be counted among these homesteaders. My great-great-grandparents were awarded a 160-acre plot in Northwest Cape Coral by the federal government in 1928, after five years of toiling to improve the land.
It's hard to imagine what my ancestors went through when air conditioners and running water weren't common home luxuries. As much as I'm proud of my Florida heritage, I'm not sure if I have an ounce of the grit they must have demonstrated on the daily ... CONTINUE READING
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