Estero Island Historic Society
Where the Past Comes Alive
The Estero Island Historic Society Museum and Nature Center are located in the Davison Cottage (seen above), built in 1921 on the beachfront, and now relocated to 161 Bay Road., Fort Myers Beach.
Reservations are suggested due to limited seating. You can reserve your space beginning on October 15 by clicking on the link below.
Remembering Hurricane Ian: Four Years Later
On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian forever changed Fort Myers Beach. Homes, businesses, and beloved landmarks disappeared, along with many of the archives and artifacts preserved by the Estero Island Historic Society.
Four years later, we remember what was lost, celebrate the strength of our community, and continue preserving the stories of the island we love.
The handmade street signs that helped islanders find their way home after Ian
Help Us Preserve the Story
What Lost Icon do you remember most? Do you have photographs or stories from before or after Hurricane Ian? We invite you to share them with EIHS so they can become part of our community’s historical record.
Whether it’s a memory, an experience, or a moment that has stayed with you, please feel free to share your story with us below. Your story matters, and we’d be honored to hear it.
Preserving Our History
The Estero Island Historic Society (EIHS) museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of our island. Although we lost many archives and artifacts during Hurricane Ian in September 2022, the EIHS has reopened with exhibits that portray the evolution of Fort Myers Beach from a Calusa settlement to a fishing village to a tourist destination.
Teaching Others About Our History
Our docents offer free tours of the EIHS museum to visitors, currently on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The tours lead the visitors through the 100+ years of our island's modern history and thousands of years of pre-settler history. The EIHS also works with Beach Elementary School and Florida Gulf Coast University by offering presentations on our local history to interested students and teachers. In the past, the EIHS has offered boat tours and trolley tours highlighting the historic sites on the island, which we plan to revive. Public meetings from January through April each year bring in speakers who give presentations on local and regional history and ecology.
Enjoying and Preserving our Environment
The Matanzas Pass Preserve is located next to the EIHS museum. This 60-acre preserve is one of the few undeveloped, protected areas on the island. This natural treasure offers visitors an opportunity to experience the island as it was before it became a popular beach resort. Matanzas Pass Preserve has 1.25 miles of trails through four different natural plant communities: maritime hammock, tidal swamp, Black Mangrove Forest, and coastal grassland.
MEMBERSHIP NOTICE
While the EIHS lost many records in Hurricane Ian, we have rebuilt and updated our membership list using a robust electronic membership database. If you are an EIHS member, we are very grateful for your support and patience as we rebuild our museum and systems.
If you were previously a member and have changed address, please let the EIHS know by filling out the contact form below.
While the EIHS no longer offers new Lifetime memberships, we will continue to honor existing Lifetime memberships. To review membership options — all of which include automatic annual rebilling — simply click on
this link and you will be directed to our Membership Options page.
