The Fort Myers Cemetery, located at 3200 N. Michigan Avenue near downtown Fort Myers, was originally privately owned. The cemetery was surveyed and platted by W. E. Loper on September 25, 1888. The original blocks 1 through 16 were subdivided and filed with the Clerk of Circuit Court Jan. 23, 1899. The first survey was filed Dec. 21, 1915. The second survey was compiled August 3, 1926 by A. S. Mellichamp, keeper. The plat for the First North Addition was filed August 13, 1936. The plat for the West Addition was accepted Jan. 6, 1937. The Second North Addition was accepted in 1938.

The cemetery grew in odd ways. The original old section was platted in 1888. In 1899 the original plot #1 was cut into 12 plots. In 1936 the First North Addition was added; in 1937 the West Addition. There is a Second North Addition as well as a Third North Addition and a Second West Addition.

The Garden of Memories was accepted May 9, 1943. The West Additions and Garden of Memories lie west of the original Fort Myers Cemetery. Richard Livingston's map lists Billy Creek, which is actually Brecht's Creek. The course of the creek was altered to make more burial space available.

There are two impressive Banyan trees in the cemetery. One tree is located at the cemetery entrance and the other in Section I, along the canal. Many stones no longer exist above ground, in one piece or at all.

When Paul Strickland had charge of the cemetery , there were no records of who was buried where .As a result many early occupants are not actually buried where they are said to be buried.

The cemetery was surveyed and recorded from late 1994 through 1995 by Helen Farrell. She started her walk-through using Richard Livingston's map in South Florida Pioneers #2, p. 34, without realizing that the map was arbitrary and did not correspond with the cemetery's block and lot system. There are gravel roads between the sections listed by Livingston and some of the actual blocks and lots fall between Livingston's listings.

We would like to acknowledge the Lee County Genealogical Society for their assistance and the original survey done by Richard Livingston as published in "South Florida Pioneers" magazine. Transcriptions were done over time by Helen Farrell, Brenda Jones, Kerima Neisig and Terry Hamilton Wollin.

This cemetery has been adopted by Helen Farrell. Please send information, obits and photographs to swfphs@gmail.com