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.

Important Information

This has been a quiet summer. We have taken down our exhibits and have packed our artifacts in preparation for hurricane season. Liz Rhodes, from the FMB library, has offered us a closet to store our important items from June to November. This has been done. We will remain closed until we begin our new season on October 29 with a Halloween Social sponsored by the Women’s Club. Save this date as this will be a fun evening filled with great food, drinks, conversation, and haunted stories of island mysteries.

We will be closing our online store from September 20 to October 20 to update our products. We will have some exciting new products to offer this year so stay tuned.  Lost Icons is still available at the Islander Gift Shop and Annettes Book Nook both in Santini Plaza. The Islander also has Afghans available.

Betty Simpson: You Will Be Missed

Betty Due Davis Simpson was a board member of the EIHS since its inception. Her knowledge of local history and her support of every non-profit organization on the island is legendary. Betty was a hero to many of us on the EIHS board, as she never wavered in her involvement.

 

Betty Simpson passed away on September 5, 2025 at age 93, surrounded by her family.

 

Betty will be deeply missed by all who knew her, including a legion of friends and admirers on Fort Myers Beach.

 

Memorial services for Betty Simpson were held on September 11 and 12 in Bonita Springs. A Celebration of Life and Reception took place on September 13 at St.Raphael’s Episcopal Church on Fort Myers Beach.

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A black and white photo of a harbor with boats and a bridge.

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.

A black and white photo of a coca cola store
A black and white photo of a palm tree and a bridge

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.

Estero Island Historic Society Board

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President and Treasurer

Ellie Bunting

Ellie Bunting has served on the Board of Directors of EIHS for the past 20 years, and became President of the EIHS in 2020.

 

Ellie came to Fort Myers Beach as a young child in the early 1950s. For the first 14 years of her life, she lived at Red Coconut Trailer Park. Ellie attended Fort Myers Beach Elementary School and Cypress Lake Junior and Senior High School before moving to Tampa to study English and Reading at the University of South Florida. After graduating from USF, Ellie moved back to FMB and has lived here ever since. She has taught English at Florida SouthWestern State College since 1980. 

Woman with short gray hair, white t-shirt, standing by a body of water, smiling in the sun.

Vice-President

Janet Gottlieb

Janet Gottlieb has spent time on Fort Myers Beach since her Chicagoan parents bought a Gulf-front vacation home here in the 1950s. Janet’s worked in communications and marketing to advance educational institutions and associations. Since 2009, she has been a resident of FMB, and has served on the Board of the EIHS since 2014.

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Secretary

Karen Santos

Karen Santos has family roots on FMB dating back to the 1930s, and this continues to be a special place for her. When not in Florida, she lives in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Karen attended Northwestern University and the University of Virginia, and is a retired professor from James Madison University.

Members at Large

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Terry Cain

Terry Cain was a Conservation Lands Coordinator for Lee County Parks and Recreation Conservation 2020 program for 15 years. She previously served on Fort Myers Beach Town Council, Marine Resources Task Force, and Cultural and Environmental Learning Center Advisory Board. She currently serves on the Board of the Friends of Matanzas Pass Preserve and the EIHS. Terry is a retired certified Arborist, Pesticide Applicator, and Wild Land Fire Fighter with a degree in Marine Science.

Woman with blonde hair and glasses, smiling, wearing a blue patterned top.

Deborah Groll

Deborah Groll, originally from Ohio, has been a resident of Fort Myers Beach since 1981. Like many residents, Deborah and her family vacationed on FMB before purchasing their home. Both of Deborah’s daughters attended the local FMB Elementary School. Deborah is also President of Beach Kids Foundation.

Judy Haatja

Woman with blonde hair smiles, wearing striped top, sunglasses on head, seated outside.

Margaret McCloskey

Margaret (Peg) McCloskey, a retired Consumer Services teacher from Boyertown, PA, has been a member of the EIHS Board for over a decade. Peg has enjoyed learning about and helping to preserve the history of Fort Myers Beach, and is also active in historic preservation in her hometown in Pennsylvania.

Joanne Semmer

Woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiles, wearing a red top.

Karyn Slomski

Karyn Slomski, a resident of FMB since 2010, is a retired Vice-President of Operations. Married for 42 years, Karyn and Steve Slomski have three daughters and four grandchildren.

Jessica Titus

Jessie moved from Middletown, Ohio to Fort Myers Beach in 1980 with her husband Vince, after graduating from Miami University (Ohio) as a Registered Nurse. She started a new career in real estate, and after a few years, purchased Lahaina Realty and two other real estate firms. She is now Broker/Owner of Fort Myers Beach Realty. Jessie has served as the President of the Board of REALTORS; was appointed to the Local Planning Agency; Director of the South Florida Marine Institute; and is also President of "Friends of the Arts". 


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.

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