A Short History about Cape Coral: 

       At the time of the first railroads to Florida in the 1920's this area now known as Cape Coral was stripped/harvest of all of its trees.  It was a swampland filled with bugs and mosquitios.  Before 1950 Fort Myer's residents knew Cape Coral as Harney Point and refered to as "The Other Side of the River" and considered it remote for an occasional hunting trip. 

       But the Rosen Brothers (Jack and Leonard) saw potential in the swampland.  Flying overhead in 1957, Baltimore businessman Leonard Rosen knew this was where he wanted to start a real estate empire.  Gulf American Land Corporation. was founded and Cape Coral was born with the purchase of 1,724 acres for $678,000.    The Rosens began marketing the pre-platted community as "Waterfront Wonderland" to buyers in the Northeast.  Most buyers were retired military who knew South Florida from World War II training exercises.  The Rosen's corporation proceeded to plan and plot out a city with canals. 

        By 1962, the population was 1100. There was in 1962, no development west of Santa Barbara nor north of Cape Coral Parkway.  Gulf American built the Yacht Club Building which was the town hall and every new resident to Cape Coral walked thru its doors to be welcomed and to pick out a plot to build on. Gulf America was the de facto government, paving the streets nd hiring security to police the area.  GALC even started The Breeze Newspaper, which is still in operation today. 

       The city was unincorporated until 1970 and at that time the fire and police departments were established and the city purchased the Yacht Club building and surrounding land for 10 cents on the dollar.  In 1977 Cape Coral Hospital opened with 94 beds.  Also in 1977 Coralwood Mall opened it's doors with Bealls and Winn-Dixie as ancor stores.  In 1987 Mariner High School opened.  In 1997, Mid Point Bridge opened Oct 19th changing traffic patterns, opening central and west Cape Coral to more developement and creating direct link between Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres.  Today 2007, 50,000 vehicles travel the Cape and Midpoint bridges.

       Commercial expansion is taking place along Pine Island Road and Veterans corridors. Stores like Super Target, Belk, BJ's Discount Warehouse, a second Walmart, a neighborhood Walmart, Home Depot and a second Lowe's have opened since 2006.  Publix, Sweet Bay, Ada's Organic have all added additional grocery stores to Cape Coral.

Cape Coral was a sleepy little town for sometime, but now it is an economic powerhouse.  This is not just paradise. It's paradise on steroids.