Punta Rassa News

Published: Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 12:01 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, November 13, 2009 at 4:04 p.m. Jacob Summerlin was special from the day he was born.

George Shultz must have been a friend to every person he met. And he met many, from president Grover Cleveland to inventor Thomas Edison to cowboys who had delivered herds to Punta Rassa and stayed in his hotel.

The first cattle in North America were brought ashore in Sarasota by the Spaniards in 1521.

Tourism in Lee County alone brings about 5 million visitors a year, with an estimated $3 billion impact on the economy.

If not for a quick-witted boatman named Nick Armeda, Fort Myers might never have won the heart of its most famous snowbird.

Blame Jacob Summerlin - or give him the credit - but when asked about Southwest Florida pioneers, the first word on many people's lips is "cracker." Images of the region's early days often include rough-riding cowmen tearing through palmetto scrub in search of wily range cattle, long whips whistling and snapping above their heads.

"The Florida Life of Thomas Edison" by Michele Wehrwein Albion; University Press of Florida; cloth; 264 pages; $34.95. Thomas Edison.

They've sported male names, female names and no names. They've shaped the land, culture and history of Southwest Florida.