Over the holidays, the Fort Myers Mural Society installed murals on the obelisks flanking Edwards Avenue that recognize two early female pioneers, Tootie McGregor Terry and Dr. Ella Mae Piper.
Tootie McGregor Terry left the greatest imprint of anyone on the early development of Fort Myers. She changed the topography of the town by convincing property owners to install a seawall along the riverfront and convinced the city to pave its weed-strewn shell and sand roads. A hotelier, she created luxury accommodations that enticed numerous millionaires, celebrities and businessmen to the area who, in turn, made significant contributions to the town’s identity, economy and culture.
Dr. Ella Mae Piper was one of Dunbar’s most influential civic activists, philanthropists and community organizers. She helped finance the construction of Williams Academy, the first school in Southwest Florida where children of color could receive a high school education, and helped fund the Jones-Walker Hospital, the area’s first hospital for people of color.
The new murals are among 57 that make up a walkable outdoor museum depicting Fort Myers’ early relationship to the Caloosahatchee River.
The Fort Myers River Basin Mural Project was a collaboration between the Fort Myers Mural Society and the city of Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency and Public Art Committee.
Painted on specially manufactured mural cloth by 38 area artists, the murals are installed on the concrete pillars or stanchions and four obelisks that encircle the retention basin adjacent to the Luminary Hotel.
The project launched in September 2022 and progressed in spite of the damage sustained by a number of the stanchions and obelisks during Hurricane Ian.