Photos
Hover over a photograph to momentarily pause the slideshow. Click = (pause) to to pause the slideshow. To resume, click the Play button or use the left/right arrows to navigate.
Comptie (Coontie, Arrowroot) were common in SW Florida in the early 1900's. The root from the Coontie plant was washed, dried, and made into a type of flour. It was a good cash crop until the slow growing native plant was used up. 
Experiment station at Citrus Center (LaBelle Park). In 1908, the Southern Land and Improvement Company imported a "Thomas Flyer" auto which was used by George R. Lynn, Sr., to carry real estate prospects from Ft. Myers to Citrus Center.
Sherman Hansen worked for the Army Corp of Engineers. He was born in 1914. He was the first child born to Hans Christian (Full-blooded Dane) and Nellie Eliza Hansen (Full-blooded Swede) on the old homestead on Noble Rd.
Photograph taken during early flood days before the Caloosahatchee River was dredged.
See our stories section for why the Clock tower didn't have hands.
The Hurricanes of 1926 and 1928 greatly impacted the local area. People from LaBelle and Clewiston rushed to help the stricken in Moore Haven. Here, men pull bodies out of the locks at Moore Haven after the Hurricane of Sept. 1926.
Rev. Oscar Roberts performs a Baptism in the Caloosahatchee River
Children use palm fronds to slide down the LaBelle Bridge during the Swamp Cabbage Festival.
Cooking Steaks
Enjoying the feast at Barron Park
During the 1976 Swamp Cabbage Festival
Swamp Cabbage Festival 1976
Near Citrus Center about 1911 Photo taken at the locks at Citrus Center. The old prison camp was at Citrus Center. Ortona is a couple of miles west of Cirrus Center. There was a set of locks at Citrus Center. When the river was widened they were demolished and the big locks were put at Ortona around 1934. Courtesy of Jeanette Peeples.
Severe flooding before the river was dredged.
Dr. Otis Brungard, Mrs. Ina Brungard, Dr. Elizabeth Brungard moved to LaBelle together. Dr. Otis died shortly after. Dr. Elizabeth Brungard continued to serve the area for many years. 
All the bodies were taken to the boathouse of the Bolles Hotel. On Wednesday they were wrapped in sheets and put in pine coffins that the people from Clewiston and that area had sent in by boats. All the dead were positively identified and their names put on the pine boxes. All of our family and everybody they had identified were taken to Clewiston on a large seine boat
The pine coffins were then taken from Clewiston by trucks to Ortona Locks under the supervision of Ed Frierson and Glenn Williams who lived at Liberty Point. The cemetery was on the other side of Moore Haven. We buried the dead that night at 12:00 o’clock
I have been told the bell from the church is now hanging in the Presbyterian Church in Clewiston. Citrus Center also had a school, post office and a juke joint. - Courtesy Jeanette Peeples
Was on Hwy 80 near where McDonalds is now.
Probably July 4, 1929. Bridge Street. Everett Hotel is in far left background.
"Uncle" Alvah Burke was married to Coburn Cross. Came to LaBelle around 1912, saw milled, then took a job running a boat from LaBelle to Fort Myers everyday. Served in World War I, and then opened a dairy in North LaBelle. Folks brought their kids to him for treatment of "thrush". He would use oak leaves as part of the cure. Don't know if he passed on his cure but know it was so secretive that none of the kids would tell what he did. -courtesy Jeanette Peeples
Located on the north side of the Fort Denaud Caloosahatchee River bridge, was owned by Joseph Jefferson Davis. Steamboat "Dixie" delivered supplies from Fort Myers. About 1900. Courtesy Jeanette Peeples
Courtesy Jeanette Peeples
Bud Graham's mother bought the building when the family moved to LaBelle in 1947 and named it after her husband, Bud's father. Mrs. Graham, son David and daughters Sue and Elizabeth lived in the apartment on the east end of the building. Mrs. Graham's dry goods store took up the rest of the building except for the west end where Elsie had her beauty parlor in the front and lived in the back with Bud (Hudson, Jr.) and their son Hudson III.- Joseph H. Thomas, photo courtesy Bill Robinson
LaBelle mayor Thomas Smith, ca 1981
Served as Hendry County Tax Assessor prior to being succeeded by his widow Lucille Rudd Small and his son Dale Small. Courtesy of Bill Robinson
The brunette is Tillie Patton back when she was Tillie Curry. The blonde is Mary Hodges -- Florence Poole's and Dorothy Daniels Bussey's sister -- she was married to Eddie Peacock.
This building stood at Lee & Ft. Thompson.
Owned by Grover Hill, ca 1920-1960. Building stood on Bridge Street, across Ft. Thompson from Jennings Hardware. The racecar was built by Mr. Hill and was named "Scrambola." 
LaBelle Schools -- both the elementary with the white columns out front & the 400 seats+ auditorium and the red brick high school that is currently the finance office -- used to have a May Day Celebration with a King and Queen -- this photo is from the 1932 celebration, I think the last one may have been when I was in the 7th grade with Glenda Ann Dyess (now Mrs. Darrell Harris) and Wayne Howard as Queen and King. (If I'm wrong about May Day, I do know they were the Queen and King for some school celebration back then.) - Joseph Horn Thomas
From monkey dust to saddles, he had it. He even had a pair of ice skates hung on the wall for sale.
William Thomas "Bill" Maddox was born in Wauchula in 1909, moved to Felda as a youth, elected Hendry County Judge in 1936 (his brother Clyde was Hardee County Judge at same time), elected Hendry County Sheriff in 1940 & served 5 terms before retiring from office. Parents were John Henry Maddox and Florence Altman. His sister Maria married their first cousin Asa Townsend & Townsends moved to Australia in early 1960s. Bill was also Mayor of LaBelle in the 1960s. His son was a Hendry County Commissioner and is currently pastor of the 1st Christian Church in LaBelle. - Joseph Horn Thomas
George Aiken first ran a feed store at the location, then with his son-in-law Grover Hill, opened Hill's Garage on the site. Grover, Sylvia, and daughters Dorothy, Mildred, and Esther lived above the garage until they moved to Belmont. 
The gas pump styles change through the years. This is the earliest known picture of Hill's Garage, started by George Aiken, passed to son in law Grover Hill, who passed it to his son in law Wallace Risher. Photo courtesy of Bill Robinson
Wonderful memories. He always had a pack of Juicy Fruit gum in his pocket. - courtesy Jeanette Peeples
She was a business woman in her own right here in the Caloosahatchee Valley as early as the 1870s and was a "Doctor Woman" who was called on to help deliver babies far and wide. Many of LaBelle's early families can claim descent from this intrepid pioneer. 
This is the Downtown LaBelle Historic Business District -- the 300 block of North Bridge Street as it looked sometime between 1911 and the early 1920s - courtesy Joseph Horn Thomas
This is Homer Hand's boat camp. You can also see the Everett Hotel in the back ground, right above one of the boats on the left side of the pic. - Bill Robinson
Forrey Store built by Everett Burchard after the 1928 Royal Palm Hotel fire across Fort Thompson Avenue destroyed the Forrey house and the grocery store next door to it. That's Corrine Poole Forrey standing in the aisle. - Joseph Horn Thomas, photo courtesy Bill Robinson
photo courtesy Florida Memory Project
Curtis Honey, third building on left. - courtesy Bill Robinson
This is the information I show on the back of this pic. 1920's Pesbyterian Church North Labelle. The Cook family made it into a 2 story home. Doris Hansen Cutshall was born here. - courtesy Bill Robinson
Pic taken from E to W. The boat "Rhorer" was often moored here. -courtesty Bill Robinson
Rear of the Everettt Hotel, downstream from the original LaBelle swing bridge. Homer Hand's boat yard would be on the left. - courtesy Joseph Horn Thomas
THE OX WOMAN ~ 6 ft. 4 in. Sarah Smith McClain crossed the Everglades from Homestead to Chokoloskee by herself about 1910, her homestead in OK Slough "Sadie Cypress" bears her name.. She moved to the Fort Denaud area and lived on Jack's Branch until her death in 1918. - courtesy Joseph Horn Thomas
Had four cages that served as cells. Its concrete foundation can still be found in in the SE corner of Barron Park just north of the restrooms -- you will probably have to scrape the dirt off with your foot to be able to really see it. - courtesy Joseph Horn Thomas
The building was moved here from Sears. It was used as a shelter during Hurricane Donna but burned down in 1978. - photo courtesy Bill Robinson
This boat transported mail between Ft. Myers and LaBelle. As per Bill Robinson "I was told many years ago, like 30, or so, by Flora Burchard, the reason for this pic, It was the first time mail was brought to Labelle in a boat, she even told me who some of the people were, taking the ride. River safety was of great concern back then, see the lantern hanging from top of the boat. Better to B seen then talked about in the past tense."
Looking East to West. The old Bank building is just in front of the word "Bridge Street." Now heading South, that's the old Flora and Ella's right at the end of the words "Fort Thompson." That's Hill's Garage in front of Flora and Ella's. - courtesy of Bill Robinson
Ruins on Bridge Street across from where the phone company is at present (2012). The building and many others were destroyed when the Royal Palm Hotel burned on Apr 2 1928. Forrey Store and house faced Ft. Thompson Ave. The replacement built by Everette Burchard faced Bridge St. Old LaBelle movie theater can be seen in the left corner. The house in the background is the Moon house where Idan and Marion Wilson had their craft store and was also where Dr. Guadiz had his first office. -photo courtesy Bill Robinson, commentary courtesy Joseph Horn Thomas
Joe (Shorty) Risley, Sr. is the 2nd person seated from the left. Next to him is Frank Turner.
Postcard dates frm before Hamilton Disston had the rapids (not a waterfall) dynamited to improe navigation to Lake Hickpochee and the 3 mile canal into Lake Okeechobee. - courtesy Joseph Horn Thomas
courtesy of Bill Robinson
The Beaver Bros. first store. The U-Save people. - courtesy Bill Robinson
B&B Cash Grocery store behind the "Sodas" sign.
-courtesy Bill Robinson
Large building on right is L.M. Jennings Hardware -courtesy Bill Robinson
The park is off picture to the left. The second building on the right is the old bank building. - courtesy Bill Robinson
Jennings is first building on left, Hills Garage is the second, directly across from Flora & Ella's. -courtesy of Bill Robinson
Here is the Court House just after it was built. Look at the second floor. You can see clear through out the other side. Note cages around plants, probably to keep the cows from eating them. - courtesy Bill Robinson
North LaBelle
courtesy of Bill Robinson
Notice boats and barges pulled right up to the porch.
Looking East down Ft. Thompson. Jennings Hardware on the left. This old building still stands in LaBelle, it was moved, and is now being used as rental apartments (2012). Hill's Garage, Flora & Ella's on right. - courtesy Bill Robinson
Downtown LaBelle during 1940's flood
During 1940's flooding. The Ft. Thompson Hotel was located down by Barney Barron's old house where Ft. Thompson Rd. comes out at Hwy 80. - courtesy Bill Robinson
-courtesy Charles Hanes
With two nice fish caught in Lake Flirt, present day Port LaBelle Oxbow. - courtesy of his grandson, Edwin Harris
-courtesy Charles Hanes
-courtesy Florida Memory Project
