Weary travelers for four decades were kept awake by the funny signs and nourished by the taste of this Clewiston oasis. There aren’t many roads more desolate and monotonous than going south on US 27. Once you pass Lake Placid,...
Hendry County
Hendry County, Florida, boasts a history intertwined with its natural environment. The Calusa Indians thrived here for centuries, living off the land’s abundant resources. European arrival in the 16th century didn’t drastically change things for a while, as the vast Everglades kept the region isolated. The Seminole Wars in the 1800s brought the first permanent settlements with military forts like Fort Denaud and Fort Thompson. Finally, in 1923, Hendry County was officially established from Lee County and named for cattle rancher Captain Francis Asbury Hendry. Agriculture became the county’s driving force, with cattle ranching, sugarcane, and citrus forming the foundation of its economy.