Local History

An entire generation has grown up since 9/11 that possesses no firsthand memories of that morning. To ensure that the lives lost, courage displayed and lessons learned will continue to be remembered, the Military Heritage Museum in Punta Gorda is observing the 25th anniversary of 9/11 by bringing together veterans, first responders, community leaders, and the public.

The first short documentary — Decoding Ancient Florida: Mound House — premieres Aug. 25 on WGCUplus.org. The episode explores the Calusa archaeology and artifacts at the Mound House on Fort Myers Beach.

Union soldiers will be honored on Memorial Day with taps and flowers by the Colonel Robert Barnard Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Camp 2. Special attention will be paid to early settler Christian Henry Funck, who enlisted at age 13 as a drummer in the Union Army during the Civil War.

Over the holidays, the Fort Myers Mural Society installed murals on the obelisks flanking Edwards Avenue outside the Luminary Hotel. One recognizes Manuel A. Gonzalez; the other, Harvie Heitman.

Two Sarasota County projects won 2026 Heritage Awards earlier this month. Given to individuals, organizations and buildings by the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, the Awards honor efforts to maintain pieces of local history.

Community of all ages invited to take a trip down memory lane with LaBelle's centennial celebration Saturday.

Florida is the land of sunshine and good vibes, but when the sun goes down on Downtown Fort Myers, something ghastly takes over. The waterside community is home to spiritual abnormalities that have caused spine-tingling reactions for decades.WGCU’s Samuel Brucker took part in a Historic Downtown Tour to learn the horrific stories that have turned into urban legend and have given a taste of the macabre to Southwest Florida.

Three years ago, Hurricane Ian blew the roof off the historic Blanchard House in Punta Gorda. Swells of water flooded the structure, leaving damage that took years to recover from.

It’s time to hit the road with Scott Fais as he prepares to take viewers on a journey as part of the latest season of Florida Road Trip.

A historic school in Southwest Florida will be remodeled and is expected to reopen in just over two years. That's according to an agreement announced Monday between the Lee County School District and the City of Bonita Springs.