1958 Map of Alva SW

About this map

Lehigh Acres appears at a transformative moment in the late 1950s, with a substantial portion of the northern landscape marked by a grid of streets and tracts under construction. This burgeoning residential development contrasts sharply with the southern two-thirds of the sheet, which remain dominated by subtropical wetlands and scattered water bodies. The presence of the Able Canal and numerous Flowing Wells highlights the critical role of water management in readying this portion of Lee County for settlement. Further inland, the landscape is punctuated by Halfway Pond and industrial activity at several Quarries and a Gravel Pit. The map captures the exact era when traditional Florida wetlands were first being methodically restructured into one of the state's largest planned communities.