1958 Map of Alva SW

About this map

Lehigh Acres appears at the center of rapid expansion in this document, which uses purple revisions to show the sprawling urban footprint emerging from the Florida interior by the early 1970s. The landscape is a complex network of wetlands and artificial drainage, anchored by the prominent Halfway Pond and the engineered Able Canal. Industry is deeply integrated into the suburban fringe, with multiple Quarries and a Gravel Pit located just north of the residential developments. A notable hydrological feature is the recurring Flowing Well label, marking points where groundwater reached the surface naturally. This sheet illustrates the mid-century transformation of Lee County, where massive land-clearing projects and water-management systems converted palmetto and pine flatwoods into the grid-patterned neighborhoods of a new inland city.