The City of LaBelle (population 12,000) :
LaBelle, which means "beautiful" in French, was named for Laura, Lee and Belle, the daughters of its founder, Captain Francis Hendry. (Another story says that the name came from a French traveler who saw the beauty of giant oaks lining the Caloosahatchee River and exclaimed, "C'est La Belle.")
The area was originally settled by the Caloosa Indians, who held seasonal religious rites there. In the 1760's, the last remnants of this once powerful tribe immigrated to the Bahamas. Later, the Seminole Indians lived on a reservation south of the Caloosahatchee until they were replaced by settlers in the late 1800's.
Today, LaBelle's economy is based on citrus, cattle, truck farming, and the textiles industry. LaBelle is located about 26 miles east of Fort Myers on State Roads 80 and 29.
City Hall:
P.O. Box 458, LaBelle, FL 33975
941-675-2872
Chamber of Commerce : P.O. Box 456, LaBelle, FL 33975 941-675-0125
The City of Alva (population 2,154):
Alva, founded in 1887, is located along the Caloosahatchee River on State Road 78 about 11 miles west of LaBelle. Alva received its name from the first settler, Captain Peter Nelson. He named it after a delicate flower that grows in his native land, Denmark.
Alva boasts the oldest church in Lee County, a Methodist Church built in 1926, which is still being used as a house of worship. The town also had the first library in Southwest Florida, which today serves as the Alva Historical Museum.
LaBelle's Swamp Cabbage Festival began in 1967 as a Jaycee project to foster community participation during U.S. Jaycee Week. The Jaycees knew that the local cabbage palms were important to settlers as both food and building materials, and created a festival honoring the delicacy which gourmets call "Heart of Palm."
Today, the Swamp Cabbage Festival is held the last full weekend in February and includes a parade, rodeos, festival booths in Barron Park, square dancing and continuous entertainment. A Grand Marshall is chosen and a Pioneer Family is honored each year in addition to the crowning of the Swamp Cabbage Queen at the Coronation Ball. On Sunday, the "Swamp Stomp" 5K run takes place.
There are 20 houses of worship in the LaBelle area representing most denominations. For a list, look in our local area yellow pages.
There are six public schools in LaBelle -- one high school, a middle school, a sixth grade center, and three elementary schools. In addition, there is one private Christian school. College credit courses are available at the LaBelle Adult and Community School through Edison Community College.
Alva is in the Lee County School District, and has an elementary and middle school in town.
LaBelle became incorporated in 1926 and has a five member city council that includes the mayor; all members are elected for two-year terms. The city also serves as the county seat for Hendry County. Alva is an unincorporated area in Lee County.
Hendry Regional Medical Center (941-675-4466) is a 66-bed acute care hospital located in Clewiston. It opened in 1952 and offers a wide range of medical/surgical care, including a state-of-the-art intensive care unit and emergency room.
The Barron Library (941-675-0833) offers approximately 18,000 books for loan.
The Caloosa Belle (941-675-2541) is a weekly community paper serving the LaBelle area.
The Clewiston News is another weekly that covers Hendry County news.
The Hendry-Glades Sunday News (941-983-7003) is published once weekly.
The News Press, a daily paper out of Fort Myers, is also available for home delivery.
Kings House Assisted Living (941-675-3314) is an adult day care and retirement facility.
Oakbrook of LaBelle (941-675-1440) is a skilled nursing home with 60 beds.
The Caloosahatchee River offers plenty of boating and fishing fun. There is one public boat ramp just west of the bridge on Highway 78.
Gatorama (941-675-0623), one mile south of the Cypress Museum, is a genuine alligator farm. Visitors can see how the gator lives and learn about the business of raising gators for profit.
The Alva Historical Museum is located just east of the Caloosahatchee River bridge in the old library building. Visitors to the museum can get a taste of what life was like for the early settlers in Alva, which was established in 1887. The museum is open Saturday afternoons from 2 - 4 p.m.
The LaBelle Heritage Museum (941-675-0034) offers literature on LaBelle's history, period furnishings, artifacts and clothing, in a hundred-year-old "Cracker" house. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday 2 - 5 p.m. Admission (donation) $2.00, children are free. Meetings start the first Thursday in September through May at 7:00 p.m. at the LaBelle City Hall. All are welcome to attend.
There are affiliates for the three major networks and Fox in the LaBelle viewing area. Cable and satellite television is also available.
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