Preserving Our Heritage: The Rich History of the Lee County Pioneer Club.
The Lee County Pioneer Club, founded in 1949, honors long-time residents with a 50-year legacy in the community. Our annual picnic unites old friends and new generations, celebrating the vibrant history and enduring spirit of Lee County. Join us in preserving cherished memories and fostering lifelong connections.
Celebrating Our Heritage.
The Lee County Pioneer Club, founded in 1949 by the esteemed R.A. Henderson Jr., stands as a beacon of our community’s enduring spirit and storied past. Established to honor and recognize those who have called Lee County home for 50 years or more, the club has cultivated a rich tradition of celebration, connection, and camaraderie.
A Legacy of Connection
In 1949, R.A. Henderson, Jr. and David Duvall organized the Pioneer club to honor those living persons who had been residents of old Lee County (now Hendry, Collier and Lee Counties) for fifty or more years. In 1950 and for many years thereafter, the Lee County Bank annually sponsored a dinner for these Pioneers.
In 1971, with encouragement and blessings of the officials of Lee County Bank, the Southwest Florida Historical Society assumed sponsorship of the Pioneer Club. The bank continued to assist in registration of new members and helping to cover the cost of the annual dinner.
The initial meeting of the Lee County Pioneer Picnic was held on February 22, 1950, at the Lions Park on Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers. Led by R.A. Henderson, Joe Ansley and Bob Halgrim, some 100 people attended.
After several years the meeting place was changed from the Lions Park to the Buckingham Community Center. The usual program consisted of recognizing the oldest living Pioneer, the couple married the longest and the one who traveled the farthest.
As the membership grew larger, the facilities were not able to serve the club. During Stanley Hanson’s tenure, the annual meeting was moved to Shady Oaks Park for three or four years, then the Exhibition Hall and then three years at the Harborside Event Center. The Pioneer Picnic moved out to the Lee Civic Center and the picnic has been held at the Tinsley Pavilion at the Lee Civic Center since.
The Club continued to grow. Members handled the cooking for some years then the Alva Fire Department cooked for several years with Sonny’s providing 16 gallons of beans and several gallons of cole slaw. Publix provided the rolls and cookies; the Snack House donated the coffee and iced tea. Fried chicken, beans, cole slaw and rolls were furnished by KFC, the Snack House or later on Old Hickory BBQ restaurant.
During the early years, Carl Roberts and Jim Roberts served in many different capacities. Ruth Baucom and Walter Kaune handled the registration until Linnie Cary took it over. The Hanson Family and friends handled the serving and Frances Harris and Walter Kaune and others handled the Necrology records.
Estelena Heusted Gill was the recording secretary since the beginning and served some 60 years until health no longer permitted her to. Leslie Chernin Morreale is now the Recording Secretary. Sam Watkins has served in many capacities as did David Bull.
For many years Ernie Hall served as Historian. Initially, the program featured historical families and exhausting them, the Club each year would recognize the 50th graduating classes of Fort Myers, Dunbar and Alva High Schools. As each school in the area has come to their 50-year anniversary they have been added.
The Pioneers now have some 2200 plus members on the membership list and each year the club mails reminders of the actual Annual Meeting/Picnic held the last Saturday in April. There are no dues and all you have to do is fill out a membership form and register each year to remain on the list.
The Pioneer Club has survived upon contributions since the beginning. Some of the following Pioneers have been contributors for a very long time: Lee County Bank, Al Gallman’s Agency, Sam Galloway Ford, Lott and Gaylor Insurance Company, the Dorothy Schultz family and many others in the last several years. The current donors are listed each year on the Program and the Invitation.
Stanley Hanson served as President for about 20 years. With Stanley’s failing health, Glenn Cary then served some 12 years; Frank Lott succeeded and served 2 years and then Barbara Bartleson Cummings served as President for 8. Ginger Sparks Barnard followed Barbara and served for 4 years. Beth Alderman succeeded Ginger and served for 3 years as our President. Pat Mann took over the reins from Beth and is our current President.
Honoring Our Pioneers
The Pioneer Club’s annual picnic is more than just a gathering; it is a tribute to the legacy of its members. At each event, we honor the eldest pioneer man and woman born in Lee County, the couple married the longest in attendance, and the pioneer who traveled the furthest to attend. These awards not only recognize individual achievements but also celebrate the collective history and spirit of the community. The picnic also provides a platform for honoring the high school classes celebrating their 50-year reunions, further strengthening the bonds within the community.
A Community Affair
The Pioneer Picnic is a highlight of the year, drawing between 600 and 700 attendees each time. For just $10, members enjoy a traditional meal featuring barbecue chicken or pork, baked beans, coleslaw, rolls, chocolate chip cookies, and iced tea or lemonade. The event is more than a meal; it’s a day filled with presentations, a raffle, and a genuine sense of community. Members also benefit from free admission to local attractions such as the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, and IMAG History & Science Center, over the picnic weekend, further enriching the experience.
