Hendry County, Florida

Hendry County
County
The Hendry County Courthouse in LaBelle in 2010.
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 26°33′N81°10′W / 26.55°N 81.17°W / 26.55; -81.17
Country	United States
State	Florida
Founded	May 11, 1923
Named for	Francis A. Hendry
Seat	LaBelle
Largest city	Clewiston
Area
• Total	1,190 sq mi (3,100 km2)
• Land	1,153 sq mi (2,990 km2)
• Water	37 sq mi (100 km2)  3.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	39,619
• Density	33/sq mi (13/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	25th
Website	www.hendryfla.net

Hendry County is a county in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,619, ^[1] a 1.2% increase from 39,140 at the 2010 census. The county is majority-Hispanic or Latino. ^[2] Its county seat is LaBelle. ^[3]

Hendry County is in the Clewiston micropolitan area, a Micropolitan statistical area (μSA) which also includes Glades County. ^[4] These two counties, along with the Cape Coral-Fort Myers (Lee County) MSA and the Naples-Marco Island (Collier County) MSA, constitute the Cape Coral- Fort Myers- Naples Combined Statistical Area (CSA).

History

Indigenous peoples migrated into Florida around 10000 B.C.E., while the Glades culture existed in southern Florida from approximately 500 B.C.E. to 1500 C.E. ^[5] Archaeological sites attesting to the presence of the Glades culture in modern-day Hendry County include Clewiston Mounds, Maple Mound, South Lake Mounds, and Tony's Mound. ^[6] When Europeans arrived in Florida in the 16th century, the Calusa and Mayaimi tribes resided in Southwest Florida and around Lake Okeechobee. ^[5]

In the early 1800s, French trader Pierre Denaud established a trading post in the modern-day LaBelle area. ^{[7] : 8} During the Seminole Wars, United States troops built a fort along the Caloosahatchee River in 1838, named Fort Denaud in his honor. About three years later, Fort Thompson was established. These military posts became the first permanent settlements in modern-day Hendry County. Originally, the area now comprising Hendry County remained relatively inaccessible, as the Florida Everglades covered more than half of the county's present-day boundaries. Further, nearly the entire area became submerged with water seasonally; thus, only cattle-grazing was a suitable industry. However, by 1881, the Atlantic and Gulf Coast and Okeechobee Land Company began draining the land after entering into a contract with the trustees of the internal improvement fund. The county's first post office was established at Fort Thomson in 1884. ^{[8] : 3} The state of Florida established Lee County in 1887, which included land now part of Hendry County. Settlement in LaBelle began around 1889 or 1890, after the town was platted by Francis A. Hendry, a cattle rancher, politician, and officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. ^{[7] : 8}

Around the beginning of the 20th century, commercial fishermen began building fishing camps along Lake Okeechobee at Sand Point, later renamed Clewiston, though the city was not permanently settled until about 1920. ^[9] In 1911, LaBelle became the oldest municipality in modern-day Hendry County after officially incorporating. ^[10] That same year, the United States government established the Big Cypress Indian Reservation in present-day Hendry County via executive order by President William Howard Taft. ^[11] By the early 1920s, residents in the eastern Lee County communities of Clewiston, Felda, Fort Denaud, and LaBelle began campaigning for the creation of a new county. Among their reasons for supporting the establishment of a new county was dissatisfaction with the distance between eastern Lee County settlements and the county seat, Fort Myers. Around that time, the Caloosahatchee Current was established to prove that the area could sustain a newspaper publication. ^[10]

On May 11, 1923, just three days after neighboring Collier County was also created and partitioned from Lee County, the Florida Legislature voted to establish Hendry County, named after Francis A. Hendry. ^{[8] : 3} The first county commissioners were M.F. Boisclaire, M.E. Forrey, Thomas O'Brien, R.H. Magill, and L.N. Thomas. The town of LaBelle (chartered as a city in 1925) was designated as the county seat. A temporary jail was erected at a city park in LaBelle, while E.E. Goodno, who owned the Everett Hotel, allowed rooms and office space in the building to be used as a temporary courthouse. ^{[12] : 8}

Residents voted by a wide margin in favor of a $530,000 bond issue in November 1924, with $430,000 to be allotted towards improvement of roads and $100,000 for construction of a courthouse. ^[13] The courthouse was finished in 1927, ^{[12] : 7} and has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1990. ^[14] In 1925, the only other incorporated municipality in Hendry County, Clewiston, became a city. ^[9] In mid-1926, a cross-state highway (initially designated as State Road 25, but later renumbered 80) linking Fort Myers to Palm Beach was completed and passed through Hendry County. Around this time, the Gulf Atlantic Transportation, based in LaBelle, began providing transportation from Fort Myers to West Palm Beach. Another improvement to transportation occurred when the Seaboard–All Florida Railway started its rail service from LaBelle to Fort Myers in mid-1927. ^{[12] : 9} The 1926 Miami hurricane and 1928 Okeechobee hurricane both impacted Hendry County, though damage and loss of life was significantly less than in other areas around Lake Okeechobee. ^{[15] [16]}

The Number 5 British Flying Training School was operated at Riddle Field in Clewiston during World War II, with more than 1,800  Royal Air Force pilots trained there. Upon completion of the Herbert Hoover Dike in 1961, a dedication ceremony was held in Clewiston, which included a speech by former president Herbert Hoover. ^[9]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,190 square miles (3,100 km²), of which 1,153 square miles (2,990 km²) is land and 37 square miles (96 km²) (3.1%) is water. ^[17] The county borders Lake Okeechobee; the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail runs through Hendry County. Hendry County is the southernmost county in the United States which does not have an ocean coastline or an international border.

Adjacent counties

• Glades County - north
• Martin County - northeast
• Okeechobee County -
  northeast via 5 county intersection in the middle of Lake Okeechobee
• Palm Beach County - east
• Broward County - southeast
• Collier County - south
• Lee County - west
• Charlotte County - west

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	3,492		—
1940	5,237		50.0%
1950	6,051		15.5%
1960	8,119		34.2%
1970	11,859		46.1%
1980	18,599		56.8%
1990	25,773		38.6%
2000	36,210		40.5%
2010	39,140		8.1%
2020	39,619		1.2%
2023 (est.)	43,333	[18]	9.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [19] 1790-1960 [20] 1900-1990 [21] 1990-2000 [22] 2010-2019 [2]

Hendry County racial composition as of 2020
(NH = Non-Hispanic) ^[a]

Race	Pop 2010 [25]	Pop 2020 [26]	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	13,650	12,089	34.87%	30.51%
Black or African American (NH)	5,057	4,195	12.92%	10.59%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	580	155	1.48%	0.39%
Asian (NH)	275	339	0.7%	0.86%
Pacific Islander (NH)	11	4	0.03%	0.01%
Some Other Race (NH)	49	120	0.13%	0.3%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	275	605	0.7%	1.53%
Hispanic or Latino	19,243	22,112	49.16%	55.81%
Total	39,140	39,619

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 39,619 people, 12,878 households, and 9,378 families residing in the county.

As of the census ^[27] of 2000, there were 36,210 people, 10,850 households, and 8,137 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 inhabitants per square mile (12/km²). There were 12,294 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 66.08% White, 14.75% Black or African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 14.67% from other races, and 3.22% from two or more races. 39.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000 there were 10,850 households, out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.44.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 125.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,592, and the median income for a family was $34,902. Males had a median income of $25,896 versus $20,070 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,663. About 16.9% of families and 24.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.9% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.

2010 Census

In 2010 the population of Hendry Country was 39,140. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 34.9% non-Hispanic white, 13.4% black or African American, 1.7% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 2.7% reporting two or more races and 49.2% Hispanic or Latino. ^[28]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Hendry County, Florida ^[29]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	9,253	68.61%	4,096	30.37%	138	1.02%
2020	7,906	61.02%	4,929	38.04%	121	0.93%
2016	6,195	55.40%	4,615	41.27%	372	3.33%
2012	5,355	52.42%	4,751	46.51%	109	1.07%
2008	5,780	52.94%	4,998	45.78%	139	1.27%
2004	5,757	58.90%	3,960	40.51%	58	0.59%
2000	4,747	58.32%	3,240	39.81%	152	1.87%
1996	3,855	43.32%	3,885	43.66%	1,159	13.02%
1992	3,279	40.91%	2,691	33.57%	2,046	25.52%
1988	3,965	65.70%	2,036	33.74%	34	0.56%
1984	4,524	69.15%	2,018	30.85%	0	0.00%
1980	2,703	49.93%	2,543	46.97%	168	3.10%
1976	1,843	43.32%	2,337	54.94%	74	1.74%
1972	2,763	78.85%	739	21.09%	2	0.06%
1968	900	27.04%	791	23.76%	1,638	49.20%
1964	1,650	54.96%	1,352	45.04%	0	0.00%
1960	1,043	44.38%	1,307	55.62%	0	0.00%
1956	1,071	51.64%	1,003	48.36%	0	0.00%
1952	918	46.60%	1,052	53.40%	0	0.00%
1948	340	26.21%	699	53.89%	258	19.89%
1944	347	27.11%	933	72.89%	0	0.00%
1940	317	23.36%	1,040	76.64%	0	0.00%
1936	234	24.00%	741	76.00%	0	0.00%
1932	163	19.27%	683	80.73%	0	0.00%
1928	337	54.18%	266	42.77%	19	3.05%
1924	21	12.21%	132	76.74%	19	11.05%

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a plurality of registered voters in Hendry County.

Hendry County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of July 31, 2022 [30]
Political Party		Total Voters	Percentage
	Republican	7,956	41.23%
	Democratic	7,157	37.09%
	No party affiliation	3,931	20.37%
	Minor parties	251	1.30%
Total		19,295	100.00%

Education

The School Board of Hendry County (SBHC) oversees public primary and secondary education for students in Hendry County. The SBHC maintains six elementary schools, with three each in Clewiston and LaBelle, and two middle schools, with one in Clewiston and the other in LaBelle. The county has two high schools – Clewiston High School and LaBelle High School. Additionally, the SBHC operates the Montura Early Learning Center, a Pre-K learning institute. ^[31] There is also a tribal school affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), Ahfachkee School at the Big Cypress Indian Reservation. ^[32]

The Clewiston Public Library in Clewiston, the Harlem Library, also in Clewiston and the Barron Library in Labelle, all make up the Hendry County Library Cooperative. ^[33] The Clewiston Public Library, now known as the Harry T. Vaughn Library, came about in 1941 when the mayor at the time, asked the Garden Club to organize a library. They enlisted the help of a librarian from the Moore Haven High School to cataloged all the books and then prepared to open the library to the public. In 1967, the library moved to its permanent location, and in 1992, it was added to through funding from state and federal grants, the City of Clewiston, Hendry County, $100,000 from U.S. Sugar, and $57,510 from private donations. ^[34] The mission of the cooperative, as taken from their website, is this: "The mission of the Hendry County Library Cooperative is to provide its citizens with access to materials and information for work, school, and personal life that are both educational and entertaining". ^[33]

Few post-secondary institutions exist in Hendry County. Florida SouthWestern State College has an outreach program campus in LaBelle. ^[35] Neighboring Collier and Lee counties have several colleges and universities, including Ave Maria University in Ave Maria and campuses of Barry University, Florida SouthWestern State College, Keiser University, and Rasmussen University in Fort Myers. ^[36] In western Palm Beach County, a campus of Palm Beach State College is located in Belle Glade. ^[37]

Archaeology

• Tony's Mound

Communities

Cities

• Clewiston
• LaBelle

Census-designated places

• Fort Denaud
• Harlem
• Montura
• Pioneer
• Port LaBelle (Pt LaBelle units 1-9)

Other unincorporated communities

• Banyan Village (Pt LaBelle units 10-13)
• Everhigh Acres
• Felda
• Flaghole (officially Seven K Estates)
• LaDeca Acres
• Midway Acres
• Port LaBelle Acreage
• Wheeler Road

Transportation

Roads

Main article: List of county roads in Hendry County, Florida

• U.S. Route 27
• Florida State Road 29
• Florida State Road 78
• Florida State Road 80

Airports

• Airglades Airport
• LaBelle Municipal Airport

In popular culture

• In Carl Hiaasen's novel Skinny Dip , agribusiness executive "Red" Hammernut has his offices in LaBelle, and owns significant areas of farmland in Hendry County.
• A scene from Just Cause (film), a 1995 suspense crime thriller film directed by Arne Glimcher and starring Sean Connery and Laurence Fishburne, was filmed in Fort Denaud, Florida.

See also

• Florida Heartland
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Hendry County, Florida

Notes

1. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. ^{[23] [24]}

References

1. "QuickFacts: Hendry County, Florida". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 14, 2014.^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. "Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Guidance on the Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). Executive Office of the President. July 21, 2023. p. 91. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
5. "Native Americans – Introduction". Historical Society of Palm Beach County. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
6. "Settlement Patterns: Earthworks and Canals". Historical Society of Palm Beach County. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
7. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Captain Francis A. Hendry House) (PDF) (Report). National Park Service. 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
8. Historical Sketch of Hendry County. Works Progress Administration (Report). Florida Memory. June 1939. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
9. "History Happened Here: Clewiston". vivafl500.org. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
10. "The History of LaBelle". City of LaBelle, Florida. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
11. Tina L. Morin (June 1992). "Indians, Non-Indians, and the Endangered Panther; Will the Indian/Non-Indian Conflict Be Resolved before the Panther Disappears?". Public Land and Resources Law Review. 13 (11). Retrieved September 13, 2021.
12. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Historic and Architectural Resources of LaBelle) (PDF) (Report). National Park Service. January 2003. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
13. "$530,000 Bond Issue for Hendry County Given Big Majority". The Fort Myers Press. November 22, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
14. "Florida's History Through Its Places – Hendry County". Florida Department of State. Archived from the original on February 16, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
15. "Storm Causes Little Damage At Clewiston". St. Petersburg Times. September 27, 1926. p. 5. Retrieved September 13, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
16. "Okeechobee Deaths Laid to Big Wave". The Tampa Tribune. September 19, 1928. p. 2. Retrieved September 13, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
17. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
18. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
19. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
20. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
21. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
22. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
23. https://www.census.gov/ ^{[ not specific enough to verify ]}
24. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
25. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
26. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
27. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
28. 2010 general demographic report for Hendry County
29. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
30. "Voter Registration - By County and Party". www.dos.myflorida.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
31. "Our Schools". School Board of Hendry County. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
32. "History". Ahfachkee School. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
33. "About the Library System" . Retrieved September 14, 2021.
34. "Library". City of Clewiston, Florida. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
35. "FSW Hendry/Glades Curtis Center" . Retrieved September 14, 2021.
36. "Colleges & Universities in Southwest FL". Southwest Florida Economic Development Alliance. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
37. "Belle Glade Campus". Palm Beach State College . Retrieved September 14, 2021.

External links

Government links/constitutional offices

• Hendry County Board of County Commissioners official website
• Hendry County Economic Development Council
• Hendry County Supervisor of Elections
• Hendry County Property Appraiser
• Hendry County Sheriff's Office
• Hendry County Tax Collector

Special districts

• Hendry County Public Schools
• Hendry Soil and Water Conservation District
• South Florida Water Management District

Judicial branch

• Hendry County Clerk of Courts
• Public Defender, 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties
• Office of the State Attorney, 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida Archived December 10, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
• Circuit and County Court for the 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida

Tourism links

• Hendry County Tourism Archived December 3, 2004, at the Wayback Machine

Museum and Library Resources

• The Caloosa Belle, the local newspaper for Hendry County, Florida fully and openly available in the Florida Digital Newspaper Library

26°33′N81°10′W / 26.55°N 81.17°W / 26.55; -81.17