LaBelle, located on the shores of the Caloosahatchee River, is at the intersection of State Roads 29 and 80, about 26 miles east of Ft. Myers. The town and unincorporated communities within a 15-mile radius have watched the number of inhabitants rise to 12,000 or more during the winter growing season. The area was originally settled by the Caloosa Indians, who held religious rites here. LaBelle means "the beautiful" in French. According to Florida history books, Capt. Francis Asbury Hendry named the area in 1896 for his daughters, Laura and Belle. The greater LaBelle area includes North LaBelle on the north side of the Caloosahatchee River and Port LaBelle, which is 3 miles east of downtown LaBelle.
Citrus, mainly oranges and grapefruit, and vegetable growing drive the town's economy. Until the late 1940s, LaBelle and nearly all of Hendry County, was owned by cattlemen. However, cattle ranches began to downsize and range land gradually turned to farmland. Since 1986, citrus plantings in the county have more than doubled from 40,000 to more than 90,000 acres. Today, Hendry has more than 15 million citrus trees - more than any other Florida county. (St. Lucie County has 12 million while Polk County has 11 million.) Hendry is third in citrus acreage with 100,000 acres behind St. Lucie County (107,000 acres) and Polk County (104,000 acres).
Music is an important part of culture in the area. LaBelle's schools are noted for their outstanding music programs and the large number of students who play in school bands. The LaBelle Middle School had more than 100 students in the band, about 40 percent of the student body. LaBelle has a local jazz ensemble that plays at many events. Lots of fine bluegrass and country musicians can be heard at local restaurants and community events. In the background on this page, you can hear an example of exciting bluegrass banjo pickin'!
Port LaBelle, a 31,000-acre single-family community three miles east of LaBelle, brings a modern, country club atmosphere to the town. It was developed by General Development Corp. in the 1980s and includes a golf course, marina, tennis courts, hotel and a growing residential community.
LaBelle is also home to the annual Swamp Cabbage Festival held on the last full weekend of each February. Visitors from all over the world attend this big festival. The Festival is named in honor of Florida's prolific state tree, the Sable Palm, nicknamed the "cabbage" palm because of its sweet, tender pulp, called the "heart of palm," found inside the trunk.
With the widening of State Route 80 to four lanes, LaBelle is seeing considerable housing developments underway. The Bonita Bay Group has plans to build 12,000 homes in LaBelle as a campus for Edison College.
