Immokalee

Immokalee is an unincorporated area and a census-designated place (CDP) in Collier County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,154 at the 2010 census.Immokalee is the center of the region's agriculture industry and home to many immigrant and migrant families who work the vast fields which produce a large amount of the United States' fresh produce. Crops include cucumbers, bell peppers, citrus and about 90% of the nation's tomatoes that are harvested during the winter months.HistoryOriginally the region was occupied by the Calusa Indians and centuries later occupied by the Seminole, after they moved down from the northern part of Florida. Initially the settlement was known as Gopher Ridge by the Seminole and Miccosukee Indians. Immokalee means "My Home" in Mikasuki language.When the swamps were drained in the region, agriculture became the dominant industry. European-American hunters, trappers, Indian traders, cowmen, and missionaries moved in before the development of permanent villages. The first permanent settlement was founded in 1872.In 1921 the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was extended south to Immokalee.