Fellsmere experienced floods, land booms, and land busts. Named for E. Nelson Fell, it was first incorporated in 1911 as part of St. Lucie County. The Fellsmere Farms Land Development Company promoted the area's rich soils and natural resources. By 1915, Fellsmere had a railroad, an electric company, two hotels, and women could vote, a first in Florida. Overwhelmed by torrential rains and the Great Depression, Fellsmere struggled until sugar cane fields brought prosperity. Those cane fields are gone, but the rich soils and natural resources of the marshes remain.