NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — A local historian is using her voice to protect a cemetery in North Fort Myers from the 1800s where a proposed development nearby is under review.

“It was almost destroyed in 1990 when the owner at that time decided to bulldoze it so he could rent the land for cattle,” Joanne Miller said.

She is a local historian who wants to save a grave.

“Jacob Daughtery, the man there was quite somebody important that we need to preserve,” she said.

She is concerned because other historical cemeteries are disappearing.

“There was an 1870s cemetery behind first street, and now there’s an apartment building there,” she said.

A proposed development is now set for the North Fort Myers property next door. But they would use the same access road.

“I’m not here to stop development,” she said. “That’s going to happen no matter what. I just want to see that cemetery fenced in.”

And since dead men can’t speak, she wants to use her voice to speak out for them.

“Nobody did anything about it in 1990 when it was bulldozed,” she said.

The headstones were brought back. Now they lay there, with cracks. But they have not moved since.

Alexia: “You just don’t want history to repeat itself.”

Joanne: “I do not I don’t want to see any cemetery bulldozed again.”

ABC7 reached out to Lee County and the property owners. They said there are plans for 100 homes under review next door at 7150 Bayshore Road.

“A rod iron fence would be beautiful, making an available to any family member that wants to,” she said.

And they are planning to do just that — to preserve this site. So you can visit these first settlers who have walked this land before us.