In 1870, he drove twelve thousand head of cattle across the Caloosahatchee River to Fort Thompson, making his cattle the first to graze south of the river . Around this time, as Florida's largest cattle owner, Hendry moved his family to Fort Myers from Fort Meade. They settled in an abandoned officer's quarters which they renovated and were joined by others from Polk County over the next three years. In the July 11, 1870 Monroe County census, Francis' occupation was shepherd, with $2,000 in real estate and $75,000 in personal property. Soon after, Francis contacted the Cuban market and became one of the first to ship cattle from Punta Rassa to Cuba. In 1875 he owned 25,000 head of cattle. Eventually he owned 50,000 head of cattle and was considered the “cattle king of