|
top of page
Miami History continued...
The name “Miami” comes from a Native American word meaning “sweet water.” The area was actually a concentration of water because the Miami River is a funnel for water from the Everglades and the Atlantic Ocean. The Native Americans are known to have settled in the Miami region for about 10,000 years. The most noteworthy inhabitants were the Tequesta people, who controlled an empire covering most of southern Florida. Later, in the 1500's, an explorer named Ponce de Leon tried to settle the area. However, his men could not defend the area against the Native Americans so they kept mostly to the northern part of Florida. Only a few traveling Europeans visited the area during the colonial period.
The actual history of the city of Miami began in 1895. Three stubborn dreamers envisioned a city in the then uninhabited southern Florida. The Tuttle family, which consisted of Julia Tuttle and her children Harry and Fanny, possessed land. Julia had moved to the area in 1891 after purchasing 640 acres of land on the north bank of the Miami River. Originally from Cleveland, Julia's husband, Frederick, had died in 1886. Julia then decided to move to southern Florida due to the delicate health of her children. She had already been to the area in 1875 while visiting her father, Ephraim Sturtevant.
The Brickell family, which consisted of William, his wife Mary and eight adult children, ranging in age from 18 to 38, lived across the river from the Tuttle family, on the south bank. The Brickell family also possessed land in the area. The Brickell family operated a trading post and post office. They arrived in the area in 1871 from Cleveland. They purchased a vast stretch of land that stretched from the banks of the river south to what is now Coconut Grove. They also owned property on the north side of the New River, in what is now Fort Lauderdale.
The third visionary in this group was Henry M. Flagler. Henry Flagler owned a railroad and possessed the financial resources to turn the wilderness land into a city. Earlier, he had extended his railroad into Florida to transport citrus fruits from the frost-free south. The relationship between these three families was not without its skirmishes and its disappointments. However, what would result would be more than they could ever imagine.
Before the arrival of Flagler's railroad, the Miami area was known as Biscayne Bay Country. The only land transportation in the area was by stagecoach. The stagecoach line ran from Lantana on the southern end of Lake Worth to Lemon City on Biscayne Bay. There are few published accounts from that period; however, the accounts that do exist describe the area as wilderness that held much promise.
Although several surrounding cities were enjoying success in the 1890's, the envy on Biscayne Bay was Miami. The site where the Miami River emptied into the bay was described as the finest property in the area. To the south lay the Brickell land. This area contained a high, rocky bluff which was called one of the finest building sites in Florida. The Tuttle family lived in a large house that had been in use when Fort Dallas occupied the spot at the time of the Indian Wars of the mid-nineteenth century. Julia Tuttle remodeled the home and turned it into one of the most lavish homes in the area. The house had a wide porch on the second story that provided a view of the river and the bay. The bay itself was a favorite resort for wealthy yachtsmen who came to the area in the winter for fishing and cruising.
Flagler began extending his railroad into southern Florida as early as 1895. Flagler had been in partnership with John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil, and had achieved great wealth. He had been developing the east coast of Florida, starting with St. Augustine in 1885. Every few years, Flagler would extend his railroad further south. Through negotiations with the Florida Coast Line Canal & Transportation Company (FCLCTC), Flagler was eventually able to acquire the land needed to expand his railroad further south.
In December 1894, Florida experienced its worst cold wave since 1835. Temperatures sank to 14 degrees in Jacksonville and 18 degrees at Tampa. Throughout the state, the famous citrus crop, along with the winter vegetable crop was lost. However, the cold wave did not spread far enough south to reach the Biscayne Bay area. The crops from this region were relatively unharmed. This caused farmers all over the state to look to this “freeze proof” area.
Then, in 1895, just six weeks after the first freeze, Florida was hit by an even worse cold wave. Temperatures once again fell into the teens. Where the first freeze had killed the crops, the second one killed the trees. Again, reports from the south were that the crops had not been harmed. Henry Flagler immediately sent one of his most trusted employees, James Ingraham, to validate these reports.
Upon the return of Ingraham, Flagler decided to travel to the area to see it for himself. Upon arrival in the area, Flagler was greeted by Brickell and Tuttle. After just one night in the area, Flagler decided to accept the offer of the other two and extend his railroad to Miami and build a resort hotel there. Flagler eventually completed his railroad and, in addition, built Miami's first luxurious hotel, the Royal Palm. The city of Miami was incorporated in 1896, with a population of 344 citizens.
The city experienced its first growth spurt during the 1920's. During this time, the city government allowed gambling and was very lazy in regulating prohibition. Because of this, thousands of people rushed to Miami from the northern United States, bringing the Art Deco movement to Miami Beach. Along with this came a construction boom and a skyline of high-rise buildings that were not there before. Just ten years after their construction, some of the original buildings had had to be demolished to make way for even larger buildings. This period of success was brought to an end by a devastating hurricane in 1927, followed by the Great Depression.
During the 1940's, Miami became a home for soldiers. The U.S. government constructed many training camps, supply and communications facilities around the city. The government wanted to take advantage of the city's strategic location at the southeastern corner of the country. Many of these servicemen and women returned to Miami after the war, causing another population boom. Always known for attracting a diverse population, Miami became the new home of outlaw Al Capone. Capone had fled Chicago during prohibition.
At the beginning of the 1950's, Miami was a tourist town. Its white sandy beaches and constant sunshine made for the perfect winter vacation spot. However, toward the end of the decade, Miami was transformed by its neighbor to the south, Cuba. In 1959, a coup led by Fidel Castro was led in Cuba. Following the revolution, Cuban refugees began swarming Miami. The first wave of exiles included many educated professionals with a desire to apply their skills and knowledge to the city's growth. The Cuban community developed economically and socially on its own, including developing ties with the Latin American market. International business began to storm the downtown area and soon, Miami was more than just a tourist town. In 1965 alone, 100,000 Cubans came to the city via the twice daily “freedom flights” between Havana and Miami. Later, in 1965, on a large single flotilla, 150,000 Cubans flooded the city. This immigration led to Miami becoming the Latin Capital of the United States. Residents of other Latin countries such as Colombia, Dominica, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua and Haiti began looking to escape poverty and oppressive governments by moving to Miami.
The city of Miami was not without its problems. During the 1980's, as with any large city, Miami experienced a crime wave. Crime rates rose tremendously during this time. Race relations grew tense and riots often broke out. The Art Deco section of South Beach was left to deteriorate. The drug industry found its way into the city. Miami became the United States' largest transshipment point for cocaine from Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. Miami's location, being the nearest U.S. port to South America, also played a major role in the city's drug trade. Along with the drugs came billions of dollars. The money was funneled through false businesses. Luxury car dealerships, five-star hotels, condominium developments, swanky nightclubs and other signs of prosperity began popping up all over the city. This lifestyle was often portrayed in television programs such as Miami Vice. The show also represented Miami as America's most glamorous tropical paradise. This image began to draw the entertainment industry to the city. Today, Miami remains a hub of fashion, filmmaking and music. The crime wave lasted through the early 1990's, but has begun to die down in the 21st century.
Today, the city of Miami is the home to many fine educational institutions including the University of Miami. Miami also has many fine museums. Among them are the Latin American Art Museum, the Miami Art Museum and the Vizcaya Museum and gardens.
Miami is an international crossroads of commerce, finance, culture sports and entertainment. Several large U.S. businesses have their headquarters in Miami. Burger King, CHS Electronics, Knight-Ridder, Norwegian Cruise Line and Ryder, all make Miami their home. The downtown port of Miami is the world's largest cruise ship port. It serves more than three million cruise ship passengers a year. Miami continues to be a culturally diverse city that has taken influences from all of its citizens. Spanish is spoken almost as frequently as English.
Miami is also a city that loves its professional sports. The Miami Dolphins of the NFL, the Miami Heat of the NBA and the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball, all make their homes in Miami. On top of all of this, Miami has warm and pleasant weather all year long. Miami, Florida truly is a city that has it all.
|
