SOME HISTORY ABOUT MIAMI
1921 - Hardie's Bathing Casino on Miami Beach
Miami is the youngest major city in the U.S. Its history is very unique and knowing this helps understand what is Miami about. The first inhabitants came to the region 10,000 years ago and erected settlements on the Bay and on the river. They named this settlement Mayami. The powerful Spanish claimed this land as theirs until 1821 when the United States decided to acquire it as another state we know now as Florida. At the same time Bahamian seamen as well as the Seminole Indian tribe, which had been pushed away from their land in other U.S. states, also establish their home in Florida. During this time the area known as Mayami was nothing but a wild empty tract of undeveloped land.
In the beginning Miami, as we know it, started with the work of visionaries whom predicted decades in advance what this unfriendly land would become. Because Miami was such a remote location, it was a crucial factor to provide an easier access. Julia Tuttle arrived in Miami from Cleveland in 1891 and was the owner of 640 acres in Miami. She was the neighbor of other visionaries that believed like her in the future of Miami. Her move was followed by other families such as The Brickells, the Flaglers, the Merricks and the Fishers. Mary and William Brickell owned 2,500 acres of land in Miami which at time was considered very inhospitable. Julia Tuttle pledged half her land to Henri Flagler in order to get him to extend his railway to Miami and to start building a new city from scratch.
The first train reached Miami in 1896; soon after the new city was incorporated. By the beginning of the 20th century, Miami had become a small town that was attracting the wealthiest people whom were willing to be part of a great adventure; this was the birth of Miami Beach.
In the 20′s, Miami was in the midst of an intense expansion and real estate development. During this time George Merrick, the legendary real estate developer created Coral Gables, the first planned community. Carl Fisher developed luxurious hotels and all the required playgrounds including polo and golf courses to please his rich clients.
In September 1926, a killer hurricane almost wiped out the newly resurrected City of Miami Beach. The development recovered in 1935 and new hotels and new apartment buildings broke grounds to create what is known as the art deco district. Shortly after this, World War II erupted and Miami was taken over by the U.S. army to accommodate the war needs. Veterans came back after the war and contributed to the development of this new city and once again the Miami was raging again. New Miami Hotels were built and new luxury hotels such as the Fontainebleau and the Eden Roc came to life.
When Castro came to power in Cuba and the wave of immigrants reached the shores, Miami’s profile changed once again. It is estimated that from the 60′s to the 80′s half million Cubans moved to Miami. With the mass movement of Cubans a Latin universe was created which was an instrumental in transforming Miami into a truly international city. The following wave of immigration from the Caribbean and Latin America further transformed the city. They were all key participants in the building of this magic city, Miami. Miami constant development and its ever expanding skyline is testimony of its dynamism.
Nowadays, Miami Florida is a multicultural city that has a growing economy based mostly in the tourism industry. Our magical city is certainly a beach paradise, with lots of attractions and nightlife , many hotels to welcome all visitors interested into enjoy our great weather and see beautiful people.
SOME GREAT PICTURES ABOUT MIAMI
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Star Island Today
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Star Island before
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South Point today
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South Point in the 20′s
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lincoln_road looking west
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Lincoln Road looking East
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julia tuttle causeway
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County Causeway, Terminal Island, Star Island and Miami Beach
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Alison Island Past
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Alison Island now
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1947 – downtown Miami
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1920 – East end of County Causeway at south Miami Beach
