Presented by the Fort Lauderdale Centennial Speaker’s BureauImages courtesy the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society &

Broward County Historical Commission & Fort Lauderdale Woman’s Club & SW FL Museum of History

1911-2011A Brief History of the Venice of America

1880s Tequesta and their ancestors here for thousands of years. First European settlers in the late 18th C.

New River

1838 First “fort” founded in 1838 by William Lauderdale after Seminoles killed family of William Cooley 1836 (Now Cooley’s Landing).

Drawing of third and most permanent fort.

House of Refuge built. In 1890s relocated to site of south beach. Later became Coast Guard.

Party at House of Refuge 1911

1876

1893 Ferry across New River and Stranahan’s camp and trading post. Pioneers lived along the river.

1893 Ferry across New River and Stranahan’s camp and trading post. Pioneers lived along the river.

1893 Ferry across New River and Stranahan’s camp and trading post. Pioneers lived along the river.

1896First through FEC train arrives April 1896. African American pioneers work on FEC RR.

Stranahan’s camp, 1890s

1899 First school 1899 and first school teacher Ivy Cromartie (Stranahan)

1902 Seminoles in area since before 1800; had many camps along New River, and North fork by 1902 near I-95 & Broward. Ceremonial grounds were at Pine Island.

1902 Marshall Packinghouse south fork New River ca. 1902-1910

Fort Lauderdale was on“high ground” good for farming

1905 King’s boatworks just west of Andrews bridge.

1905 New River Inn built just west of FEC tracks.

1906 Map looking west showing New River, Bay Mable (Port E), farms and citrus groves, planned NNR Canal and the shrinking Everglades 1906

Arrow points to eastern extent of “Everglades” —about I-95

1906Everglades drainage project—began with North New River Canal off the South Fork of New River 1906-1912.

Celebration of completion of North New River Canal 1912

1908 Where rail and river met was new center of town. Fort Lauderdale became “The Gateway to the Everglades.”

View from FEC RR bridge of vegetable docks at foot of Brickell Avenue. Today this is the south end of Las Olas Riverfront. This was the heart of town.

1908 Close up of docks by FEC bridge New River ca. 1906-1908

1909 “Winter Vegetable Shipping Capital of the South”/ “The Gateway to the Everglades”.Over 100,000 crates of vegetables shipped in 1909

1910 Looking SW at New River and AndrewsBerryhill-Cromartie at left

1910 Andrews look N, late 1910s city hall and fire station at center—at intersection of what is now SW 2nd ST and Andrews

1910Farmers grew just about everything, largest cash crop here was tomatoes (“pines,” peppers, eggplants; beans big in Pompano).

1911

Jan 1911, Board of Trade asked that ladies form the Women’s Civic Improvement Assn. Woman’s Club formed before town for “civic improvements”

Drained Everglades land in great demand

1911

Land sale March-April 1911. Thousands of people in a town of 200-300 residents prompted Fort Lauderdale to incorporate March 1911.

$240 ($5616 in 2011 $$) entitled you to a lot in Progresso (now Croissant Park) and a “farm” in the Everglades of indeterminate size (about 10 acres) and location. According to Thomas E. Watson in the Jeffersonian Magazine, “land increased in value during the past two years from $2.50 an acre to $2500 an acre for a lot in town.”

1911Population 1910 census: 143 (Probably 200-300 residents)

People pouring into Fort Lauderdale (3000-5000) for drained Everglades land resulted in incorporation

March 27,1911:

45 registered voters

Most important reason:sanitation!!

1911

Beautiful downtown Fort Lauderdale 1911(Brickell) looking N.

1911

Inside Everglades Grocery (#1 from previous slide)

1911 Berryhill Cromartie store next to Andrews AV bridge

1911 Berryhill Cromartie store next to Andrews AV bridge

Andrews bridge look N.

1911 July 4th party off for the beach 1911. New River Inn circled.

“Mass Transit” 1910

Ice/Electric plant 1912

Phones 1914

“Mass Transit” 1915

1910-1915

1912

North New River Canal lock #1 (I 595 and Davie Road) New town of Zona (Davie) created 1912 from drained land

20,000 farms sold “west of Fort Lauderdale” by 1910 according to the Homeseeker

1912Days catch

Group at beach

1912 Fire of 1912 looking NE from RR bridge.Note Fort Lauderdale Sentinel Building at Andrews and SE 2nd ST (near where main library is today)

1913

The city rebuilds—looking SW along Brickell Avenue. Note the Osceola Inn at center, which would burn to the ground in July of 1913. The corner of the New River Inn can be seen at far right.

1913

Stranahan House about 1913 after renovations. This was probably the easternmost residence except for the Las Olas Inn.

East Las Olas about SE3rd ST

look NE ca. 1915

1913

Las Olas at Colee Hammockbefore causeway to the beach

1913 Fort Lauderdale home town team (later the Tarpons)

Flying Ls before they were known as Flying Ls

1913

Flying Ls before they were known as Flying LsSunday School camping trip ca 1913-14

1913

1914

Fort Lauderdale’s (white) school was located on Andrews at about SW 5th Street.

Af Am students attended a school at NW4th Street and NW4 Avenue. (No known photos)

1915

On road to Fort Lauderdale

Dixie Hwy finished through Broward 1915

Broward Became County 1915

1917Womens Club Clubhouse built at Broward & Andrews (Now being restored)

1920sThe beach finally became important as an attraction.

Dredging Las Olas Isles begins ca 1919.

Boom of the 1920s Real estate and tourism replaced farming as focus

1926 Downtown Fort Lauderdale.Andrews replaced Brickell as main street.

1926Boom went bust in 1926.Sept 1926 Hurricane damage looking south on Andrews.

1928 Casino pool opens.Collegiate Swim Forum shown (1936).

1928 Port Everglades opened.

1934Coast Guard Base 6(Future Bahia Mar)

Casino Pool(Future Swimming Hall of Fame)

1935Depression: Fort Lauderdale perseveres...Williams McWilliams Ice Cream

T.S. Cobbs, Beddorest Company

WWII Naval Air Station

1945

WWII Naval Air Station

Now FLL Airport1945

WWII Naval Air Station

Now FLL Airport

George H.W. Bush pilot here.Origin of Flight 19 Dec 5, 1945

1945

1945 War ends; Veterans bring their families back to South Florida to live.

1947More hurricanes? Flood of 1947

Andrews Avenue looking S late 1940s.

Beach late 1940s. Lauderdale Beach Hotel at left.

1949

Bahia Mar created from Coast Guard Base 6—a boon to the marine industries. Opened 12/1949.

1950s One of many boat parades ca. mid 1950s…

1950sProvident hospitalMosquito ditches

Air conditioning & new pest control techniques forever change SoFL

1953Civil Defense the buzz word for the era.

Television comes to SoFL WTVJ March 1949. Photo 1953.

1960The annual college invasion documented in Where the Boys Are – premiered 12/1960

1961Next Spring 50,000 students invaded.

1961 Beach wade-ins

1985 As many as 300,000 students by 1985.“The Wall” 1986.

1960 Tunnel construction completed

Condos appeared everywhere

1960s Fort Lauderdale became a well known tennis center—Evert family 1960s.ISHOF construction 1965 (Behind Casino Pool).

1972In 1960s Fort Lauderdale grew 75% –fastest growing city in the state.

1970s—the growth of Broward County too.

I-95 looking south at Davie Blvd intersection 1972 (BCHC)

2010 Stranahan House 1913

and 20102010 Stranahan House 1913