The name Brickell has become synonymous with the upscale financial district located on the southside of the Miami River. However, long before the name became a brand for an important quarter near downtown Miami, it was the surname of a prominent family that settled southside when the area was a sparsely populated outpost and long before it became what it is today. Those who are familiar with the story of the Brickell family may know their role in the formation of the city of Miami but may not be familiar with their story prior to arriving in Miami. It was a serendipitous journey to Australia that led William Brickell into great wealth, but also led him to find his wife. While Mary and Bill Brickell met and married in Australia, it was ultimately their journey to the wilderness along the Miami River that cast the family in a leading role in the formation of the Magic City.

Brickells in Australia

This podcast episode discusses Miami’s great building boom of the 1920s. The state of Florida attracted a lot of capital for real estate speculation during the roaring twenties and South Florida was the epicenter of this investment activity. While the boom peaked in the mid-1920s, the progression toward this crescendo began in latter part of the 1910s and early 1920s. It was decade when Miami evolved from a quiescent small southern city into one of the fastest growing metropolises in the country. Tune into this week’s podcast episode to hear more about the stories and milestones of Miami’s great building boom. As we reflect on Miami’s growth spurt of a hundred years ago, the development of the Magic City during this era provided a lasting imprint on the Miami of today.

Building Boom of the 1920s

For more than seventy-five years, Puerto Ricans have relocated to Miami in phases. Places like Brickell, Wynwood and the Redlands saw significant settlements of Puerto Rican families as part of several waves of migration. In the mid-1940s, some of the wealthier families purchased mansions along Brickell Avenue to form the first “Little San Juan”. A decade later, a migration of working-class Boricuas settled in Wynwood, shifting the designation of “Little San Juan” to that quarter. Tune into this week’s podcast episode to hear more about Puerto Rican migration to and settlements in Miami. Author Dr. Victor Vazquez discusses his book “Boricuas in the Magic City” and the history of Puerto Rican history and influence in South Florida. This podcast episode is available on this page, as well as, on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud and Spotify. Event: https://miami-history.com/calendar/book-signing-boricuas-in-the-magic-city/

Puerto Ricans in Miami

The main branch of the downtown Miami library began as a collection of books and reading circles by the Married Ladies Afternoon Club at the turn of the last century. The roving de-facto library met in many different places during its first decade, but the lack of a facility did not deter the women who began the city’s collection of books. With the creation of the Miami’s Women’s Club on Flagler Street, the library had an address. The club would move to the Edgewater neighborhood in the late 1920s where the Flagler Memorial Library was created. The city did not provide a permanent facility for the collection until a library building was erected in Bayfront Park in 1951.

Main Library in Bayfront Park

At the time the city of Miami decided on its original borders during incorporation in 1896, Allapattah was located on the city’s outskirts consisting of pristine piney woods and farmland along the edge of the everglades. While it was primarily agricultural, Flagler’s FEC organization chose the quarter as the location of their nine-hole golf course for the Royal Palm Hotel. It also became the homesite for John Sewell, the self-proclaimed “Daddy of Miami”. Over time, Allapattah became one of many neighborhoods within the city limits of Miami. Today, it is a diverse area that is rapidly becoming the next target of gentrification and redevelopment. While it has been in integral part of Miami’s past, it stands to be an important part of the city’s future as development heads west of I-95. Tune into this week’s podcast episode to hear more about the history of Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood. This podcast episode is available on this page, as well as, on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud and Spotify.

The Story of Allapattah

This podcast episode discusses the locations, stories, and impact of the FEC downtown railroad stations over the course of the City of Miami’s first 125 years of history. From the first temporary train station constructed in 1896, lasting only one year, to the long-time wood frame station near the county courthouse, the FEC railroad stations have always been important institutions during downtown Miami’s storied history. www.miami-history.com

Downtown Miami Railroad Stations

On the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Dade Heritage Trust (DHT), the Miami History Podcast welcomes Christine Rupp, director of the organization to discuss the institution’s mission, accomplishments, and future. DHT was founded to provide advocacy for historic preservation around Miami-Dade County. It was organized in 1972 by a group of women who saw the need for a county-wide organization to protect historic buildings and resources throughout the municipality. Website:  Sponsor:  &nbsp;

Dade Heritage Trust Turns 50

This podcast episode features the story of the Fort Dallas era of Miami. While there were several fortifications during the conflicts with the Seminole tribe during the mid-1800s, the area took on the name Fort Dallas for years following the army’s abandonment of the fort that once resided in today’s downtown Miami. Fort Dallas was originally built on Richard Fitzpatrick’s homesite during the Second Seminole War, and then later was refortified on the same property, then owned by Fitzpatrick’s nephew William English, during the Third Seminole War. Once the Seminole Wars had concluded, the remaining buildings were occupied by the Biscayne Bay Company who later sold most of the property to Julia Tuttle in 1891. The barracks, or “slave plantation quarters”, was once Dade County’s seat, and also would serve as a courthouse prior to the incorporation of the City of Miami. Fort Dallas provided the base of what would become the business district of the Magic City during its early years. Website:

History of Fort Dallas

This podcast episode features Miami from the onset of the Civil War to the dawn of incorporation in 1896. While it was a sparsely populated wilderness, the former Fort Dallas, or future City of Miami, was subject to a Union blockade during the Civil War years. During the reconstruction period, the Freedman’s Bureau dispatched William Gleason to assess the viability of the region for a place to settle freed slaves. This began a period of chaos between the established settlers and Gleason’s ambitions from 1866 through 1877. During the decades of the 1870s and 1880s, many of Miami’s earliest pioneers arrived and settled into an area simply referred to as Biscayne. Some still referred to the region as Fort Dallas, and a few remembered the Village of Miami period, but most of the settlers during this time were looking to enjoy the pristine and tranquil setting that Southeast Florida offered during the two decades preceding incorporation. Once Henry Flagler, Julia Tuttle, and the Brickells reached their respective agreements to form a city, the area changed dramatically.

Miami - Civil War to Incorporation (1861 – 1896)

This podcast episode features the story of one of South Florida’s prominent municipalities on the northeastern section of Dade County. What was once part of an area referred to generically as ‘Biscayne Country’, it became America’s Mediterranean when the Shoreland Company purchased and platted the future Village of Miami Shores. The development of Miami Shores began to market property during the peak of the 1920s building boom and set records for lot sales in a single day. However, the Shoreland company took on too much debt and had to file for bankruptcy after the boom abruptly ended in 1926. Miami Shores was completed after new investors took over the project, and the area incorporated as the Village of Miami Shores on January 2, 1932.

History of the Village of Miami Shores

The year 1972 was a special year for the Miami metropolitan area. It was an election year when South Florida hosted the political conventions of both major parties, when the sitting president made Key Biscayne famous as the winter White House, and when Dade County approved a $553 million “Decade of Progress” bond issue to fund projects that would upgrade the county’s infrastructure and cultural institutions. It was also the year of the “perfect season” for the Miami Dolphins. Tune into this week’s podcast episode to hear about the early history of the Miami Dolphins and that magical season in 1972. Perfection, or going undefeated and untied for an entire season through the championship game, is a feat that had never been accomplished before or since the Miami Dolphins of 1972.

50th Anniversary of Perfection in 1972

This podcast episode features the different Dade County courthouses that were located in the City of Miami from the formation of the county. Dade County was created in 1836 and the county seat resided in Indian Key, along the banks of the Miami River, and in Juno, until a county-wide vote placed it in the City of Miami in 1899. The first county courthouse in Miami was located in a two-story building on the east side of Avenue D, the future South Miami Avenue, from 1899 until 1904. The first courthouse located on Twelfth Street, the future Flagler Street, opened in 1904 and was expected to accommodate the county’s business for fifty years. However, the growth of the county required a larger courthouse by the mid-1920s. Today’s Dade County courthouse was opened on September 6, 1928, but will soon be replaced by a new structure being constructed just west of the current building.

History of Dade County Courthouses in Miami

This podcast episode features the stories of presidents and world leaders who visited Miami from 1920 – 1946. By the start of the second decade of the Twentieth Century, newly elected presidents began traveling to Miami as part of their pre-inauguration vacation to relax, fish and prepare for their presidential term. This was the case for Warren G. Harding in 1921, Herbert Hoover in 1929, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933.  In addition, as Miami grew over the course of the first few decades of the last century, visiting the metropolitan area became politically advantageous for sitting presidents. In January of 1928, Calvin Coolidge made a brief stop in Miami for a parade through downtown to allow local residents to see their president while he was enroute to Havana, Cuba, for a Pan-American conference.  However, it was not just American presidents who enjoyed visiting the Magic City. In the winter of 1946, coming off a loss for his bid for reelection as Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchill spent January and February in Miami for rest and relaxation. While his trip may be most be remembered for the commencement ceremony at Roddy Burdine Stadium where he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Miami, he also made time to visit the Hialeah Race Track, Parrott Jungle, and the Surf Club where he painted an ocean vista from his cabana on the beach.

Statesman Tourists in Miami (1920 - 1946)

This podcast episode discusses the early history of the Port of Miami. From the first channel dredged by Henry Flagler in 1897 to the move of the port to the Dodge Islands, the overriding theme throughout the history of this most important institution was “Watch the Port of Miami”. What began with the start of steamship service from Royal Palm Docks to transport tourists from Miami to Key West, grew into one of the largest port operations in the nation by the 1930s.  When the port moved from the mouth of the Miami River to today’s Maurice Ferre Park (aka Bicentennial Park), it was not well received by many of Miami’s civic leaders. The fear was that the beauty of the shoreline along the bay would be overtaken by the industrial operations of the port. From the onset, city leaders had a plan to move the port from the shoreline to somewhere else. Finally, beginning in the late-1950s, the Metro Dade County government partnered with the City of Miami to bulkhead and connect the chain of Dodge Islands to create one of the busiest ports in the world.  Tune into this week’s podcast episode to hear more about the Port of Miami. You can access this episode on your favorite podcast platform (iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Spotify), or listen directly on the Miami-History website. Please remember to click on the subscribe button and to provide a rating and comment on any of the aforementioned platforms.

History of Port of Miami

This podcast episode features the buildings that served as the federal courthouse and post office in Miami from 1915 through the present day. The first courthouse was designed by Oscar Wenderoth in the early 1910s and opened at 100 NE First Avenue in downtown Miami. This building provided for all federal agencies including the courthouse, post office, and weather bureau from its opening until the peak of the Great Depression in 1933.  When the city’s federal business outgrew the original building, a new federal courthouse and post office building was constructed beginning in 1932 on the site of Miami’s first school building known as the Miami Central Grammar School which opened on that site in the early 1900s. This edifice was designed by the architectural firm of Paist and Steward and opened two blocks north of the first building at 300 NE First Avenue in 1933. The second federal building was in use as a federal building from its opening until it was replaced in 2008 by today’s Wilkie D Ferguson Jr. building at 400 North Miami Avenue.

Federal Buildings in Downtown Miami

This podcast episode features the inception and the history of Dady County and its many different county seats. Originally slated to be named Pinckney County, the municipality was named for Major Francis Dade who lost his life in a battle with the Seminole Indians in December of 1835. The county was formed in January of 1836 and was named to honor the fallen West Point graduate. The original county seat was placed in Indian Key and was there from 1836 until 1844.  It was moved to the banks of the Miami River, then referred to as Biscayne Bay Country, when William English used his influence to initiate a special election in 1844 to change the county seat. By 1888, the northern part of the county, which included what is now Palm Beach and Broward County, became more densely populated and triggered another special election to move the county seat to Juno. A decade later, in 1899, a third special election was initiated to move the county seat back to the new City of Miami, founded in 1896, which had become the largest city in the county by that time.

History Dade County Seats

This podcast episode features the father of Miami Beach, Carl Fisher and one of his most notable hotels. Carl Fisher was a serial entrepreneur who made his fortune marketing technology to provide headlamps for early automobiles. After he and his partner, James Allison, sold Prest-O-Lite to Union Carbide, Fisher was in search for his next project.

As fate worked its magic, Fisher ended up “retiring” in Miami at home he bought sight unseen in Miami’s upscale Southside neighborhood. Southside is now referred to as the Brickell neighborhood. After meeting John Collins and agreeing to help him finish a wooden bridge to an unnamed barrier island, Fisher found his next project. Fisher was given land on the island as part of the agreement with Collins.

Carl Fisher & Flaming Hotel

This podcast episode features the history of Coconut Grove. From its inception, ‘The Grove’ was a place that attracted characters and developed on its own terms. Long before Henry Flagler decided to extend his railway to the banks of the Miami River, Coconut Grove was an active community that was much larger than what would become the core of downtown Miami. The community attracted counts, authors, painters and anyone who appreciated the organic and pristine beauty of South Florida before the extension of the railway. Through the Twentieth Century, it never lost its beatnik vibe. Although it has been area that has changed a lot in the last couple of building booms, ‘The Grove’ still maintains its own charm and identity that so many South Florida residents find appealing.

History of Coconut Grove

This podcast episode will tell the story of Little Havana. Prior to the neighborhood taking a new name in the 1960s, it was known as two different neighborhoods. The Riverside neighborhood was located north of SW Eighth Street and was created by a lot of different developers during the first half of the Twentieth Century. The Shenandoah neighborhood developed south of SW Eighth Street and was named for its resemblance to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Everything changed after Castro took over Cuba in 1959. Refugees migrated into Miami and ultimately settled into the area around the Tower Theater. Many of the institutions in the old neighborhood evolved with the changing demographics. Beginning in the 1970s, many other Spanish speaking people from Central American began to migrate into Little Havana as well. &nbsp;

History of Little Havana

As Steve Perricone prepares to move his namesake Brickell restaurant and marketplace to a new location, he sat down for an interview with the Miami History Podcast to share his personal story and what led him to Brickell. Steve began his career as a party promoter in New York. Circumstances led him into the restaurant business and his early ventures provided valuable lessons that he now applies to his successful business in Miami. His journey to South Florida did not begin in Brickell but began with a restaurant concept called Stefanos on Washington Avenue on Miami Beach. Miami History Channel: www.miamihistorychannel.com Miami History Blog: www.miami-history.com

Perricone's Restaurant in Brickell

The Miami River is the serpentine tributary that separates downtown Miami from today’s Brickell neighborhood. The history of the area has centered around this waterway as the regions earliest inhabitants found refuge, food and security along the banks of the river. Juan Ponce De Leon named the indigenous people found along the river as “Tequesta” during a voyage on Biscayne Bay in 1513. The river was also the location of several Spanish missions, a military fort, a blockade by the navy during the Civil War and a trading post run by the Brickell family along the south bank. The rapids located near the south fork of the river became a processing plant for Miami’s early cash crop: coontie.

History of Miami River – Part 1 of 2

The second part of the history of the Miami River draws attention to the evolution of the river from the mid-1800s through modern times. Prior to the Brickells arriving to the area, the big cash crop in the area was the cultivation and processing of the cyad plant, known as Coontie. It was one of the few industries that provided trade for the area. After the Tuttles and Brickells came to an agreement with Henry Flagler, the river changed dramatically. The news of Flagler extending his railway to what would become the city of Miami attracted a lot of new people. The first port of Miami was setup along the north bank of the river near today’s Miami Avenue as a result of the influx of civilization to a once desolate paradise. Miami History Channel: www.miamihistorychannel.com Miami History Blog: www.miami-history.com

History of Miami River – Part 2 of 2

This podcast episode features historic Fort Dallas Park in downtown Miami. Once the core of Julia Tuttle’s estate on the north bank of the Miami River, it became a fine upscale residential area following her death. Harry Tuttle, Julia’s only son, platted out property that spanned from NE First Avenue to South Miami Avenue from east to west, and the river to midway between SE Third and SE Second Street from south to north. There were many one to two-story single-family homes in this downtown subdivision of downtown Miami. Miami History Blog Miami History Channel Meetup: Brickell Family &amp; Neighborhood History of Coconut Grove &amp; Hotel Mutiny

History of Fort Dallas Park

The latest episode of the Miami History Podcast will tell the story of the Miami Daily News and the building that it occupied from 1925 until 1957, when the newspaper relocated to a new building near the Miami River. The tower was vacant for nearly five years when it was given a second life. From 1962 until 1974 it became the Ellis Island for newly arriving Cuban refugees. During its time as the processing and welcome center for Cubans, it was renamed Freedom Tower. The building provided healthcare services and food for the immigrants that were arriving with not much more than the clothing on their backs. Many arriving Cubans fondly remember the reception and services they received at the Freedom Tower. &nbsp; Miami History Blog Miami History Channel

History of Miami News Freedom Tower

Pine Tree Drive on Miami Beach has been the focus of both city officials and preservationists in recent months. The Australian Pines planted in the median of this thoroughfare served an agricultural purpose long before they provided shade and aesthetics for a busy street on the beach. Originally planted by John Collins, one of the founders of Miami Beach, the trees represent a public safety concern given their age and shallow root system. Australian Pines are not indigenous to Florida and typically has a lifespan much shorter than the trees that anchor the median on Pine Tree Drive. While they served the purpose of protecting Collin’s crops in the early part of the last century and have provided much needed shade to the road that was designed to incorporate the trees, there is a lot of talk of removing the whole lot given the public safety concern. Miami History Blog: www.miami-history.com Miami History Channel: www.miamihistorychannel.com

Pine Tree Drive on Miami Beach

The annexation of towns and unincorporated areas of Dade County was a growth strategy for the City of Miami in both 1913 and 1925. The city took advantage of a Florida law in 1905 that changed how annexations would proceed in the state. The 1913 annexation extended the northern and western borders without much incidence. However, the annexation in 1925, which included the municipalities of Coconut Grove, Silver Bluff, Allapattah, Little River, Buena Vista and Lemon City, was met with reluctance from two of the listed towns. A slight majority of Silver Bluff residents voted for the annexation while most Coconut Grove citizens were strongly opposed. To this day, a lot of the long-time Grovites still feel that they were annexed against their will. Tune into this week’s podcast episode to hear more about the annexations of 1913 and 1925 and how the Florida state law impacted the results of both special elections. You can access the episode on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud and the Miami-History Blog site (www.miami-history.com/podcasts). Miami History Blog: www.miami-history.com Miami History Channel: www.miamihistorychannel.com

Annexation of 1925

Coral Gables was more than just a master planned development erected during the building boom of the 1920s, it was where its founder, George Merrick, found the perfect intersection of poetry and progress. Merrick was both a pragmatist and a dreamer. He studied the City Beautiful movement very closely to the point where he envisioned Coral Gables before the first shovel was planted in the ground of the family plantation. He even nicknamed his new municipality “The City Beautiful” after the movement he studied. George was an eternal optimist who was not deterred after the devastation of the 1926 Hurricane. While this great storm may have ended the dreams of many of the land speculators who converged on Miami in the 1920s, Merrick kept building. However, he wasn’t able to overcome the setback presented by the stock market crash of 1929. Miami History Blog:  Miami History Channel:

George Merrick & Coral Gables

Platted in 1911 and incorporated in 1921, the town of Silver Bluff was independent for a short period of time. It was one of several municipalities that was annexed by the city of Miami in 1925. Nestled between the Miami’s original southern boundary and the town of Coconut Grove, Silver Bluff was named for the bluff, located along the eastern edge of the quarter, that appears silver when touched by morning sunlight. Although the community was split on the decision to become part of the city of Miami in 1925, it has maintained a character all its own since the annexation. It is still a single-family residential community and hopes to maintain its charm from its days as a town (1921 – 1925). Miami History Blog:  Miami History Channel:

Short History of Silver Bluff

The conclusion of World War II marked a time period of hope and change for America. The return of soldiers from fighting in two theaters of war triggered rapid change throughout the country, but particularly in South Florida. That was especially true for the Wynwood neighborhood, located in the heart of the City of Miami. When the Martinez family relocated to Wynwood in 1945, it began a trend that transformed the neighborhood. Other Puerto Rican families began to identify Wynwood as a place to build a common bond based on similar customs and culture. In this episode of the Miami History Podcast, David Martinez shares his memories of living in Miami during his formative years. This is the story of Little San Juan in the Wynwood neighborhood from 1945 – 1957. Miami History Blog:  Miami History Channel:

Wynwood’s Little San Juan

This podcast episode describes the transformation of the greater Miami area after the United States entered World War II. The area became the training facility for the armed forces. Downtown Miami was converted into the southern command and training facility for the Navy, and Miami Beach became the training grounds for the Army Air Corp. The focus of the entire metropolitan area was the war effort. Miami History Blog:  Miami History Channel:

Greater Miami During WWII

Reflections on Miami's Past. Founded in July of 1896, Miami is not an old city, but it is one with an interesting and eventful history. Tune in to the Miami History Podcast to hear about the people, places and events that make Miami such a fascinating place.

Miami History

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