Broward County Historical Timeline Booklet
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BR CelebratiOng thWe Art oAf C RD ommunity 100 1915 - 2015 Broward County History A Timeline Funding for this publication was provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. BROWARD COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Standing from left to right: Chip LaMarca • Lois Wexler • Dale V. C. Holness • Barbara Sharief • Mark D. Bogen • Beam Furr • Stacy Ritter Seated from left to right: Vice Mayor Martin David Kiar • Mayor Tim Ryan A Broward County Historical Timeline Introduction History tells us that much occurred on the land that in 1915 became Broward County, Florida. About 2,000 years ago, the Tequesta hunted, gathered, and lived on the land. But by the mid-eighteenth century, they were gone. In the late 1700’s, people from the Bahamas became the first known white settlers on the New River. Florida became a U.S. Territory in 1821 and other Americans settled in the area relying on fishing, salvaging, and farming. The First and Second Seminole Wars and the Civil War came and ended and forever left their respective historical marks. As the end of the 1800’s draws nigh, what is to become Broward County can be seen taking shape. We want to thank the Florida Humanities Council for its grant funding, making this project possible in celebration of Broward County’s Centennial. It is the hope that this brief timeline will instill a sense of pride in the Broward County community and encourage you to dig deeper into your knowledge and understanding of the County’s rich and incredibly entertaining history. Stranahan House on New River Source: Fort Lauderdale Historical Society A Broward County Historical Timeline 3 1893 Frank Stranahan arrives at the New River to The first school for African-American children operate a ferry and overnight camp for the new opens in a one room schoolhouse located north of Lantana-Lemon City stage line. He opens a trading Northwest Third Avenue and Broward Boulevard in post and calls it “Fort Lauderdale.” Fort Lauderdale. The Florida East Coast Canal (now the Intracoastal 1907 The Hillsboro Lighthouse is illuminated at the Waterway) begins surveying and dredging in the Hillsboro Inlet. Fort Lauderdale area. 1908 The citizens of the farming village of 1896 The Florida East Coast Railway is completed to Pompano vote for incorporation. Local legend holds Miami, opening up South Florida for development. that its name was the result of a note on a map by Small farming communities spring up adjacent surveyor Franklin Sheen—apparently a reference to to the railroad with pineapples, tomatoes, and a tasty fish he had eaten there. winter vegetables. Many of Broward’s early African- American pioneers come as workers on the railway. 1909 The first permanent settlers arrive to establish 1899 The first two schools in Zona, now Davie, the first what is to become Broward town created out of former County open in Fort Lauderdale Everglades land. It is so and Pompano. They are rustic, named because many of the one room schoolhouses, and new residents are Americans at the time, a part of the Dade formerly from the Panama County Public School system. Canal Zone. The first known church The future Broward County’s congregation forms in first known Jewish settler, Pompano; many new churches Russian immigrant Louis are soon built in new towns Dredging of the Everglades Brown, arrives in Dania. He later Source: Broward County Libraries Division opens Brown’s Department along the F.E.C. Railway. Historical Archives Store on Main Street. 1901 The Stranahan House, home of pioneers 1911 People arrive in Fort Lauderdale by the Frank and Ivy Stranahan, is constructed by builder thousands to participate in a lottery for not-yet Ed King on New River in Fort Lauderdale at the site “drained Everglades land” sold by Richard J. Bolles’ of the trading post. Today it is the oldest surviving Florida Fruit Lands Company. The need for services structure in Broward County like sanitation prompts citizens to incorporate March 27, 1911. 1904 The small farming community of Dania (originally known as Modello and now known as The Fort Lauderdale Sentinel begins publication. It Dania Beach) is incorporated, the first town to do so later becomes the Fort Lauderdale News, and finally in what is now Broward County. the Sun-Sentinel. North New River Canal, South New River Canal, 1906 Fort Lauderdale becomes the center of 1912 and the Hillsboro Canal are completed. People use statewide attention when Governor Napoleon the canal system for transport as well as drainage. Bonaparte Broward begins his Everglades drainage project with the North New River Canal (off south The Florida East Coast Canal (now the Intracoastal fork of New River). Waterway) is completed from Jacksonville to Miami. 2 1913 Fort Lauderdale business interests decide 1916 Zona settlement renames itself Davie in honor it is time to break away from Dade County. They of Robert Davie, a land developer who purchased a join with citizens from Dania, Zona (Davie), and large tact of local reclaimed land. Hallandale to campaign for a new county. The state 1917 Many Broward County men leave to fight in legislature approves the new county bill, despite World War I. opposition from many Miami groups such as the Board of Trade. With a provision that the vote in Hallandale and Dania (despite their relatively small Fort Lauderdale, Pompano, and Hallandale all populations) and Fort Lauderdale must also favor complete bridges from the mainland to the county-hood, the new county is defeated when the beach. The beach and tourism become significant former communities vote against the proposal. economic engines in the county. The U.S. Coast Guard takes In October, the Dade County election features over the House of Refuge and a referendum to enact starts patrolling the beach by prohibition in the county. motorcycle. Miamians, already attracting a tourist trade, want to go “wet,” 1918 The Florida State but people in the northern Supreme Court rules in favor part of the county join forces of Fort Lauderdale and its (whatever their personal citizens having dock rights preferences on the subject) to to the downtown riverfront. vote the county “dry.” (Years later this will facilitate the Riverwalk project.) 1915 Miamians rethink the entire idea of a new county, 1919 The Broward Hotel, the Dania Station, ca. 1919 apparently, as do Hallandale Source: Broward County Libraries Division Historical county’s first tourist hotel, and Dania, joined now by Archives opens on Las Olas Boulevard Pompano and Deerfield. and Andrews Avenue. Broward County is successfully created out of southern Palm Beach and northern Dade Counties. Idlewyld is the first of the islands off Las Olas It is named after the Father of Everglades Drainage, Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale to be developed from Governor Broward, who had died in 1910. The a reclaimed mangrove swamp. county seat is Fort Lauderdale. With a population of approximately 4,700, the new county encompasses Famous film director D.W. Griffith brings his crew 1,196.9 square miles, with a narrow habitable strip and cast to Fort Lauderdale to film several silent on its eastern edge. The rest is Everglades. films including theIdol Dancer. Local residents serve in the background as “island natives.” Dixie Highway is completed through Broward County, connecting the region with the rest of the 1921 Developer Joseph W. Young begins a new nation and bringing thousands of new residents development called Hollywood by the Sea. and tourists. Fort Lauderdale citizens stage a water-borne “rescue” when President-elect Warren G. Harding The first county courthouse opens in the former Fort passes Fort Lauderdale on his yacht. They take him Lauderdale School building located south of the to the newly constructed Southside Golf Course New River on Andrews Avenue. located at the present site of the Fort Lauderdale- A Broward County Historical Timeline 3 Hollywood International Airport for a round of golf. Floranada, a development project of the British He is so delighted he returns for another visit and American Improvement Association of which the young town is thrust into the national news. the (actual) Countess of Lauderdale is a member, incorporates north of Fort Lauderdale. The new town extends to the Atlantic Ocean and includes the 1922 Charley Rhodes begins the dredging of finger village of Oakland Park. islands off Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale to create the Venice subdivision with all waterfront Davie incorporates briefly; unanticipated taxes properties. This same technique is used by W.F. encourage the citizens to petition for the dissolution Morang to develop Rio Vista Isles. A New York of the town in the next legislative session. investor, J.C. Turner, tells the Fort Lauderdale Herald, “Lauderdale should be called the Venice of America!” Joseph Young’s “Hollywood by the Fort Lauderdale passes the first ordinance with a Sea” development “color line” restricting black residents to west of the completes two Florida East Coast Railway tracks. hotels, a golf course, and a Dr. James Sistrunk, one of the county’s earliest number of homes African-American physicians, moves to Fort and business Lauderdale. He delivers over 5,000 babies during his buildings. The years of practice. Later, Sistrunk Boulevard is named Hollywood Beach in his honor. Hotel, a huge multimillion dollar 1924 The Stranahans sell land on Northwest Fourth project nears Avenue to build a school for African-American Joseph W. Young, Developer, 1921 Source: Broward County Libraries completion. The students for $1.00. This will become what is now Division Historical Archives city of Hollywood known as the Old Dillard School. incorporates. The notorious Ashley Gang robs the Bank of 1926 Fort Lauderdale fathers look to the west Pompano.