Miami History Podcast

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, gr...

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 Fran...

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 buildi...

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 in...

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 p...

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 set...

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 Seco...

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 organizati...

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...

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 homes...

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 S...

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 Boricu...

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 evol...

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 s...

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...

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...

When Hugh Robinson met Glenn Curtiss, it was more than just a chance meeting. It was the beginning of a friendship and partnership that had a lasting impact on early aviation. Curtiss was the visionary and Robinson was the engineer who brought Curtiss' vision to life. The innovations and advancements made by these two men were consequential and lasting. In addition to their contributions to aviati...

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 b...

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...

As Miami prepares to host Super Bowl LIV, this podcast episode will reflect on the ten prior Super Bowls played in Miami. While this year's Super Bowl will be the sixth hosted at Joe Robbie, now called Hard Rock, stadium, five of the first ten Super Bowls were played at the iconic Orange Bowl. The games featured a repeat champion, an unlikely upset, a last-minute victory and a rematch of two stori...

Once part of Coconut Grove's Millionaire Row, El Jardin was originally the home of Pittsburgh industrialist John Bindley. The mansion was later used as a corporate retreat for the Cities Services Corporation, later renamed Citgo, and then finally the campus of the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart beginning in 1961. The residence was designed by renowned architect Pittsburgh-based Richard Kieh...

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...

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 concer...

A surname very familiar to those who study Coconut Grove's early history is Munroe. There were two unrelated families with the same last name, and same spelling, that had a deep impact on the Grove from its onset. Today, Ralph may be the most well-known Munroe given that his home, The Barnacle, is a very popular tourist attraction in the heart of Coconut Grove. However, his friends, both namesake...

In the middle decades of the last century, Miami featured a vibrant downtown that served as the center of activity for daily life for residents of the growing metropolitan area. The central business district was a hub for shopping, dining and entertainment. Although only a few remain, the theaters of downtown Miami were a big part of this core of activity. The theater district included Flagler Str...