1667-6 Fisher Islandmmmmmn
SUN DEC 09 1984 ED: FINAL
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: 3B LENGTH: 04 . 92" SHORT
ILLUST:
SOURCE: Herald Staff
DATELINE:
MEMO: see related story from 1B
FISHER ISLAND' S HISTORY
Fisher Island was born in 1905 when federal engineers sliced off the tip
of Miami Beach in order to build Government Cut into the harbor.
The first owner was Dana A. Dorsey, a black millionaire who wanted to
see it as an exclusive beach for blacks.
Carl Fisher, the man who developed Miami Beach, bought it in 1920 , gave
it his name and vowed he would be buried there. He even built his own
mausoleum facing out to sea. He never got his wish. The mausoleum remains
empty.
In 1929 William Vanderbilt, great-grandson of Cornelius, traded his
yacht to Fisher for seven acres on the southern side of the island. He
expanded his hold and eventually sank $1 .5 million into construction of a
plush estate, guest cottages and a mooring for his new 264-foot yacht.
In 1945, the island was sold to Edward Moore, whose family founded U.S.
Steel . Moore wanted to be near Hialeah Race Track, which he then owned.
In 1950, Gar Wood, inventor of hydraulic construction equipment and a
speedboat designer, bought it. The estate gradually declined.
In 1979, William Rebozo and his partners spent $13.2 million for 189
acres of the island. A 10-acre portion is owned by Belcher Oil Co. , which has
storage tanks there. The remaining 17 acres is owned by the University of
Miami and used for a marine research facility.
ADDED TERMS: history sidebar
END OF DOCUMENT.