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1674-7 Pioneers Of Miami Beach ��.vL'(-? �i i/ C d•--01.-<-1LG�'�! � -- — d-71. _,(' , c,‘.- 6 ..-,-,,,, e_o_.---,_-4....., cZ-tA-e---, ) Up . To Its Pioneers ' DDream Oldtimers Predict • _p. _� F<. - �'' ,'�, � .. BestYetTo•, . Come - • ... .. _ , . . .... ' ii` • By MARSCHAL ROTHE , Herald Start Writer - MIAMI BEACH—the city where most of the pioneers are • y.. folks you meet, not names on a tombstone—is just getting its t r second wind. �• • In fact, its oldtimers will tell you, "the town's just now `/(" ''" `l"' `< coming into its own; the big times are still ahead." • "' "•. .-• •••:•';''''''''t •`+.a1 Bordered by gleaming hotels—one for every day in the '' y, 1. +'s ; �: - f '"'""mac • year—and checkered with a quarter of.a billion dollars worth ••"- It' +;?l '",,,. ._: ; t o, of construction, Miami Lech is well decked out already for • ,. `'. - ,• • -., ", such an occasion as today. It's the city's birthday. ' ` ..„ .,'•w..: °, - t. .. -^� The town's 35 now, grown from an infant settlement �h .�„ y, ,-7. t4r . .r�i '`"'... nestled in dense mangrove to a 7-square-mile hub of sun and s •.4.,•=" ' ,fr c , , .. - fun that's the nation's envy. -.•-• r«' Wlien the 1920 census was C. W. (PETE) CHASE, who • .r^ „.. '.taken (five years after Miami organized the Beach's Chamber _ Beach was chartered) the popu- of Commerce, also came down ' lation tally was 644. at Fisher's invitation—in 1914. -- ,;• ,�,,,,., This year, they're betting 50,- He came to stay seven years 000 will be counted as homb- later and serve as vice president town people, with another 60,- and secretary-treasurer of Fish- 000rt wishing they could be in- er's enterprises. • .+IYp=' ' ' -me f� � r eluded, if their Beach vacations "Miami Beach is far beyond + s" weren't ending too soon! what Fisher dreamed,' he says. r • _ * * * "But Fisher saw it as a residen- ,� w lie;'' •+ .' BUT HOW do the oldtimers tial resort city—no rambling 17- : •::-•: - feel about the 1950 model of Mi-C _ r '! seaside con lomeration. Thanks ,.s ,,,,,,,,,- 'w�. 4„ • ami Beach? Are they worried to his planning, in A}' • -°�`- + r - ti• ;, about this sun-tanned 1 a s a parks, golf , i ft among cities? Her night owl courses, lighting systems and so ,,,�, on, it's turned out along the -~ iM�� - habits? Her whirls at the lines he hoped:' , .,,+ •+ . . .. , horses? Her tastes in plush ho r 1.1. •ow°,.1,. ,,, Phe Beach may have built too • els,•.swank-swimming-p o 01 s t`ycr • .,. . and restaurants that make eat- -many.•hotels and apartments, _ ► �€r 1 '� Chase believes. , �. ,, r ing a Ziegfeld production? `.A.� * • If they're concerned about it "We still need big residences • „ , they don't show it, those early for big name people. That's • ` Beach boosters. They scowl a what drew people here to start little at the thought of letting with; it still does." s the fences down on z o n'.n g. ., They aren't happy about open- Careful attention to zoning i,,. ing the Firestone estate to more and guarding against the-break- � apartments and hotels, and a clown of residential barriers will k , few of them think the town keep the town in line and point ought to stop and catch Its it toward a glorious future, r breath in building. Chase declared. ,�I`.,•a —; But—Miami Beach at the end * * * • 4 ;k4ir of its roads? Not on your life! OTHER BOOSTERS are just {f ,. There's plenty of pioneering as enthusiastic. • ; .` spirit left, says Dr. John Oil- "We'll be the first city of the t`� �) ver LaGorce, vice president of world," proclaims Mrs. Rose • ^y. r..:.r $• a3`S f-'• - ,>� • <��� the National Geogranhi^ So- Weiss, who's been a femilSar fig- '+ ,� h� £ 1 3� �a , = , ciety. ure at city hall since the city ' x , � .. first sprouted sidewalks. t : -,41. l i "That same instinct that , �; �aA „ � : � "Luckily we saw it as a re-• , �, s,,,�_ a v moved Carl G. Fisher and other sort city from the start. Thanks t� € ,. F early developers has gotten into �y y t �< s the bloodstream of Miami Beach • to the leadership of men like '.• City Manager Claude Renshaw t4.-.",,,,,'„,'.;,..: k �ti., r people," he believes. "It's hap- 1 a 5 ,k Ks" .tr 1 pened despite the fact that it's and others, erwe have prospered: t •.. si� tp.l... only an island, with a spirit of Jane Fisher, widow of. the A , , 7> toowsn's famed developer, has this m a dryill •• .4"-"Iii growth and charm that nature . - £ • rsf 1 gave it. Man, to be sure, has y' ;_ ,, , 4 ..,"3 gilded the lily:' "Never sell Miami Beach '' . ik . ' Dr. LaGorce came to Florida short. It still has its growing k - 1n 1915 at Fisher's suggestion � �, � • g� pains. All cities do. But Miami /V , . •,, •t, +, It was a 45 hour train trip from Beach is going to grow into i 1,,..>,,, ,r Washington those days. a very big metropolis." ' t J•• e H= "I call it a train by courtesy," R a3 1 the eminent editor noted care "1 have faith in its tomorrow— t: 1 d f ,,, .'a - °� 4';,,,,N`‘,4;1„.:1 fully in a recent interview. with all of its trials and tribu- J 3 � fCarl Fisher drove him across latlons of *fla f,x '` s,, R. ' 1 ,- s f' ,gin, l >F:)-- the rickety wooden Collins 3 €f=Faf �3t bridge (over which the Venetian . WILLIAM DELAHUNT,now a s x causeway now lies) to Miami guard at the Miami Beach First :t c .: ,.0:;�i�5 • K? Beach. National Bank, first saw the "The sun was coming up, and Beach from a troop transpor • t FIRST MAYOR J. N. Lummus of Miami Beach thinks the best the sheer beauty of seeing the steaming south during the Span- E y ie yet to come for his favorite citybut Mrs.John Berry,pioneer place—without so many islands ,ish-American war. then—impressed me beyond de. Ile came back so often in later It businesswoman, wonders whether commercialism is too scription. I've loved it ever years that he finally settled sir widespread. there. since," Dr. LaGorce added. Any chance people are tired of Miami Beach and its vaca- tion facilities? Not according to Delahunt. "There's something here they're crazy about," he says. "Folks are coming here that never came before. It's really coming into its own, now. I like it that way." Mrs. John I+. Berry, who Caine to the Beach in 1919. has • 000 wishing they could be in er's enterprises. ep • eluded, if their Beach vacations "Miami Beach is far beyond ' ' �• ` '� °«� a.'•'14:11-,.1"•-' • M weren't ending too soon! what Fisher dreamed," he says. r ' ' * * * "But Fisher saw it as a residen- ,.. i BUT HOW do the oldtimers tial resort city—no rambling 1, �' v iii_ • •--L"~;; feel about the 1950 model of Mi- seaside conglomeration. Thanks • 'i'• • .,.,. • ..M`; ami Beach? Are they worried to his planning, in parks, golf ,„ '4.• �.^; y ;t '++ jN '1 about this sun-tanned lass courses, lighting systems and sa :•w'i J 'E+ !• »f;; y + among cities? Her night owl on, it's turned out along the • s• ,, • '4•* ,e , habits? Her whirls at t h e lines he hoped." ,•,. '-',..�•„•,- ., ,„ • .; , 3 d _ •s. ,• horses? Her tastes in plush ho- 'rhe Beach may have built too 'i l s..". _ els.-.swank-ewlmnun p o 01 s i l.ka e•° w+ , g•._ • manyz.hotels and apart►nanta,-_ � y '� and restaurants that make eat- - Chase believes. e,.4...7,,-.,,,,f,7,;,-----/-•• r um g ,,°A ing a Ziegfeld production? • '' �x. _» • If they're concerned about it "We still need big residences .,. • ,, ,:row ' they don't show it, those early for big name people. That's Beach boosters. They scowl a - what drew people here to start little at the thought of letting with; it still does." the fences down on z o n i n g. They aren't happy about open- Careful attention to zoning ing the Firestone estate to more and guarding against the-break- "µ •... apartments and hotels, d n d a down of residential barriers will few of them think the town keep the town in line and point • ought to stop and catch its it toward a glorious future, 0t� breath in building. Chase declared. �;� •`K , But—Miami Beach at the end * * * •".; of its roads? Not on your life! OTHER BOOSTERS are just There's plenty of pioneering as enthusiastic. • spirit left, says Dr. John OR; be the first city of the ver LaGorce, vice president of world," proclaims Mrs. Rose • the National Geographic So- Weiss, who's been a familiar fig- r yR;. s { ciety. ure at city hall since the city '. i ' ` first sprouted sidewalks. Y; r,}; ,./ - "That same instinct that "Luckily we saw it as a re- e a-,l moved Carl G. Fisher and other sort city from the start. Thanks a •j#•_. r early developers has gotten into to the leadership of men like .• R i ,Y r the bloodstream of MIami Beach • City Manager Claude Renshaw a • '€; ) ». t I - $ • , people," he believes. "It's hap- and others, we have prospered:' <) :,,,i:,,,, , ss • pened despite the fact that its Jane Fisher, widow of the az s3 only an island, with a spirit of town's famed developer, has this 4 ':/ �' growth and charm that nature to sa x s, ° 4�• ;, I gave it. Man, to be sure, has y' 4 ' ; J 1► ,�' gilded the lily." "Never sell Miami Beach Dr. LaGorce came to Florida short. It still has its growing . w § In 1915 at Fisher's suggestion. pains. All cities do.But Miami '• �),•M x •t £ p.• .1 It was a 45-hour train trip from Beach is going to grow into • V;- r 4 •¢ ; 4 Washington those days. a very big metropolis. '�•` "I call it a train b courtes ^! Com' �'� ssii y y "I have faith in its tomorrow— • ', II the eminent editor noted care- " "® with all of its trials and tribu- �' fully in a recent interview. ' ` Carl Fisher drove him across lations of today." * r , - , the rickety wooden Collins 3 • • bridge (over which the Venetian WILLIAM DELA1IUNT,now a 4 and at the Miami Beach First r. causeway now lies) to 1liiaml gu National Bank, first saw the :;\ IR ,yY .. . ...v Beach.• ': "The sun was coming up, and Beach from a troop transport { FIRST MAYOR J. N. Lummus of Miami Beach thinks the best the sheer beauty of seeing the steaming south during the Span- �; 1 erican war. is yet to come for his favorite city'but Mrs. John Berry,pioneer place—without so many islands 1s He came back so often in later then—impressed me beyond de- 1 t businesswoman, wonders whether commercialism is too scription. I've loved it ever years that he finally settled r widespread. since," Dr. LaGorce added. thAny chance people are tired s - __ ,_ ----• I4.0• �-- of Miami Beach and its vaca- I tion facilities? Not according to ' Delahunt. "There's something here they're crazy about," he says. "Folks are coming here that never came before. It's really coming into its own, now. I like it that way." Mrs. John L. Berry, who came to the Beach in 1919, has a few misgivings about the • city where she still operates the Palm Tea Room. 1 "I still think we've got a won. derful city. But it's a little too------...,., ,,• commercialized," she said. "We should watch things a little clos- er, not concentrate so much on the almighty dollar. If we use a little more control, the town will be a great city. "We just need to improve what we've got instead of build- ing more , . ." * * * • BUT -NO views of Miami Beach's progress.would be com- plete without an observation from its first mayor, J. N. Lunn- mus, who now resides at 341 •� NW 39th st. Miami. He and his brother literally ,// , put the town on the map. They •; even paid the costs of incorpor- --,' ating the place. In 1912 the pair bought 600 i • acres of land because they Liked ' ' the place. Today, at 78, J. N. Lummus is attending the city's birthday parties with an interest and vigor that wears down younger men. "It's going to be solid city all the way up the ocean to Palm Beach before long," he predicts. And the Miami Beach part of it will be "the greatest city in country,"to his way of thinking. "Too commercialized here?"he was asked. "Not a bit. It's the kind of re- sort city we figured on. And we jar it . 5