1674-23 Pancoast Family �>Rsso.xs 2•7401TILE HERALD. e M1� (, ko V e-0, CiRe f� Q'
,.VOA.
1jSTORYoF MIAMI BEACH . c
-TOLD BY• PANCOAST.j
f' .
In/ Work of John S. Collins Laid Foundation or.City I clubs, swimming pools, night clubs]
and a host of other attractions. A
Ehat L Uniquet.Carl G.Fisher and Others Followed,Carrying property, canals and lakes'were few miles distant on the mainland
dug, and the material from these
Development That Made Resort World Famous was used to' fill the low land;178 , •
are jail alai frontons, where•this
addition to the fill from the bay popular Spanish-American game is
bottom, This, naturally, required . played.Joseph E.Widener's famous
the building of bulkheads to hold horse racing plant at Hialeah, con-
Br luoJus J.PAJacoass • the fill. These bulkheads now total
a i a1 seeei Chub: at 38 miles. They were first made of ceded to be one of the most beauti-
' Oeaaerq wood,.and later replaced'by con- a ful tracks in America, the Tropical .y
an account of the development Crete.' This one item alone, at a' I Park race track, and all manner of
Brach, it might be inter- ' very -conservative cost '110 per other sporting amusement'.
linear foot,totals over$2,000,000.00.'t
to glut a few facts to show •Miami Beach now,has with its j This is one side of the picture•
w the man who is responsible for ocean, bay and inland waterways, The other finds the Biscayne bay
Qui beginning of this development a water frontage of 65.30 miles,em• region a region of churches and cul-
bracing; ,
first became interested in the prop- •' .; Pioneer Died In 192.8 4,408'acres o! land • r tural development where every re-
Arty. ..Four score years and ten rolled 540 acres of inland;,:.-w legion and school of thought has
A company of men from New Jen. over John S.Collins'head before he waterways ample means of expression. 1
say desired to enter into the grow- telt that he had served his purpose 6,028 acres of bay bottom' The Story% of 1926
Sag of coconuts for commercial ur• here and his life had run its course.
poses.They purchased disconnected Theon February 11, 1928. with a Total-10,974 acres. , .storm of the .storof 1926 the;.
light of a great victory in his blue- Today Miami Beach embraces ex• ocean !root was without any bulk] •
strips of land from the United gray eyes. he died a happy man. actly eight square miles of enchant. head protection and considerable
State;government along the Atlan• The world had been kind to' him ment, There Is no place quite like
damage was done.It then was
tie ocean,from Miami Beach north he had been generous with the it on earth. To nature in her most g quite.
for a distance totaling practically %world. ' As J. I. Conklin, his con- prodigal mood man has added every evident that some protection must
78g atruction engineer, said of him at attraction that his ingenuity could be placed to stop.the erosion from
65 miles,although extending north- the funeral services: :'He was one devise. • the action of the ocean waves. The
ward nearly 100 miles to a point of God's noblemen, to whom life First House Built to 1913 city council of Miami Beach made
north of Jupiter, the land costing was not a goblet to be drained, but The building of homes began in; extensive investigation as to what
a measure to be filled." Miami Beach in 1913, before there was the best plan to adopt. The
as low as 75 cents per acre, and as r• The late Clayton Sedgwick Coup- were any roads, the material being services of Engineer Victor Gell-
high as 17.50 per acre. Cr.prominent Miami Beach autho ,
3 brought over from Miami by barges, i neau was secured in an advisory
' During the winter of 1882.83, characterized him as follow3: The Ocean Beach Realty Company,, I capacity. The result was the ad6p•
they engaged the services of about "There is an old' Latin line that with J. N. Lummus as the active j tion of a plan to drive lock. steel,I
25 men from the life-saving ata• reads,'If you ask for his monument man in the organization, in order • '•'
Sons along the New Jersey coast, look about you. "Miami Beach la to encourage the building of homes, sheet ptitng for a bulxneao, and
They also purchased condemned both his monument and his eulogy. offered a number of lots free to about every 200 feet a groyne was
lifeboats, which they repaired. i He was the awakening genius of those who would construct homes extended into the ocean,constructed
They loaded the men and the life- i south Florida." of the same lock, steel,sheet piling,
His name remains stained in- costing at tags of this` A number supplemented bywooden piling
boats together with mules, tents, � D 8
deilbl on manylocal landmarks. tookheadvantage ui ng began and
tools■n provisions on one of the Ydriven on either side capped by
the work of building in heavy wooden planks, at a total
Mallory Line vessels, and shipped 'Foremost among these is Collins earnest.
them to Key West. From there, park, a Miami Beach garden spot When the beach boasted a dozen cost of 264 per foot.
they were transferred to a schooner bequeathed to the public that fronts hotels, many people began to think The purpose of these groynes was
and brought back to a point o upon the restless Atlantic and gives to collect the shifting sand that
' the proper setts to the John 8. that the city was reaching the point moved north or south, according to
posits what is now Miami Beach. P p ng where' Sc was slightly overbuilt.
hey threw the mules overboard Collins Memorial Library and Art Since that time the demand•for liv- the wave
successful This
in building mghas
and swam with them to the shore, , Center. Next the Collins Canal and ing accommodations ha swelled quite
$than transferred their supplies in Collins Lsland to the bayward of the number of hotels to been 173; the the beach in a number of places,
teboata to the shore. the Nautilus Hotel both add their number of apartment houses to 586 and lending a feeling of security to
vessel was then sent to the aspects of beauty to the city. Last, and the number of residences to the property owners on the ocean
d of Trinidad and loaded with but not least,Collins avenue stands 2,543. And let it be remembered front.
;00,000 coconuts;38,000 of this load forth as the main north-south high- Before the Collins bridge was con- n
pwayof the resort, a wide boule- that among them areacana be found'
Mere ]anted on the land that is accommodations that ,be sur- ,eructed,the total taxes collected for
Bos-Miami Beach. The followingyard familiar to all who come here. the four and one-half miles from _
twoyears this operation was re- -The cit hall is graced with a passed Ninety mil re:
PyNlnet metes of paved nlghways
peated,until a total of 334,000 Coco- bronze plaque presented by the y f ocean to bay, amounted to 1375;
tants had been planted along the Chamber of Commerce in Collins' have taken the place of fiat ting e
Atlantic ocean, memory. It was executed by the overgrown Indian trail of a qe rtes 1915,the year that Miami Beach was
i,JfJohn S. Collins was one of the sculptor, Lampert Bemelmans, and century ago. The United S sees incorporated as a city, the assessed
Dumber to invest some money in bears t bas-relief bust of the pia census of 1920 credited the city voila valuation was$224,000.
this' coconut-planting operation neer,beneath which is the legend: a population of 664; 1930 ac
pop
which, from a commercial stand- Y.;'THIS TABLET IS ERECTED tion o! 6,395. The state census ofAs/mused Valuations
1935 raised this figure to 134'30,
point,was an absolute failure. But, *IN LOVE AND RESPECT FOR The assessed valuation for the
Mr. Collins, being not only tens- -1,.THE FRIENDLY MAN. MIAMI • and today It L estimated to be 1 8.•. periods 1926 to 1937,inoluslve:
CAMS,but a man of vision,and with BEACH I8 A MONUMENT OF 000. with a'winter population ex 1926 164.753.000 los 535.906.795
a great deal of courage and energy, HIS VISION AND COURAGE. reeding 60,000,. ' 1927 56 562.350 1639 2.a7s1s
tr5:a4x1 to turn the failure into sue- Coiling had the rare satisfaction Nine nnd. two-tenths miles of toxo 41,560,53.00 1935 40.iii.66I
cess and finallypurchased outright, '.of living to see his' dreams come ocean beach lie within,the city 1930 49.316.670 193631 5.569 s
g limits, together with 26 miles of 1931 43.316.ee0 1167 E3.saiq
�cnm the others In the group, 1,600 true. 'An institution," as Einer• Buildingpermits issued du
YCzes of land which formed the son said "11 but the lengthened bayfront and a 1161130 milts of'hors theyears:
nucleus of the present city of Miami shadow of a man." Miami Beach line along'strikingly beautltul in• 1921 9 1.503.700 1931 t 1.947.714
beach. was Collins"institution." land waterways. FFlye public parka 1925 1x.032.699 1931 1.445.126
Collins' Avocado Grove CountyCausewayBuilt and a number of parkways person- 1926 3.aoa20 1933 5.478.539
iii, 1937 3.374.349 1939 9:457 345
ify the magnanimity and public
Mr. Collins' first venture was to In the meantime, as the city of spirit that went into the building of 1929 i:o 6.900 1936• 12.526.107
9.500
plant what was then the largest Miami Beach began to grow and this resort. Each represents a for-
A comparison of the increase in
avocado grove in the world. Later, the community began to a reel• tune in real estate passed up for Mian1[•Beachoctal receipts
desiring to develop that part of the ate its value, the county In March, the perpetual enjoyment of others. lods 1924 to 1937,inclusive:
p[ or the
operty not suitable for farming 1917, started the construction of a Fine School'System per
Into residential properties, lie con- causeway across Biscayne bay, 11910 534.000.00
e7p4:000000°p°p 1931 1 e�pe.788.a
salved the idea of building a wood- avhlch was open for travel Febru- The public school system'ineludea I 1956 '53.175,13 1933 16:3760:19
en bridge from Miami to Miami ary17, 1920, and fullycompleted a hi h school, a junior high•school 1927 10.500.56 1934 45.419.72
fn P g »2e- w,550,54 1785 76 207.7,
Beach—in spite of diacouragemenis the latter part of that year, at a and three elementary schools. All 19.30 71.924.10 1938 233.160.49
front all sides, especially from the cost of approximately $740,000. take maximum advantage of,the aro $0 904.10 116 347aol.0
olds!! residents 178 Mlaml. Yet, he The work of widening the viaducts health-giving Florida sunshine,and' A tabulation of bank deposlia for
was determined to accomplish this many of the classes are held ver- the periods 1921 to 1937, inclusive:
tually in the open so cleverly de- 1921 $ 33670uo a 3.738167
tremendous task,which he did, in of Lha causeway Was commenced in signed are the buildings. The fttclll• 55221923 ,.1419663 1531 3.94 341
the building of what was then 1925, and completed in 1926 at Ues of private schools of ell descrip 1924 2.433.888 1933 4.736.933
known as the longest wooden ve-'
.111812
le bridge in existence,being two cost of approximately $711,000, tions are to be had both here and od 1925 6'993:98 193`5 15.000.411
one-half miles in -length, and making the total cost of this cause the mainland. 192 961.9 3 193 15.17978,1
ng$106,000•-It was started in way 'i1,4b1;000�vhtcll 'I�bellwe, When we rave about the o fi ial 1526 1453.933 lute 17.190.496
uly, 1912, and completed in May, is the best investment the count tion of,the local•climaN tett official Co-operative Spirit
1813;formal opening June 12, 1913. y The success of Miami Beach has
ever m
':•However, in completing this ade. record of more than t quarter ren• largely been due to the splendid
bridge,known as Collins Bridge,he After completion of the Collins tury bears us out. Since 1896 the .cooperative spirit existing between
needed financial assistance, and bridge, then began the clearing,of annual mean temperature has the larger development companies.
succeeded in interesting Carl G. the mangrove swamps, bulk-head- varied only 3 degrees.' During this Not any of the companies wanted
'fisher in making a loan,which,you ing the propertyand credit for what they had accom-
plished
all admit,was not an easy thing pumping by period the mean monthly tempera-
ture
pushed above the others, the main
do. for few had any confidence auction dredge 6,000,000 cubic yards tore has varied 14.4 degrees, from object being to obtain results,there
the_u_1_tlmate success of this un- of material from the bottom of Big- 67.7 degrees in January to 82.1 in by accomplishing a great deal more
.But, Mr, Fisher, upon eayne bay, filling the lowland to a August% The lowest month record- than had they assumed the attitude
mitigation. learned that Mr. Col- sufficient height to build upon, ed was a January of 62.8 degrees of being antagonistic toward each
was '74 years 'of age at that After that,,began the buildingof and the highest, an Au other.
the fact that a man at that g gust of 83.8 Those who know the beach best
Ea
enough courage to tackle streets,the laying of sidewalks, the degrees, giving a maximi n month-
ly
in all its vicissitudes; In normal
stupendous undertaking,not planting of:trees and grass. This ly variation of only 21 degrees. In plhcid weather and in storms; in
pbuilding the bridge but de work progressed rapidly. Since thejust such a marvelous mahner does au•ndrenched daylight and tropical
ing Miami Beach,had much to first large fill was made,other prop- moonlight,bewitching in these!att.Mr.Fisher's decision to co- p P that gigantic thermostat, the Gulf tudet; in the springtime, summer,
q erste with him. Mr. Fisher was arty north.'was purchased and I Stream,regulate the climate here. i fall and winter, which here L.one
fi much younger man and with am- treated In the same manner until a ' j longgorgeous summer with nature
means and active imaginatiopp,� total of 14,500,000 cubic yards of j bltanu Beach is particularly proud.' 1 trying to outdo herself in mag-
saw the possibilities;became en. material had been transferred from of three golf courses, the LaGorce nfllcence from month to month;
uslastic, made the' loan and the bottom of the bay,to the swamp ( and elle Bayahore both .they know whereof we speak.
plunged•''wholeheartedly, into the land. The total of the filled area privately Those who have never visited the
ddaevvellopment of Miami Beach, re- is 2,760 acres, extending from the owned,and the municipal course a -- Magic Isle have an unforgettable
gardleas of the cost. The bridge Government Cut northward along .Twenty-tical street and Washingto �.,
treat in store for them.
was 1n continous use until sold to the bayfront approximately_six !avenue, all 18-hole layouts,while '!` The facts given above are per-
the
developers of Venetian Island miles. To make these fills;It wilt ' r haps sufficient to give some idea
in December, 1920, who replaced necessary,in one case in particular, fourth is under construction a a of what has been accomplished in
Collins Bridge with a beautiful to pump the material by suction , Normandy Isle. It boasts of sl so few years in this beautiful sec-
causeway,known as the''Venetian dredge for over a mile, using one theaters, a fine greyhound rac lion of Florida.
Way"at a cost of$2,505,300 which dredge about midway as a booster. j track, casinos, beech clubs, cabana
.In '
µopened to travel March 1,1926. Then, in order to beautify•the