MB History 1567-1949 statistics
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In 1567 a Spanish ;llsoiO!l 1,[0.5 built 0"1 what is now Hi3Illi Beach by
Don Pedro :,lenendez, founder o~ St. Jl.U~:'Ustine and Spanish govern01"
of Flo::-ida. The harbor ,1",3 used as a port of call and refuge and
apparently no aerious atteI'lpt liaS mn.de by- the Spaniards to dev~loI'
a colony here.
In 1870) i;e::.."J'- '-'. LUln, of Ohio, started an u!'Jstlccessf4 coconut planta-
tion. JoP~ S, Collins invested in the project, later cane to live
~~d establi3h a t::-o~ica1 fr~!t farm.
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In 1912 the :.sla."ld -,{::os cOr'r:ected ,vi th the rJa:ltUai'ld by the Collins
Bridee, il;)Out "here the Venetian Causeway is no,llocated. Carl G.
fisher c~~e in 1911, loaned tbe Collins l~nily money to complete
~1e bridge, saw tbe p0ssibility OI development and started the
first land boom.
Three compa.!lies started dave10nment of cliami Beach:
Ocean Beach Realty Co. - I"tummlS
;'Iiami oeach Improvement Co. - Collins
AI ton Beach 1eal ty Co. - inoher
In order to pronote building of houJes 011 ?!iami Bee.ch, the LU!:'JnUS
Company gaye aHay 33 lots on Collins Avenue to people who ,,,ould
agree to build hOt,ses on them - tlY'.::1 Here comploted b.r the lat'~cr
part of 191.~.
:.larch 26, 1915 - ::LrJi 3each '"ro.::; incorporated - had J3 quali:fied
voters (vomen could not vote at t!lat time). Incorporated area took
in all of the te-,'.! tory from ooec..'1 to bay - from GovernrJent ship
onann01 to cihat io n01-1 knou-n <13 the ?ircstone i~state.
~J_ N. Llt'T;US :,.;as t.he fi!';]t. ~<a=7or.
Pre-cnt eit:7 ;'!ana:er Claude A. Rensha"J has :lcld -that position
since Ser>w:nber 1925 has been the only City ;ranaccr.
Present Cit:l Cler:': and 'l'a:c ColJ.ecto~' C.1J. TOll'~inson ha:; clelc1 that
position sir:oe AUGUst 3, 1920.
AuctionGers trJing to -sel2. lo~': '3 on : .Ii:JI:;! Dcaell u2ec1 ~~c S~.vc 3.~.-Jay
:f.--:'ee dishes to ...:JColJle -J.t~8~din_.: 5,~leL1.
Glenn CUJ.'"tis trained fliars on 1,1i3.:;11 Jeacl1 ur:"cil 1915 - first aviation
field in. Jade County - _?l'-"CG1!OC0.. ;:o~el~o\-l stands on site of hangars.
lir;:t road in ~~i~":li Beach ~..rD.S conpleteJ.l in 191.3. nO:'i has 130 miles
of' paved stl"Bets, 112 :1i.le3~f sic1e'ia1;~3.
.Axes. of ~ ;i2Il:i 3cacll today C07ers 17 square ?.1iles _ 3 square ~1ile8 of
land" 9 square :ilos O:L "'.-later. There '~-xe Cr~~ r.rlles of' ocean front,
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3rOlm .:otel wa.1 i'i!':.>t hotel stood betHeen 1at1.nc: .2nd 3t:':ct3 on
Ocean Drive - Hofford Hotel was th.J second. :Zone~r ;:laza o-u.i1 t
in 1<;;25 - .fir~;t 110te1 in cOl.mtry to have cabanas.
1920 census gave >da:,Ji Be,9,ch population of 644 _ five years later
City had population of over 15,000. 1945 State census shoved
32,256 permanent rcsiJonts -- ~iinter of 1949, 115,000.
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Assessed valuation in 1'::20 was .';;22.C,OOO - increased in five years
to ';'\5,540,112. ?reseni; a;J~essed valuation is ,..2a3,891,200. ;.. S
30nded debt is 1:l7,505,OOO. \ : _
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The City ta.v.: rate is IS mills.
Miami Beach has siz public schools and 15 private schools.
There are t,;o hospitals in Miami Beach, an(l i.l total of ten churches
and five synagogues. There are 361 hoc els now available with 24,359
room::!, and 1,354 apartment houses - approximately 5,000 single i'amifY
residences. There are si."{ public beach parks, a.>1d seven public sports
and recreation centers.