#412 f The First Causeway in Florida by J. N. Lummus 1949The First Causewa~ in Florida
The Lummu~ Co~p~uy, composed of ~y ~rotlier, ~.~. a~d
mi'selI, took up with the D~e County Co~ssionera in 1~16
ti~e qu~stio~ of t~e Co~t~ buildi~ a Cauoew~ ~ross ~i~c~-ne
B~ co~Aecti~ ~i~ ~d ~i~l Beac~, from 13th Stree~ in
~o~ ~'ilson, the ~inecr ~'or the L~us Comp~', drew the
pt~s which were ~te~ds approved by the D~e Count2
neet, ~eo Ish~ H~dolph of Cl~c~o~ ~d the ~ove~ent
~in~er~ in W~hi~ton. Wilson esti~ed it would cost
~6~0~0~0.0~. Ttmt looksd "awful big~ to a Co~ty of onl[ about
~000 pop~ation at ~hat 'ti~, but f!nall~~, afte~ $.A. ~elcller,
Ohmim~ of ~he Ceunty Commissioners, h~ put
for sever~ weeks on the p~oject, t~e Co~ssione~s decided to
c~l a ~d issue for 'tl~mt ~ount~ provided the L~$ C~p~
wou~ jive D~e Co~t~ a strip of ~round 300 by 500 feet with
as recorded In Deed ~ook 157 a~ P~e ~5, Hecorda of D~e County,
Florida. Ti~is Deed was oonveyed to the Southe~ B~ ~d Trust
2he Eond issue w~ c~le~, ~d car~-led ~,ost 2 ~o 1. The
Sou~he~ ~m~ mad T~st Oomp~ conv~e~ ~he l~d ~o ~a~e Cowry
bY Deed ~a~ed December 21, 1920, recorded in Deed
P~e 116, i'eb~ary 24, 1921. The County Co~is~ione~s tho~ht
at that ~lme that tiiey would require that ~ucl~ l~d for
C~sew~ l~dl~, but on ~ecember 11, 1923, t~
The First Causeway in Florida
Company ot'~'ered Dads County w~. ,~.00 for a small portion of
this la~d lying l~orth of 5th Street. The Co~issioners
decided the County di~ not need it, ~d sold it to the ~li~on
Re~t~ Co~y ~ mho~ in ~eed Book 372, ~t ~e 161, ~ecord~
of Dads County, ~'lorida.
0n December 10th,l~25 the City of Mismi Beth o,ffere~
County ~ 75~000.00 cash for a portion of this property South of
5~H Street, ~d It was ~old to the City of Ml~i Beach by Deed
recorded in De~d Book 824, at P~e 475, Records of Dads O~y,
Florida. This ia where t~e Ch~ber of Commerce buildl~
located.
2[zie 0ausew~ business was so~ethin~ new and the
ha~ no money for conducti~ a Bond cmnpatgn, so ~ brother,
O~l ~'isher, and I each, donated ~2,000.00, ~d with the Co~i-
aaion~rs' iAelp and Hundreds of our other friends, we put it over.
Now ~ brother, J.~., ~d I not ox~y contributed $4~000.00 to put
~he Ben6 issue over, but ~o contributed to Dads County 1;md for
which it re~lzed ~B9,400.00 cash. This sho~ that you have to
give ~o get results.
I ~ked the present Co~isaicners to =~e a re~olutio~
conl'irmi~ tA~e ~ove ~ plaoe it on l~d atill o~ed by Dads
Oo~Agy, ~ ghe reply [ollo~.
written November 21et, 1949.
~ 0 A R D OF
COUiffY COa~ISSIOBP~$
Dsde Couaty, Florida
P. 0. ~ox 3~89
Eiami 21, Florida
0e%ober 20,1949
Hu~h Peters,
District No,
I, D, ~acVloar,Viee
District ~o,
~eaee H. Yarborou~h
District No, 1
Preston B.
District N~. 4
Louis F. Snedig~
District No,
E.B.Leathe~, Clerk
H.S. Sweet~, Deputy
Hudson & C~on, Attorney~
';~onora~le J. N. Lt~mmu~
a41 N. W. 39th Street
~t~l, Florida
De~tr L~ro Lur/~tlS !
Replying to yo~ir letter of September 9tl~, In which you request that'
& gla~s covered resolution be placed on the property on Miami Beach
which wa~ deeded to D~e County on October 1~, 1916,.by you a~d ~our
brother. ~. E. Lu~mus,
I have taken this m:¥~ter up with the ]~oard of County
and al~ had 'the lalld abstracted by ~ur ri~h~-oi'-w~
I ~ enclosi~ herewith report from Mr, ~. A..-~aderaon, reg~rdi~ his
finalize. You will notice fr~m Mr. ~derson'e repo~t~ ~hat under
date of December 1!, 192~, D~e Co~ty deaded Lot 52 to the ~ltson
ite~ty Comps, ~id on Yuly 27, t955, convey~ tt~e rem~Ini~ property
Therelore, this leavem us wltl~ nc property on wlttch we could erect
this ~'e~ol~lon am ~eco~m~ended in y~ur letter.
I am sure that i express tl~e f~eling si' oar Baard of Country C~mmissioners
when I ~ tlmt we are sorry t~t we find it will not be ~oseible for us
to comply with 2ou~ request, Bas.me I believe ~hat no ox~lmens of
D~e County have ever rendered more or jreater se~ioe to the
development o~ thi~ wonderful cowry ~h~l you ~d your brother,
VJith kindest person,~l re~ards, I s=~,
Yours respectfully,
Dads County, Florida