#059 The Miracle of Miami Beach by J. N. Lummus 1940
J
The Miracle
of
Miami Beach
by
1. N. LUMMUS
Pioneer Developer and
First Mayor
r
.
COPYRIGHTED
940 _ 1944 - 1952
J. N. LUMMUS
Printed bv
J. N. LUMMUS
Photographed March 20, 1952.
am getting younger since I passed 80 years.
II
Friends
I certainly enjoyed seeing the moving pic-
ture "Miami Beach Toaay" as shown at our
dinner party February 20, 1952 at the Com-
munity Church, 1620 Drexel Ave., but most
of the early day pictures shown were taken
North of 23rd Street after 1918. In other
words, six years after the development com-
menced and three years after Miami Beach
incorporated.
DEDICATION
THROUGH the insistence of numerous
friends that I publish an historical record
of the founding, early history and
development of Miami Beach,
PARADISE, .,
"THE SUN SEEKERS
the following pages to
those outstanding pio-
in years 10 come,
as facls. I trust
may remaIn a
to
N. LUMMUS
J
ever
tru th
hereby dedicate
the parts played by
neers . . . realizing that,
legends may be accepted
these printed words
monument
CARL G. FISHER
He loaned U5 $150,000 in 1913
on 500 acres of swamp land.
Here comes the early record of Miami
Beach; no one ever asked for the facts be-
fore, and J. E. Lummus, J. N. Lummus and
Carl Fisher are the only ones who knew the
facts because they did the work and paid
for it. .
I am showing some photographs of the
early development of Miami Beach and the
developers in their order from the start in
1912. Some of these photographs were taken
as the work was going on. This shows what
3
J olm Frazure of the Beach Realtors invited
me to speak on the early days at the Realtors
meeting February 11, 1952. I did not posi-
tively turn him down at first, but called him
up a day or two later and tried to get out of
it but it was already in the newspapers, so I
said a few words. John's father was an old
time friend of mine and was a Conductor on
the Plant System R.R., now the Atlantic Coast
Line, when I was Chief Train Dispatcher in
the 90' s.
J. E. LUMMUS
He was a banker in Miami, but had
money in with me from beginning to end
hi
il
STREET
912.
S~uth and immediately put men chopping
down swamp, clearing and grading the Ocean
Front at the South end. We paid from $150.00
per acre to $12,500 per acre for swamp land.
The large price was paid for small tracts but
we had to have them to put streets through.
The Lummus Company started the deveLop.
ment and it was known as the Ocean Beach
Realty Company and was owned by J. E.
Lummus and J. N. Lummus. We had a few
other stockholders at first but bought them
5
LUMMUS DOCK, BISCA YNE
Where the development of
Miami Beach was commenced in
JOHN S. COLLINS
He built the longest wooden bridge in the wc>rld in 1913,
from 15th Street, Miami, to Dade Boulevard, Miami Beach.
has been done and can be done in
of South Florida on account of our
which is controlled by the Gulf Stream
My brother and I spent over $25,000.00
per year in 1913, 1914, 1915 and 1916 ad.
vertising Mia'mi Beach in other Cities as we
only had a few thousand people in Dade
County when we started Miami Beach and
now we have over a half million.
4
this part
clima te,
In 1912 The Lummus Company purchased
605 acres of swamp land from Lincoln Road
FIFTH STREET AND ALTQN ROAD IN 1912
Where the Chamber of Commerce Building now stands.
Purdy Boat Ways 011 the Bay. Collins was
the Miami Beach Improvement Company and
was known as "Miami Beach." All of the
above was before the Town of "Miami Beach"
was incorporated.
The Lummus Company's first plat is re-
corded in Book 2 of plats, page 38, Records
of Dade County, Florida, July 9, 1912. Col-
lins' first plat is recorded in Book 2 of Plats,
page 47, December 11, 1912. Fisher's first
plat was filed January 15, 1914 in Book 2
of Plats, page 77.
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J. N. LUMMUS, J. E. LUMMUS, JOHN LEVI
Standing at 3rd Street and the Bay in August, 1913.
all out and paid them a profit when we de-
cided to lay a foundation for a City.
When I use the word swamp, I mean swamp
and mangrove trees so thick that a man could
not get through without an axe to cut his way.
Our development was from 15th Street
South and was known as "Ocean Beach."
Fisher's was the Alton Beach Realty Com-
pany and was known as "Alton Beach,"
bounded on the South by 15th Street, on the
North by 23rd Street, on the Ocean and
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T
IN 1912
Washington Avenue and 5th Street
and that alone, is what started Miami Beach
in a big way.
On July 1, 1913 the Lummus and Fisher
Companies signed a Contract together with
the Furst Clark Dredging Company of Balti-
more to move 6 million cubic yards of ma-
terial out of the Bay to build up the Bay side
of the Beach and make the Motor Boat Race
Course at the same time. Lummus Company's
part of that Contract was $315,000 and Fish-
er':,; was $285,000. The Dredge Contract was
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EAST OF COLLINS AVENUE
All territory wos like this in 1912
In 1913 my Brother and I met Carl Fisher,
who had a winter home on Brickell Avenue,
iVIiami. Fisher asked me why we did not do
all this work at once. I told him we had an
awful good reason and that was we did not
have the money, so he loaned us $150,000
and we paid him 8 per cent interest for the
money and gave him 105 acres of swamp land
from Lincoln Road South to 15th Street as a
bonus for the loan. We had paid $150.00 per
acre for the land that we gave Fisher. That,
/;
FIRST HOTEL IN MIAMI BEACH
in 1914. Owned and operated by W. J. Brown,
located between First and Second. Streets.
Trust
Beach
Bu
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Company hauled passengers
each way. We owned three
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The Lummus
on boats for 5c
914.
completed July 1, 1914. Attorney Frank
Shutts and I went to Tallahassee and got the
State permit to do the Dredge work. The
Governor and his staff wished us well be-
cause this was the first work of its kind in
Florida.
in
CASINO
Dan Hardie built it
Attorney Crate Bowen, representing Fisher
Company, and I, representing the Lummus
Company, went to Washington and got a per-
mit from the U. S. Government. This U. S.
Permit was Number One in the State of Flor
ida for dredge work.
1f)
JOHN H. LEVI
He worked for Carl Fisher from 1913 to 1916.
after which he was connected with the Miami Ocean View
Company and the City of Miami Beach.
He was Mayor twice and Councilman many years.
In 1914 the Lummus Company put a no-
tice in both Miami newspapers offering to
give away 25 lots on Collins Avenue to any-
one to build houses as per our requirements,
and have them completed and occupied in
1914. I built mine in 1914. It is located on
12th Street and Ocean Drive next to the Tides
Hotel and is now owned by Mrs. Harris. We
actually gave away 33 lots and houses were
built and occupied in 1914. I lived in a small
house on Collins Avenue between Biscayne
and 1st Street up to that time.
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WILLIE A. PICKERT RESIDENCE
Built in 1914. Mrs. Van Cleary is his daughter.
boats. These boats could carry about 50 pas-
sengers each. They ran from Flagler Street,
Miami, to Biscayne Street, Miami Beach.
I got out of the banking business in 1912
and my brother was President of the Bank of
Bay Biscayne and the Southern Bank and
Trust Company after that.
After Fisher and Lummus made their deal
and started work at South Beach, Fisher
loaned Collins $50,000 to complete the bridge
and it was completed the early part of 1914.
12
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41st Street. The only way of getting to Col-
lins' farm was by boat in Indian Creek and
Biscayne Bay.
When the "Town of Miami Beach" was in-
corporated, all of the voters lived on the
Lummus development South of 15th Street
except three. They were T. 1. Pancoast, Ar-
thur Pancoast and one man living on Collins'
farm. Women did not vote in Florida in 1915.
War I and
caught us in 1914 was
in 1916. We were operating
15
913
Isle.
strong
W orid
11 going
sti
SIDE WALK
In front of Ocean Drive, 1913,
from Biscayne Street to 15th Street
On March 26, 1915 we incorporated the
"Town of Miami Beach" and I was made
Mayor. The Town took in all of the territory
from the Government Cut, a ship channel, to
what is now known as the Firestone Place, or
42nd Street. This took in all of the Lummus'
holdings, which ran from Biscayne St. to 15th
Street, and all of Fisher's holdings from 15th
Street to 23rd Street on the Ocean and to
Purdy Boat Ways on the Bay; also Collins'
swamp and his farm which was located about
14
IN 913
Washington Avenue at 12th Street
where the City Hall now stands.
View Company one year as V ice-President as
per agreement. Jim Snowden was made Presi-
dent and John Levi, Se~retary-Treasurer per-
manently.
We built Star Island, lots of houses West
of Washington A venue and rocked roads, the
year I was with them, also planted $10,000
worth of trees and shrubbery; we bought that
much from Griffin Brothers at one time.
Jim Allison was the head of the Union Car-
bide of America. He built the St. Francis
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ONE OF THE NATIVES IN 1912
We killed 17 on the Lummus development.
on borrowed money and The Lummus Com-
pany sold all of its holdings West of Wash-
ington Avenue and North of 5th Street to Jim
Allison, Arthur C. Newby, Jim Snowden,
George Snowden, Carl Fisher and Henry Mc-
Sweeney, all millionaires. I had this chance
of getting all of the Lummus Company money
back and paying all debts and did so. The
above boys organized the Miami Ocean View
Company in 1916 and put this property in
that Company. I stayed with the Miami Ocean
16
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INDIAN CREEK IN 1912
went with Collins to his form and this was the only way
of getting there, by boat, about 4ht Street.
"Snowden and McSweeney Oil Co." He was
30 years Attorney for the Standard Oil Com-
pany of New Jersey at 26 Broadway, New
York. His Mother had a home on the corner
of Ocean Drive and 11th Street, Miami Beach.
She introduced me to him. When I sold them
two million dollars worth of real estate for
a half million dollars, Allison said to the
others, "I'm going fishing. You boys take
what you want of what Lummus is offering
you and I will take the balance." He was a
real sport. They only left him about $50,000
worth but he put more in later.
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FRANK HARDIE
1913, at 12th Street.
He did all the grade work on the Lummus Developmen
He now lives in Miami at 420 N. W. 35th Street.
;.~
of his at Fort
sold to the St
Hospital for a doctor friend
Lauderdale and it was later
Francis.
Arthur C. Newby was President of the
tional Automobile Company at that time.
Jim and George Snowden were big oil
operators in practically all the oil fields in
America.
Carl Fisher was the Indianapolis Speed-
and Prest-Oolite man. Henry McSwee-
was in with Snowden and known as
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Na-
way
ney
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RATS BY THE THOUSANDS IN 1912
I advertised for cats and my friends brought me
bags of cats, and they cleaned up the rats.
each passenger, so Fisher paid Collins $2,500
per year and the Lummus Company paid him
the same in 1914--1915 and 1916 to get him
to make the fare 25c for cars regardless of
how many passengers. In 1916 we realized
that the wooden bridge could not last long so
J. E. Lummus, J. N. Lummus and Carl Fisher
donated $2000 each to put over a $600,000
County Bond issue to build the Causeway, the
first in Florida, from 13th Street, Miami to
5th Street, Miami Beach, now known as the
McArthur Causeway.
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MERIDIAN AVENUE AT 14TH STREET, (1913)
Jim Hardee is at left. He had charge
of all our swamp chopping. Jim is living in Miami now.
Jim Snowden, being a big oil operator
which is a fast money making business, was
hard to interest in real estate, so J. E. Lum-
mus and J. N. Lummus gave John Levi
$10,000 stock in the Miami Ocean View Com-
pany to keep Jim Snowden interested until
Fisher and I could get them all together to
close the deal. John knew Snowden well and
had sold him yachts and had worked for him.
When Collins opened his wooden bridge
he charged $1.00 for each car and 25c for
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MARCH 17, 1913
Helen Lummus hoisting the flog on Ocean Beach
at Biscayne Street.
landing. That is where the Chamber of Com-
merce now stands and the car barn adjoin-
ing, so the Lummus Company donated Dade
County $89,400 for the first Causeway. and
paid two-thirds of the cost of putting the bond
Issue over.
In 1917 we sent Attorney Mitchell D. Price
to Tallahassee and he got us a Legislative
Charter, making it the "City of Miami Beach,"
which is published in full in Special Acts of
the Florida Legislature in 1917, on page 806,
Chapter 7672.
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COONS BY THE HUNDREDS IN 1912
My san Tom and I, with myoid dog "Black Joe,"
killed the coons.
When Fisher sent me his $2000, he said,
"J. N., I don't think you can do it," but we
carried the bond issue 2 to 1. Sam Belcher
was Chairman of the County Commissioners
and gave us great help. He was head of the
Belcher Oil Company.
The Lummus Company gave Dade Coun,ty
500' by 300' for the landing on the Beach.
Dade County sold the Allison Realty Com-
pany, $14,400 of it, and sold the City of
Miami Beach $75,000 of it and still owns the
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was
On a barge, I sent a wagon drawn by a
couple of mul"es, to meet the party of men
when they arrived from the Miami side and
to bring them to the Beach, but with the ex-
ception of Mr. McDonald, they all walked.
When the Commissioners looked over what
the Collins crowd, the Fisher interests, and
the Lummus Company were doing and
planned to do, they agreed to accept a deed
to the land where Collins Avenue is now
25
LUMMUS BUILDING, 1914
Ocean Drive and Biscayne Street, where Miami Beach
incorporated March 26, 1915. All Council meetings
were held in my building from 1915 to 1918.
/"
LEVI, J. N. LUMMUS, J. E. LUMMUS
at Collins Avenue, and 1st, in 1913,
first paved road on Miami Beach.
Carl Fisher organized another company
about 1919, taking in all of Collins' holdings
North of 23rd Street with John S. Collins and
So"ns - also T. J. Pancoast and others and
completed the development.
In 1913, after meeting Fisher and arrang"
ing to borrow the money, and after the dredge
contract was let in July, 1913, my brother,
J. E. Lummus and I arranged to have the
county commissioners visit the development
with us. In the party were John S. Collins,
Carl G. Fisher and J. A. McDonald.
24
,
'i>!'"..",.~",".(
$:-
JOHN
-,
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N. B. T. RONEY
He built more houses on Miami Beach
han any ather man in the early days
lr-:
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SAM A. BELCHER
He helped us to put over the Bond issue for the
Causeway in Florida, now the McArthur Causeway,
13th Street, Miami to 5th Street, Miami Beach.
way on the Carney tract. This was the first
road suitable for automobiles, built on Miami
Beach, and it was completed in 1913.
I decided to visit Atlantic City, to look over
that city's famous boardwalk.
After returning to Miami Beach, we im-
mediately went to work on the construction
of sidewalks, but did not build them as wide
as in Atlantic City. Our sidewalks were only
ten feet in width, and the first one was laid
27
firs
located, and the road along Collins Canal to
the Bay to connect with Collins Bridge.
Dade County was to pay one-third of the
cost of building these roads, the Lummus Com-
pany one-third, and Fisher one-third. It took
ten men one week to cut a right-of-way from
where Mr. Collins was then having the canal
dug to South Beach. I started cutting the right-
of-way at South Beach and Fisher met me
with his cutting at Fourteenth Lane, or Mid-
26
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IRVIN COLLINS
Son of John S. Collins,
connected with 011 of Collins Development
pumping in tllf'
and constructing
bottom,
the land
dredging the Bay
material to fill in
the bulkheads.
T. J. PANCOAST
He was the second Mayor of Miami Beach
and was connected with all of Collins development
The people of Miami Beach have built a
great City and built it fast, but J. N. Lummus,
J. E. Lummus and Carl Fisher laid the foun-
dation fast. It took lots of nerve to buy 605
acres of swamp and undertake the develop-
ment. .My brother and I were looking for capi-
tal and our work at the South end of the Beach
was what attracted Fisher when he went fish-
ing through the Cut in the speed boat "The
29
along Biscayne Street to the ocean, thence
along Ocean Drive to Fifth Street. North of
Fifth Street we built a walk ten feet wide of
concrete. All of these walks were completed
long before Miami Beach was incorporated,
and the streets south of Fifth Street were paved
by the Lummus Company. This Company built
many additional sidewalks.
Up to this time, development of Miami
Beach had consisted of clearing the swamp
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FISHER'S TUG BOAT
it for me, and it handled the traffjc between
Fisher Island and Miami Beach.
He named
AUCTION SALES, MARCH, 1915
I gave Dammers his first job in Florida,
at 4th Street and Washington Avenue. We always
had a crawd as we gave away china dishes.
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We had hundreds of coons and my youngest
son, Tom, and I, with myoid dog "Black
Joe" caught and killed the coons. It takes a
good dog to catch a coon - they are real
fighters.
We also had millions of mosquitoes and I,
as Mayor, wrote our Florida Representatives
in Washington and Fisher wrote his Indiana
Representatives in Washington. We offered to
pa y the Government to send someone here to
show us how to get rid of the mosquitoes. The
Government sent us the men who cleaned up
31
1
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boat from
run in the
cla ss
Raven I afterwards bought that
Fisher and let J. N. Lummus, Jr.,
boat races. He won the races in its
We killed 17 of the largest ra ule snakes
South of 15th Street that I ever sa'w. The boys
estimated that they were over 100 years old.
When you kill one, tie it to a stake and an-
other one will be coiled there the next ~orn-
ing. We had thousands of rats. I advertised
for cats and the people brought me bags full
of cats. I just turned them loose on the Beach
and they cleaned up the rats.
30
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t
912)
only have one left. I sold the City 1000 at one
time and 50 several times. The City may have
some left. That book contains the develop-
ment record. from 1912 to 1918. I have the
Copyright from the United States of America
of all photographs in it and, of course, no
one can use them without my permission.
I am getting out this small issue just to show
the facts of its start and who started it.
Ltimmus Park was the City's best asset
33
and
MOSQUITOES BY THE MIlliONS
Full history in book.
J. N. LUMMUS, JR.
He was Chainman for the Engineers when Miami Beach
was started. He was Mayor of Miami Beach
when he was 26 years old, and has been
County Tax Assessor ever since.
mosqUItoes on the Panama Canal, if the Beach
management carries out the plan they es-
tablished for us there will be no mosquitoes
on Miami Beach. We offered to pay the Gov-
ernment but no charge was made. I furnished
a man and transportation and went with them.
At that time we had 32 varieties of mosquitoes
on Miami Beach. I gave the Pioneers Club
when it was organized, the book "The Miracle
of Miami Beach." I had 3500 printed and
32
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914.
now.
BATHERS
in front of Hardies Casino in 1
Bathing suits are much shorter
COLLINS' WOODEN BRIDGE
in 1913, it was the longest wooden bridge
in the world at the time.
in the early
make the Beach popular
has held its own.
which
Bui
hel ped to
da ys and
See
est promoters of improvements of Miami Beadl.
and was chief among the organizers of the City of
Miami Beach, of which City he was the first
MAYOR and aflerwards an able, discreet, and
very business-like Councilman, and,
WHEREAS said J. N. LUMMUS anticipated that
said City would be a beautiful place and a play-
ground for many people, urged the purchase of
that properly lying within the CITY of MIAMI
BEACH, FLORIDA, bounded on the North by
Fourteenth Place, on Ihe East by Ihe Atlantic Ocean,
on the South by Sixth Street, and on the West by
35
follows
183
A Hesolution of the City Council of Ihe City of
Miami Beach, Florida, naming that City Park 'Vithin
said City which is bounded on the North by Four-
teenth Place, on the East by the Atlantic Ocean, on
the South by Sixth Street, and on the West by
Ocean Drive.
WHEHEAS HOl\'OHABLE J. N. LUMMUS, witt
an usual foresight was one of Ihe first and greDt-
34
183
RESOLUTION No
Resolution
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RESIDENCE OF E. B. LENT
Built in 1914. Lummus Company owed him from
$150,000 to $250.000 all during our development
RESIDENCE OF S. A. BELCHER
Built in 1914.
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the City Council of the City of
Florida, Ihis 27th Day of July,
ADOPTED by
Miami Beach,
A. D. 1921.
W
President of
Attest
/S/ c. W. Tomlinson, City
Approved this 27th Day of July,
/S/ T. E. James, Mayor
The City sent me a large copy engraved
and framed. I have it hanging in my home.
There has been some confusion about
mus Park by the City Officials, but the
37
City Counci
Lum
ongl
1921
Clerk
A. D.
E. Brown
/S/
Ocean Drive, for the purpose of a city park and
play-ground, and urged its beautification for the
benefit of the residents and visitors of the CITY of
MIAMI BEACH, and,
WHEREAS he has always said and done things for
the welfare of said City,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the
City Council of the City of Miami Beach, Florida,
that the above described City Park be, and the
same is hereby' named, and shall hereafter be
known as LUMMUS PARK, in commemoration of
the name of one of the City's greatest benefactors.
36
"
It
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nal agreement between the Ocean
Realty Company and the "Town of
Beach" is recorded in Deed Book 146 at page
28, Records of Dade County, Florida, dated
November 5, 1915. That is not just a Reverters
clause but an agreement signed by all and
passed upon by the best legal talent we had
in Dade CQunty and in the Supreme Court at
that time. So Lummus Park will be a park
always. The Ocean Beach Realty Company
I
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JAMES
Miami Beach.
in Deed Book
recorded
RESIDENCE OF T. E.
Built in 1914.
James was third Mayor of
parted with the Title
145, page 202.
Here are the
and Deed
Mr
GEORGE A. DOUGlASS
Built in 1914.
Beach
Miami
OF
RESIDENCE
[
,
Contract
The property herein conveyed to the Town of
Miami Beach is conveyed exclusively for park pur-
poses, and shall never be used for commercial or
residential purposes, and should the Town of
Miami Beach at' any time abandon this property as
park property, or use same for commercial or resi-
dential purposes; then, in such event, all rights,
title, and interest hereby vested in the said Town
of Miami Beach be and the same shall be imme-
39
the
111
restrictions
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OF MRS. JOHN McSWEENEY
Built in 1914.
RESIDENCE
GEORGE PERSCH BUILDING
He operated wheel chairs in 1914 and 1915
between Hardies and Collins Casino.
the prop-
by
For the information of all concerned, the
Ocean Beach Realty Company spent more
than $40,000 for making and maintaining
Lummus Park from 1912 to 1917. We built
a 10' sidewalk from end to end and planted
most all of the coconut trees, planted the
whole park in Bermuda grass and watered
41
restrictions, and particularly
who face on the park.
these
erty owners
The park
E. Lummus
Beach
to Miami
Lummus.
was gIven
and J. N
J
diately terminated and the legal title
revesled in the grantor herein.
In 1938 the right of reverter contained in
the original deed from The Ocean Beach
Realty Company was cancelled by written
agreement which appears in the public records
of Dade County, Florida, but this instrument
did not in any way abrogate or terminate or
release and discharge the basic deed restric-
tions against using the park for commercial
purposes, and any citizen and tax payer of
Miami Beach would have the right to enforce
immediately
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JOHN S. COLLINS' HOME
The large building is the Wofford Hotel
the second hotel built on Miami Beach.
Fisher, Collins and Pancoast
of the Beach development.
Lummus Park is worth now, if it could be
sold, at .least 16 million dollars. The lights
in the coconut trees at night is something that
everyone should see. Mr. Aaron Courshon of
the Breakwater Hotel, 920 Ocean Drive, de-
serves the credit for the lights. ,It was his idea
and he got the City to spend $31,000 to do
the job.
Roy Wilson was the Lummus Company's
Engineer and is still living. He drew the plans
the
last
and was
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CARL G. FISHER'S FIRST HOME
At lincoln Rood and Ocean, built in 1915.
the grass by hand. We had 12 pumps and 2
tennis courts in the park when we gave it to
Miami Beach. It is 4120 feet long - Ocean
Front from 6th Street North to the White Hall
Hotel or 15th Street.
I am also satisfied that one of the causes
of confusion by some of the early pioneers of
the development is that Collins end was called
"Miami Beach" before the Town was incor-
porated, but Collins' end was developed by
42
MRS. PHILIP CLARKSON
Is on the front steps of this house which was
shipped from Chicago in 1913, and put up in one day
at 3rd Street and Collins Avenue.
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I am a member of the "Pioneer's Club of
Miami" and "Miami Beach," also a patron
member of the Historical Association of
Southern Florida. They are all getting a copy
of this report and will keep it as early history.
It can all be verified in Dade County Clerk's
Office, Dade County Commisisoners Office
and the City of Miami Beach Clerk's Office.
In 1909 J. E. Lummus took the
Model Land Company and got it the
45
up with
to sell to
trees
1915.
for the first causeway. Dade County got
Isham Randolph of Chicago to approve them
and get the Government Engineers in Wash-
ington to approve them. W. E. Brown was
Carl Fisher's Engineer from start to finish.
He worked with John Levi who had charge
of Fisher's development. Carl Fisher never
claimed anything but the facts as above. J. E.
Lummus and J. N. Lummus were his best
friends in Dade County
44
THE HOOSIER POET
James Whitcomb Riley planted these
at James Street and Lincoln Road in
GlENN H. CURTISS
Pioneer in Aviation. I gave him the use of 0
landing at 12th Street and the Boy. He was training
the boys to fly for World War I in 1915.
TOM J. LUMMUS
Attorney with Molcomb Wisehart in the Olympia Building
He says he hos not been coon hunting in 0 long time.
of the Model Land Company and J. E. In
gram was Vice-President and both were per-
sonal friends of J. E. Lummus who helped
build Miami and Miami Beach and helped
provide the first parks in both cities.
Years
3
3
2
8
12
28
Memorandum of Public Services Rendered
by J. E. Lummus to the "City of Miami"
as a City Official
October 25. 1897 to October 21. 1900
October 22.1900 to October ~5. 1903
October 26. 1903 to October 22, 1905
October 23. 1905 to October 31. 1913
JUly 12. 1921 to June 6. 1933
TOTAL
47
Elected
Alderman
Mayor
Alderman
Councilman
Commissioner
City of Miami for park purposes all land
bounded on the North by 3rd Street, on the
East by 3rd Avenue, on the South by 2nd
Street and on the West by the Miami River
for $7500. except two lots that were owned
by B. B. Tatum, and 1. E. Lummus got Tatum
to sell those two lots to the City of Miami for
park purposes for $2500, so the Park only
cost Miami $10,000 and the City named it
Lummus Park. J. R. Parrott was President
46
Fisher.
G.
GRAND STAND
For the Motor Boot race cc
Regatta in 1915 was in charge of Cor
firs
The
Dammers & Gillett were real auctioneers.
I gave them the first job they had in Florida
-West of Washington Avenue and South of
5th Street. I bought china by the carload and
they gave it away at their sales. Everyone got
some of the china and we always had big
crowds.
Lummus Company used school boys to
plant Bermuda grass on its 500 acres of
Miami Beach. These boys got a free ride from
4!
J. N. LUMMUS HOME
in 1914, this property now belongs to
Harris, 12th Street and Ocean Drive.
Photo token March 21, 1952.
Built
Mrs.
On account of J. N. Lummus, J 1'. being a
good swimmer he was Chainman for the En-
gineers when they were taking the soundings
in Biscayne Bay in 1913 to see if we had
sufficient material to build up the Bay Side,
and make the Motor Boat Race Course.
He was Mayor of Miami Beach when he
was 26 years old and has been County Tax
Assessor since. He was overseas in World
War II and Van Kussrow and Tom Lummus
took care of his job while he was away.
48
Pancoast Lake and Collins Avenue,
1914. I haven't a photograph of it.
Irwin Collins was John S. Collins' son and
was active in all of the Collins development.
Tom Lummus is an Attorney-at-Law in the
Olympia Building. He has the State Agency
for the Kansas City Title Company with Mal-
comb Wiseheart and says he has not been coon
hunting in a long time.
The Lummus Company paid all the
F;
III
N. LUMMUS AND J. E. LUMMUS
Between 12th Street and 13th Street
Lummus Park, Miami Beach.
Photographed March 20, 1952.
built
cost
T. J. Pancoast was connected with Collins
Bridge, Casino, and other development North
of 23rd Street. He was the 2nd Mayor of
Miami Beach, also head of the Chamber of
Commerce for a long time. His big home faces
50
J.
J. E. LUMMUS HOME
147 North River Drive, Miami. J. E. Lummus ond
Lummus standing on front porch, March 20, 1952
Miami and back on the boat and lOc per hour
for work; the wind would blow the sand away
if not grassed, so the boys had a big time,
made some money and had a swim in the
Ocean
At
J. N.
J. E. LUMMUS AND J. N. LUMMUS
Between 8th and 9th Streets, Lummus Park, Miami Beach
Photographed March 20, 1952.
On December 1st, 1951, Miami Beach had
368 hotels, also 1637 apartment buildings and
5336 homes. In other words, room to accom-
modate 126,585 people.
Visitors to Miami Beach during the winter
season are estimated to number more than a
inillion and a quarter persons. Total number
of summer visitors is estimated at 500,000.
This information from the Chamber of Com-
merce April 2, 1952.
MRS. J. N. LUMMUS
We were married March 5, 1930.
~
Beach and paid the
all other bills until
some tax money 1
of incorporatlllg Miami
City Clerk's salary and
the Town could get in
1916
Street
J. N. Lummus
341 N. W. 39th
Miami, Florida
53
N.. B. T. Roney built more houses than any
one man on Miami Beach in the early days,
he built "Spanish Village," Roney Plaza, the
Cromwell Hotel, Town House and Shore Club
and many other buildings along Collins Av-
enue South of 14th Street.
52
1942 CITY COUNCilMEN
c. W. Tomlinson (sweoring them in), Boron de Hirsch Meyer, John H. levi, Herbert A. Frink,
Mitchell Wolfson, Williom Burbridge. Seated at left, Robert Raulson, and at right, Val C. Cleary.
These two were the holdovers.
01
01
lOOKING NORTH
From the dog track, photographed in 1940.
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