The Seaboard Air Line Railroad was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until…read moreJuly 1, 1967 when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. AIr Line does not refer to air travel but instead is a common term for the shortest distance between two points. The railroad operated 4,000 miles of track running from Richmond, Virginia down through Jacksonville and ending in West Palm Beach. Solomon Davies Warfield, chairman of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad at the time, extended the railroad further into South Florida to Miami in 1925 and to Homestead in 1927 where it ended. Solomon Davies Warfield was the uncle of Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson, the woman whose love affair with King Edward forced him to abdicate the throne. Opened in 1926, the Hialeah Station like all of the Seaboard Air Line Stations, was designed by architect L. Philipps Clarke. This was one of 40 stations built around this time frame for the railroad. All of the stations were designed the ornate Mediterranean Revival style. The Hialeah station is identical to the one in Naples that has been turned into a beautiful free museum by Collier County. Sadly this station has not been restored. It has been bordered up and it looks like squatters broke in. The beautiful light fixtures are missing. This station serviced the Seaboard trains, the Orange Blossom Special until 1953, and the Silver Meteor beginning in 1939. Passenger service to the station ended in 1972. The station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on July 14, 1995. Today it is used by Tri Rail which added a blue shelter structure. Only two of the Seaboard Air Line Stations have been destroyed. The Boynton Beach station was torn down in 2006 and the Delray Station was destroyed by arson a few months ago. it would be nice if there was interest in fixing up this station. This whole area looks not safe. As soon as I parked I saw smashed glass on the ground all over the parking lot. Never a good sign. 5 stars for the history, 3 stars for its sad current condition.

If you are a history buff - come for a visit. Here is some info that I found out about it…read more. Hialeah Seaboard Air Line Railway Station was built in 1926. The station is essentially identical to the Naples Seaboard station on the southwest coast of Florida. It was served by, among other Seaboard trains, the Orange Blossom Special until 1953, and the Silver Meteor beginning in 1939. Passenger service to the station ended in the 1960s. On July 14, 1995, the station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In 1989, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority began Tri-Rail commuter rail service to the station, adding a bus shelter style structure immediately to the south, which is called the Hialeah Market station.

This was such a cool find in the historic Bayshore area while walking around Biscayne Blvd!…read more I luv that there is so much history throughout Miami if you're willing to look for it! Finding these historical placards and being able to reference what was in them and seeing out into the bay was like being teleported for a moment and imagining ships docked offshore, lemon tree-line cobblestoned streets, and the sounds of carriages and passing trains. On a gorgeous evening, definitely worth the stroll down the street and through history!

Lemon City is an unincorporated area that predates Miami. It was a farming community that sprang up…read morein the 1850's, 26 years before the founding of Miami. The community took their name from the unusually sweet lemon trees that grew in the area. By the time Miami was incorporated Lemon City already had a population of 300. Lemon City had the areas oldest school, the Lemon City School, and the first library, the Lemon City Library. Lemon City was segregated with Black families living in three neighborhoods, Nazarine, Boles Town, and Knightsville. The exact boundaries of Lemon City have been lost to time since it was never incorporated. During the 1980's many Haitian immigrants made what was once Lemon City their home. The area has now been designated as Little Haiti which upset some of the descendants of the pioneers of Lemon City who thought the name change was insulting to their history. To be more inclusive of all of the history of the area, 10 historical signs marking the history of Lemon City were erected by the Mayor's office. Markers were placed at the Lemon City Train Station, Lemon City Pharmacy, Lemon City Library, and here at the Lemon City Port. In 1892, Lewis Pierce set up a large steamboat wharf just south of today's Legion Park, at Lemon Avenue, now known as NE 61st Street. The first dock for vessels in Miami was in Lemon City on Biscayne Bay. A business district developed around the port. By 1891 there were four to six ships arriving in Lemon City every day delivering mail, animals, people, produce, and goods. Larger vessels had to stay in deeper water while smaller boats ferried people and items to the dock. The largest boat to arrive in Lemon City was the Emily B, a three-masted, thirty-ton schooner that traveled between Jacksonville and Key West. In 1891 Julia Tuttle arrived aboard the ship. She became known as the "Mother of Miami," because of her contributions to city. By 1895 the Lemon City port was booming. Hotels and businesses had sprung up around the port. Lemon City became the trading center of Biscayne Bay which attracted the railroads who wanted to transport the goods from the port deeper into the city of Miami. The opening of the Lemon City station on the Florida East Coast Railway in 1896 marked the end of the port as it fell out of favor for transporting goods. Businesses started to shift to Miami. By 1910, the port was no longer used commercially, only for leisure. Today you can stand and gaze into Biscayne Bay where the port used to be. It is fun to go on a scavenger hunt for the signs in the now extinct town. There are actually two historical signs side by side here. Each sign provides another insight into Miami's first settlement.

Hollywood Florida has done a great job of preserving their historic buildings. A lot of people know…read moreabout their downtown art walks but did you know you can also do a self guided historic building walk? The Hollywood Historical Society has placed plaques on several buildings of historical note in the downtown area. On the Hollywood Historical Society's website is a printable map of the Historic Landmark Plaque Tour. The group also operates tours of the historic Hammerstein House open on the last Sunday of the month during the winter and spring from 1 to 4 PM and different historic tours. Check their website for details. As a fan of architecture I love to check out the different historic buildings when I am in Hollywood and this building has quite a storied past. City of Hollywood founder Joseph Young opened this building in July 1924 as the headquarters of the Hollywood Publishing Company, which published the Reporter and the Hollywood News. He used the papers to spread the word of his new city. Less than a year later he donated the building to the city at which time it became Hollywood's first City Hall, Police Station, jail, city meeting hall and the courthouse until 1928. From the late 1970s into the 90s, it was the restaurant and music venue known as World Famous Hemmingway's. In the following years the building has been bars, restaurants, heavy metal clubs, and possibly a bondage dungeon. It was The Continental, the Monster Rock Cafe, Club X, and in 2000 a gay bar called Mankind. In 1997 the building was declared a historical site by the City of Hollywood. Today, the building houses a Peruvian restaurant called Runa's, and an adjacent bar, called the Tavern which still contain the marble floors, high ceilings, crystal chandeliers, Tiffany stained glass, and mahogany bar from the buildings hey day.

This is a historic bridge located in Tarpon Bend, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Ft. Lauderdale…read morethat it is bounded by the New River, South Andrews Avenue and Davie Boulevard. The neighborhood also contains its namesake river, the Tarpon River, a naturally flowing river that meanders through the Tarpon River, Downtown, and Rio Vista neighborhoods. Many ancient artifacts from the Tequesta people have been found in the neighborhood and it was the site of the second Fort Lauderdale during the Seminole Wars. There is a display about the Tequesta artifacts in nearby Lewis Landing Park. Today the neighborhood is prized for its charming historic homes, beautiful parks, and its proximity to the City of Ft. Lauderdale. The bridge was built in 1928 and rebuilt in 1968. It won an Ocean Environmental Design award in 1984. In 1997 City Commissioners renamed the Tarpon River bridge after the late Broward Sheriff Ron Cochran. Cochran was Fort Lauderdale's police chief before becoming sheriff. Today the bridge continues to carry vehicles, bikers, and pedestrians over the Tarpon River. Its bright blue color and paintings of tarpon on the bridge make it an instantly recognizable landmark of Tarpon Bend. It is an easy walk across the charming bridge where you can get a view of the Tarpon River and Lewis Landing Park is just a short stroll away.

An historic business district on Hollywood Boulevard built up in the 1920's and 1930's. The…read moreHollywood Historical Society affixed markers to the historic landmarks which are now modernized businesses although the exterior structure remains original. In my hunt for the landmarks, I found five on Hollywood Blvd that peaked my interest: Hollywood Furniture Co. Central Arcade Hollywood Theatre/Ritz Lovett's/Woolworth Co. Hollywood Publishing Co.

This is a new park located right near and basically next door to The Frank - Frank C. Ortis Art…read moreGallery And Exhibit Hall In Pembroke Pines. This is a decent sized park with two memorial sites, this one, which is the one dedicated to veterans. the other is dedicated to 9/11, both are worthy of a look. See my numerous pictures for a peek. Pembroke Pines Commemorates 9/11 - The fall of the World Trade Center united the nation in sorrow. To honor our fallen brothers and sisters lost on 9/11, Pembroke Pines Commissioner Angelo Castillo reached out to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg requesting a section of the Twin Towers, tragically reduced to rubble on September 11, 2001. A steel girder salvaged from the structure was bequeathed to Pembroke Pines in 2005. The commissioner's vision to have a memorial created incorporating a piece of the towers was brought to life by local sculptors Benoit Menasche and Felix Gonzalez. The Sculptures - Each artist thoughtfully designed and crafted sculptures paying tribute to the heroes lost. Mensche's impassioned sculpture in Italian white marble depicts four stages of the event: pain, disbelief, grief, and patriotism. Gonzalez fashioned the image of firefighter and child from hand-hewn steel, displaying the heroism of our first responders. These sculptures can be viewed at the Memorial Park at 601 City Center Way, under the green pavilion.

Some more history for you history buffs. Magic City, Aka this area, is getting a makeover people!…read moreThis building is derelict, but does have some history attached to it - It is the old DuPuis Medical Office and Drugstore, it was built is 1902 and is located at 6041-6045 NE 2nd Avenue, miami. Dr. John G. DuPuis constructed his medical office and drug store in the rural community of Lemon City four years after he arrived in South Florida. One of the region's most noted early physicians and community leaders, DuPuis founded the Dade County Agricultural School and established what would become one of the area's largest dairies. This traditional Masonry Vernacular style building features pressed metal detailing typical of turn-of-the-twentieth-century American commercial architecture.

Lemon City is an unincorporated area that predates Miami. It was a farming community that sprang up…read morein the 1850's, 26 years before the founding of Miami. The community took their name from the unusually sweet lemon trees that grew in the area. By the time Miami was incorporated Lemon City already had a population of 300. Lemon City had the areas oldest school, the Lemon City School, and the first library, the Lemon City Library. Lemon City was segregated with Black families living in three neighborhoods, Nazarine, Boles Town, and Knightsville. The exact boundaries of Lemon City have been lost to time since it was never incorporated. During the 1980's many Haitian immigrants made what was once Lemon City their home. The area has now been designated as Little Haiti which upset some of the descendants of the pioneers of Lemon City who thought the name change was insulting to their history. To be more inclusive of all of the history of the area, 10 historical signs marking the history of Lemon City were erected by the Mayor's office. Markers were placed at the Lemon City Train Station, Lemon City Port, Lemon City Library, and here at the Lemon City Pharmacy. Dr. John Gordon DuPuis was born in Newnansville Florida in 1875. He graduated from medical school at the University of Kentucky in 1898 and then moved to Lemon City where he began his practice and pharmacy in a one room building behind the Conolly Hotel. The Lemon City Pharmacy Dupuis Office was built in 1902, four years after he arrived in South Florida. It was the first concrete building north of downtown Miami and served as Dr. DuPuis medical practice and pharmacy and his families residence. The pharmacy was designed in a Masonry Vernacular style. The building features pressed metal detailing and the type of commercial architecture that was popular at the turn of the century. Dr. DuPuis was one of the first doctors in the area and a community leader. He treated the sick during a yellow fever outbreak in 1899 and counted the Seminoles and among his patients who held him in high regard. Dr. DuPuis was a white doctor who made house calls to Black families in the area, which was unusual for the time. Based on his belief that fresh milk was necessary for good health, he established what would become one of the area's largest dairies. White Belt Dairy consisted of 900 cows over 2,000 acres and was managed by Dr. DuPuis wife Katherine and his son John. Dr. DuPuis was also passionate about education. He founded the Dade Agricultural School in 1915 which focused on vocational training with a stress on agriculture. In 1925 Dr. DuPuis family moved out of the building and he continued his practice there until he passed away in 1955. The Dr. DuPuis medical building is currently in pretty sad shape. It was on the Dade Heritage Trust list of 12 most historic endangered buildings in 2018 however there may be hope for it because big plans are in the works for this area. The Miami City Commission are considering a billion-dollar real estate project in Little Haiti called the Magic City Innovation District, It is expected to take 10 to 15 years to complete and will turn Little Haiti area into an international draw for tourists and businesses. Spread out over 17 acres it will include residential units, hotel rooms, retail space, and a pop-up theme park with multimedia and interactive installations, designed by Lune Rouge, the Montreal-based company owned by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté. Best of all the developers want to preserve the historic aspects of this neighborhood. The DuPuis Medical Office and Drug Store will be incorporated into the western side of the project. A drawing of the project shows it turned into an art gallery. I am watching with anticipation to see what is going to happen in Little Haiti. You can already see the spark with new businesses opening like the Citadel Food Hall in the Little River area. I had heard of Lemon City in passing when bones were discovered in an unmarked cemetery during construction of an affordable housing unit. I always meant to learn more about this historic area but never had the time. I finally got to explore this area and was really delighted to find all of the historical markers. It was like a scavenger hunt discovering them and learning another piece of Lemon City's history. The pharmacy is currently fenced off in anticipation of the new project and there is a huge MAGIC sign set up across the street heralding what will hopefully be good things to come for this area. I am excited to see the next chapter of history unfold here.

I was checking out the new signs that are part of Sailboat Bend walking trail when I noticed this…read morehistoric marker for Rivermont. It is part of the Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular and valued public history programs. The markers raise awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of buildings, schools, forts, roads, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, historic districts, and archaeological sites like this one. Historic marker F-1228 was installed in 2023 by the City of Ft. Lauderdale and the Florida Department of State. Rivermont is an archaeological site on the north bank of the New River in the Sailboat Bend Historic District. Around 700 BCE this was a thriving village and ceremonial complex for the Tequesta, the prehistoric inhabitants of this area. The Tequesta were an indigenous people who inhabited southeast Florida from Boca Raton to Key West, and in the Everglades. They lived on fish, shellfish, berries and small game and were well adapted to the environment of South Florida. They thrived for 2,000 years until they were victims of war and disease brought by Europeans in the 1500's. By the 1800's they had all died out. In 2006, a Seminole blue glass trade bead was discovered indicating that Seminoles used this area during their trips on the New River in the 1800's. Rivermont is the best preserved prehistoric site in eastern Broward County. It has one of the deepest surviving black earth middens on the New River. Middens are a kind of ancient garbage dump that can tell you a lot about the people who lived here. Rivermont's existence has been known since the 19th century. It was mentioned in an 1896-1897 guidebook for Dade County, which later became Broward County. Prominent American archaeologist Mark Raymond Harrington, who conducted some of the earliest archaeological investigations in Broward County, visited the site in 1908. In 2016, the Rivermont House from which this site takes its name was demolished. You can still see the masonry wall, gate posts, and paved tracks of a road. The City of Fort Lauderdale designated Rivermont as a local archaeological site in 2021 and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. Today Rivermont is Tequesta Park across the street from another significant historical site, the first Fort Lauderdale.