Casey Piket @ Miami History

Tuttle Avenue in 1921 The story of the city ordinance that briefly named today's Miami Avenue to Tuttle Avenue in 1921 to honor Julia Tuttle for her contributions to the founding of the City of Miami.

On October 6, 1920, the Miami City Council approved the Chaille Plan to rename all the streets in the City of Miami. The plan called for the center of the new naming system to be the intersection of Miami Avenue and Flagler Street.

Remembering South Florida legend Wolfie Cohen who died on this day (October 5), in 1986 at the age of 74. Cohen was the flamboyant founder of three of South Florida's most famous eating establishments: Wolfies, The Rascal House and Pumperniks.

Aerial View of DuPont Plaza Miami in 1982 An interesting aerial view of downtown Miami in 1982. This vantage has changed tremendously since the early 1980s and much of this part of downtown has been redeveloped in the past 30+ years.

On October 2, 1982, the $110 million James L. Knight Center was dedicated in a ceremony hosted by Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre. The convention center is located along the Miami River on the west side of SE Second Avenue. Click on the link to read more.

Who remembers the American Banker Insurance building at 600 Brickell Avenue (1965 - 2007)? The insurance company left for South Dade in the late 1980s and the building was taken over by United Way. The structure was razed in 2007 to make room for the Brickell World Plaza building.

On October 2, 1885, Florida's first female representative in Congress and Miami resident, Ruth Bryan Owen, daughter of William Jennings Bryan, was born in Illinois. Mrs. Owen served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1929 until 1933.

On October 2, 1937, the Walgreens store at 200 East Flagler Street in downtown Miami opened for business.

A photo of Flagler Street, near the corner of East First Avenue looking west, in 1939 (courtesy of Miami-Dade Public Library, Romer Collection). The buildings in this photo, from left to right, up to the Burdines building, have been demolished or in process of being razed.

Brigg’s Mansion on Brickell Avenue The history of the property at 1581 Brickell Avenue that once was the location of a beautiful estate and now is the host of the Villa Regina condominium tower.

The latest article on the Miami History Substack shares the story of the beautiful estate at 1581 Brickell Avenue which was constructed in 1917-18. The mansion was originally built for Charles Briggs who ran a leather manufacturer in the northeast.

Two photos of the interior of the mansion that stood along Brickell Avenue’s millionaire row, just south of SE Fifteenth Road, from 1917 until 1979. The property was redeveloped into the Villa Regina condominium tower at 1581 Brickell Avenue which opened in 1982.

On September 27, 1963, demolition of Miami's downtown Florida East Coast Railway Station began. The station opened in 1912 and was the second permanent railway station in downtown Miami. Locals complained about how the train depot constricted automobile traffic in and around the county courthouse.

An aerial view of SW First Street in downtown Miami looking east in 1952. This portion of West First Street consisted of a number of automotive repair shops during the middle decades of the Twentieth Century. Photo courtesy of Casey M. Piket.

Postcard of the Cabassa residence on Brickell’s Millionaire Row in the 1940s. This mansion was at 1581 Brickell Avenue on the property that is now Villa Regina Condominiums today.

Aerial view of Brickell Avenue, looking north from SE 14th Lane in 1973. This view has changed dramatically in the last 50+ years.

Theme Villages of Coral Gables Listen now | George Merrick hired the American Building Corporation to construct 1,000 residences over a ten years in 1925. As part of this contract, they were required to construct 16 theme villages.

The latest episode of the Miami History Podcast shares the story of the Theme Villages of Coral Gables. Click on the link below to hear more about this very unique set of villages that were constructed in the mid-1920s, and still stand today throughout Coral Gables.

Panoramic View of Downtown Miami in 1955 The cover photo is a view of downtown Miami in 1955 looking east from the Dade County Courthouse. While the view has changed dramatically in 70-years, some buildings still remain.

A view of the downtown Miami Skyline in 1955 from near the top of the Dade County Courthouse. Several of the buildings in this photograph are still standing. Click on the link below to read more about each remaining building.

Coconut Grove Pioneer Kirk Munroe Remembering Coconut Grove and Biscayne Bay Yacht Club pioneer, and world renowned author, Kirk Munroe, who was a long-time and celebrated resident of the Grove during its formative years.

On September 15, 1850, Kirk Munroe, early Coconut Grove pioneer, writer and conservationist, was born in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Click on the link to read more about Kirk Munroe.

On September 15, 1961, Miami Dolphin quarterback legend, Dan Marino, was born in Pittsburgh, PA. Dolphin fans miss the days when Dan would "pick a guy and let it fly".

On September 14, 1933, Roddy Burdine, the prince merchant of Burdines Department Store, got married to Lillian Jennette Chapman. Lillian was Roddy's second wife.

Miami Pioneer Julia Tuttle Listen now (17 mins) | Miami History Podcast episode that shares the story of the relentless spirit and vison of city founder Julia Tuttle.

Remembering Julia Tuttle on the anniversary of her passing on September 14, 1898. She was only 49 years of age at the time of her death. She is fondly remembered as the "Mother of Miami" for her contributions to the founding of the City of Miami. Listen to the podcast episode on Julia Tuttle.

City of Hialeah Centennial Listen now | This podcast episode shares the early history and founding story of the City of Hialeah.

Happy 100th birthday to the City of Hialeah. As the city celebrates its centennial anniversary since incorporation, the Miami History Podcast shares the story of this upstart municipality which was officially organized on September 10, 1925.

On September 8, 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established St. Augustine as part of his mission to claim Florida for Spain and remove French settlers from the area. The settlement was named in honor of St. Augustine's feast day, which fell on the date his expedition sighted land.

Dade County Courthouses The history of the different courthouse buildings in Miami through the years, with the current courthouse celebrating its grand opening on September 6, 1928.

On September 6, 1928, the Dade County Courthouse was dedicated. Click on the link to read more about the different courthouses for Dade County through the years, and the dedication of the current courthouse for the county today.

Segment of Berlin Wall in Downtown Miami The story of how a piece of world history found its way on the downtown campus of Miami-Dade College in 2014.

Did you know that a piece of world history is on permanent display in downtown Miami? This is the story of how a twelve foot by three foot wide piece of the Berlin Wall found its way to the Miami-Dade College downtown campus. Click on the link to read more.

Architect Lawrence Murray Dixon The story of famed architect L Murray Dixon and his impact on South Florida architecture from the mid-1920s through the 1940s.

The latest episode published on the Miami History Podcast shares the story of architect Lawrence Murray Dixon and all the great designs he was responsible for on Miami Beach and throughout South Florida. Click on the link to listen.

Black Police Precinct & Courthouse in Overtown The story of the five first black officers to be hired by the Miami Police Department in 1944, and the precinct and courthouse constructed in Overtown in 1950.

On September 1, 1944, the Miami Police Department swore in their first five black police officers. The department was segregated at the time and black officers were responsible for patrolling Overtown, the black section of Coconut Grove, and Liberty City until the force was desegregated in 1963.

A Splendid Little Fort in Miami (1898) The City of Miami was not quite two years old when a conflict with Spain was brewing to its south on the island of Cuba.

An updated version of a story published in 2015 about Fort Brickell during the Spanish American War of 1898. Click on the link to read the full story.

On August 26, 1926, a beam from the Ingraham Building, which was under construction, fell through the roof of the adjacent Tatum Building which nearly struck Miami Pioneer B.B. Tatum who was working in his office when the beam catapulted through the roof of his office.

Chapman Field – International Airport in 1925? The story of how Chapman Field in Cutler almost became South Florida's first commercial airport in 1925.

The front page headlines of the Miami Daily News and Miami Tribune on August 25, 1925, one hundred years ago today, declared that the Dade County Commission approved a plan to create a commercial airport at Chapman Field. What happened to that plan? Click on the link to find out.

South Florida Hurricanes: 1950 - 2005 On the anniversary of Hurricane Andrew on August 24, watch the Miami History Channel video on hurricanes in the second half of the last century. Content on Andrew begins at the 4:12 mark.

On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew made landfall in South Florida at approximately 5:00am. Andrew was a category 5 storm, with winds in excess of 175 MPH. Go to the 4:12 mark in the attached video.

Frazure House on Biscayne Blvd in 1917 The story of an iconic residence that operated as a rooming house on what later became the site of the Columbus Hotel in the 1920s.

The latest article on the Miami History Substack shares the story of the Frazure House, once located on the corner of today’s Biscayne Boulevard and NE First Street in downtown Miami, which was a well-known rooming house from 1917 until the early 1920s, when it was razed for the Columbus Hotel.