- Fort Lauderdale was originally settled in the 1830s and incorporated in 1911 when thousands of people arrived for a land sale of former Everglades land that had been drained. - In the early 20th century, Fort Lauderdale grew as a farming and shipping town known as the "Winter Vegetable Shipping Capital of the South." - The 1920s real estate boom and the rise of tourism transformed the city's economy from farming to real estate and tourism, and downtown was rebuilt after a devastating 1912 fire. Fort Lauderdale continued developing through subsequent decades as a tourist destination and rapidly growing suburb of Miami.

1. 1911-2011 A Brief History of the Venice of America
Presented by the Fort Lauderdale Centennial Speaker’s Bureau
Images courtesy the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society &
Broward County Historical Commission & Fort Lauderdale Woman’s Club & SW FL Museum of History

2. 1880s
Tequesta and their ancestors here
for thousands of years. First
European settlers in the late 18th C.
New River

3. 1838 First “fort” founded in 1838 by William Lauderdale
after Seminoles killed family of William Cooley
1836 (Now Cooley’s Landing).
Drawing of third and
most permanent fort.

4. 1876
House of Refuge built. In
1890s relocated to site
of south beach. Later
became Coast Guard.
Party at House of
Refuge 1911

5. 1893 Ferry across New River and Stranahan’s camp
and trading post. Pioneers lived along the river.

6. 1893 Ferry across New River and Stranahan’s camp
and trading post. Pioneers lived along the river.

7. 1893 Ferry across New River and Stranahan’s camp
and trading post. Pioneers lived along the river.

8. 1896
First through FEC train arrives
April 1896. African American
pioneers work on FEC RR.
Stranahan’s camp, 1890s

9. 1899 First school 1899 and first school
teacher Ivy Cromartie (Stranahan)

10. 1902 Seminoles in area since before 1800; had many camps
along New River, and North fork by 1902 near I-95 &
Broward. Ceremonial grounds were at Pine Island.

11. 1902 Marshall Packinghouse south fork
New River ca. 1902-1910
Fort Lauderdale was on“high
ground” good for farming

12. 1905 King’s boatworks just west of Andrews bridge.

13. 1905 New River Inn built just west of FEC tracks.

14. 1906 Map looking west
showing New River,
Bay Mable (Port E),
farms and citrus
groves, planned
NNR Canal and the
shrinking
Everglades 1906
Arrow points to
eastern extent of
“Everglades” —
about I-95

15. 1906
Everglades drainage project—began
with North New River Canal off the
South Fork of New River 1906-1912.
Celebration of completion of North New
River Canal 1912

16. 1908 Where rail and river met was new center of town. Fort
Lauderdale became “The Gateway to the Everglades.”
View from FEC RR bridge of vegetable docks at foot of
Brickell Avenue. Today this is the south end of Las
Olas Riverfront. This was the heart of town.

17. 1908 Close up of docks by FEC bridge New River
ca. 1906-1908

18. 1909 “Winter Vegetable Shipping Capital of the South”/
“The Gateway to the Everglades”.
Over 100,000 crates of vegetables shipped in 1909

19. 1910 Looking SW at New River and Andrews
Berryhill-Cromartie at left

20. 1910 Andrews look N, late 1910s city hall and
fire station at center—at intersection of
what is now SW 2nd ST and Andrews

21. 1910
Farmers grew just about everything, largest cash
crop here was tomatoes (“pines,” peppers,
eggplants; beans big in Pompano).

22. 1911
Jan 1911, Board of Trade asked that ladies form
the Women’s Civic Improvement Assn. Woman’s
Club formed before town for “civic improvements”

23. Drained
Everglades land
in great demand

24. 1911
Land sale March-April 1911. Thousands of people in a town of 200-300 residents
prompted Fort Lauderdale to incorporate March 1911.
$240 ($5616 in 2011 $$) entitled you to a lot in Progresso (now Croissant Park) and a
“farm” in the Everglades of indeterminate size (about 10 acres) and location. According
to Thomas E. Watson in the Jeffersonian Magazine, “land increased in value during
the past two years from $2.50 an acre to $2500 an acre for a lot in town.”

25. 1911
Population 1910 census: 143
(Probably 200-300 residents)
People pouring into Fort
Lauderdale (3000-5000) for
drained Everglades land resulted
in incorporation
March 27,1911:
45 registered voters
Most important reason:
sanitation!!

26. 1911
Beautiful downtown
Fort Lauderdale 1911
(Brickell) looking N.

27. 1911
Inside Everglades Grocery (#1 from previous slide)

28. 1911 Berryhill Cromartie store next
to Andrews AV bridge

29. 1911 Berryhill Cromartie store next
to Andrews AV bridge
Andrews bridge look N.

30. 1911 July 4th party off for the beach 1911.
New River Inn circled.

31. 1910-1915
“Mass Transit” 1910
Ice/Electric plant 1912
Phones 1914
“Mass Transit” 1915

32. 1912
North New River Canal lock #1 (I 595 and Davie Road)
New town of Zona (Davie) created 1912 from drained land
20,000 farms sold “west of Fort Lauderdale” by 1910 according to the Homeseeker

33. 1912
Days catch
Group at beach

34. 1912 Fire of 1912 looking NE from RR bridge.
Note Fort Lauderdale Sentinel Building at Andrews and
SE 2nd ST (near where main library is today)

35. 1913
The city rebuilds—looking SW along Brickell Avenue.
Note the Osceola Inn at center, which would burn to the ground in July of 1913.
The corner of the New River Inn can be seen at far right.

36. 1913
East Las Olas
about SE3rd ST
Stranahan House about 1913 look NE ca. 1915
after renovations. This was
probably the easternmost
residence except for the
Las Olas Inn.

37. 1913
Las Olas at Colee Hammock
before causeway to the beach

38. 1913 Fort Lauderdale home town
team (later the Tarpons)

39. 1913
Flying Ls before they were known as Flying Ls

40. 1913
Flying Ls before they were known as Flying Ls
Sunday School camping trip ca 1913-14

41. 1914
Fort Lauderdale’s (white)
school was located on
Andrews at about SW
5th Street.
Af Am students attended
a school at NW4th Street
and NW4 Avenue. (No
known photos)

42. 1915
On road to Fort Lauderdale
Dixie Hwy finished through Broward 1915
Broward Became County 1915

43. 1917
Womens Club Clubhouse built at Broward
& Andrews (Now being restored)

44. 1920s The beach finally became
important as an attraction.
Dredging Las Olas Isles
begins ca 1919.
Boom of the 1920s Real estate and
tourism replaced farming as focus

45. 1926 Downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Andrews replaced Brickell as main street.

46. 1926 Boom went bust in 1926.
Sept 1926 Hurricane damage looking south on Andrews.

47. 1928 Casino pool opens.
Collegiate Swim Forum shown (1936).

48. 1928 Port Everglades opened.

49. 1934
Casino Pool
Coast Guard Base 6
(Future
(Future Bahia Mar)
Swimming
Hall of Fame)

50. 1935
Depression: Fort Lauderdale perseveres...
Williams McWilliams Ice Cream
T.S. Cobbs, Beddorest Company

51. 1945
WWII Naval Air Station

52. 1945
Now FLL Airport
WWII Naval Air Station

53. 1945
Now FLL Airport
George H.W. Bush pilot here.
Origin of Flight 19 Dec 5, 1945
WWII Naval Air Station

54. 1945 War ends; Veterans bring their
families back to South Florida to live.

55. 1947
More hurricanes?
Flood of 1947

56. Andrews Avenue
looking S late 1940s.
Beach late 1940s.
Lauderdale Beach
Hotel at left.

57. 1949
Bahia Mar created from Coast
Guard Base 6—a boon to the
marine industries. Opened 12/1949.

58. 1950s One of many boat parades
ca. mid 1950s…

59. 1950s Air conditioning & new pest control
techniques forever change SoFL
Provident hospital
Mosquito ditches

60. 1953
Civil Defense the buzz
word for the era.
Television comes to
SoFL WTVJ March
1949. Photo 1953.

61. 1960 The annual college
invasion documented
in Where the Boys Are
– premiered 12/1960

62. 1961
Next Spring 50,000 students invaded.

63. 1961 Beach wade-ins

64. 1985 As many as 300,000
students by 1985.
“The Wall” 1986.

65. 1960 Tunnel construction
completed
Condos appeared
everywhere

66. 1960s Fort Lauderdale became a well known tennis
center—Evert family 1960s.
ISHOF construction 1965 (Behind Casino Pool).

67. 1972 In 1960s Fort Lauderdale grew
75% –fastest growing city in
the state.
1970s—the growth of Broward
County too.
I-95 looking south at Davie
Blvd intersection 1972 (BCHC)

68. 2010 Stranahan House 1913

69. 2010 Stranahan House 1913
and 2010