Fort Lauderdale - farm or beach?

 

By Jane Feehan

High hopes for farming helped fuel Fort Lauderdale’s early growth.

The first big wave of investors came to the rural town in 1911 for a lottery sale of lands belonging to one large property owner, Richard Bolles. For some, interest in the sale was driven by hopes of reselling acreage for profit. Others saw potential for farming, but hopes diminished a few years later when attempts to drain the Everglades failed.

Land developers led the charge to Fort Lauderdale a decade later. They correctly assumed many would be interested in moving to the area and buying property to live on, especially after Henry Flagler extended his railway to Miami. But farming remained top of mind for many, just not near the Everglades.

A report from the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce underscored agricultural hopes. During the one month of October 1924, the chamber received more than 2,000 queries from all over the U.S and around the world about farming in Fort Lauderdale’s sunshine. 

The city hadn’t funded an advertising campaign anywhere other than in The Times-Union newspaper in Jacksonville but the queries kept coming. Other towns—Melbourne, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Sarasota and Davie—actively solicited farming entrepreneurs and investors and set aside money to pay for ads throughout the nation. The focus on farming in Fort Lauderdale waned as newcomers saw the potential of its beaches and waterways, but farming dominated neighboring towns like Dania, Hallandale, Deerfield Beach and many other parts of the state.

By 1925, the Fort Lauderdale Daily News claimed the state’s sunshine was a factor in health and also “a source of power.” State farming statistics demonstrated that power: Florida had 35,000,000 acres of land and 6,000,000 acres of farms. The cultivation of 2,500,000 acres in the state produced 84,000 rail cars of fruits and vegetables; 15,000,000 bushels of cereals, beans and peas; 125,000 tons of hay; 4,500,000 pounds of tobacco and 2,000,000 pounds of pecans. Farmers could count 250 crops that would grow well in the state.

A look at the last two decades  provides a comparison in crops. In 2022-2023 the USDA Agricultural Statistics Services reported 44,400 farms across a total of 9,700,000 acres produced 51 percent of the nation’s Valencia oranges, 20 percent of U.S. bell peppers and 18 percent of “fresh market tomatoes.” Florida ranks 16^th among all states in the number of farms, and 29^th in farmlands. It’s first in the nation for Valencia oranges, sugarcane, watermelons and sweet corn. Notably, citrus value has declined from $636,747,000 in 2017-2018 to $193,949,000 in 2022-23. Recent reports indicate another nosedive in citrus dollars is expected for 2024. (Search index for “Where Have Florida’s Oranges Gone?”)

Though this beachside town drifted away from agriculture, the notion of farming helped “grow” Fort Lauderdale’s name recognition. Our "power" today  derives from oceanside and waterway real estate. If there were no New River would we have the downtown skyline and congestion?

Sources:

Fort Lauderdale Daily News, March 19, 1925

Fort Lauderdale Daily News, July 23, 1925

Fort Lauderdale Daily News, Aug. 4, 1925

USDA National Agricultural Statistic Services

 Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan

Tags: Fort Lauderdale history, Fort Lauderdale in the 1920s, Florida agriculture, Jane Feehan

Fort Lauderdale 2024

 

Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas bridge, the Dwight L. Rogers Memorial Causeway

 

Las Olas bridge view from Idlewyld neighborhood 2024

By Jane Feehan

Fort Lauderdale’s population grew from 17,996 in 1940 to 36,328 residents in 1950*. Along with this expansion came infrastructure woes. Newspapers pointed to several traffic bottlenecks including at the bridge built in 1917 from Las Olas to the beach. It was time for a new structure to ease traffic snarls.

A permit was applied for by the state’s road department from the U.S Department of the Army in January 1956. By May that year, bids were solicited for a new four-lane bridge. Final decision was made on a bid for $1.5 million for a span of 1,095 feet. It would sit at 24.7 feet in a closed position above high-tide waters. Separate bids went out for the east and west approaches to the new structure and included two five-foot sidewalks for less than $20,000. A channel would be cut through a small island in the Intracoastal for the structure (the entire island was eventually removed).

Though steel for the new structure began to arrive in 1957, builders soon faced a short-lived shortage. Limited supplies resulted from a nationwide post war building boom. Despite the delay, the bridge was finished five weeks early in August 1958 for $1.2 million.

Bridge opens in 1958, State Archives of Florida

Discussions about a garage versus a surface parking lot ran concurrently with bridge construction. Some wanted a multi-use garage with offices and retail at ground level and an area dedicated to recreational activities on the roof. The city settled on a surface lot on the bridge’s east side. (The garage concept re-emerged in subsequent decades resulting in the structure at Seabreeze and Las Olas that opened in 2018 and was completed in 2020 for about $21 million).

The old bridge remained in use until the new one was completed in 1958. The Las Olas bridge opened August 26, 1958. A formal dedication was held September 6, 1958. Public officials were on hand including a group aboard a yacht owned by Bernie Castro of Castro (convertible sofa). Music was provided by the Fort Lauderdale High School Band. The widow of U.S. Representative Dwight L. Rogers for whom the bridge was named, cut the ribbon and pulled a lever to raise the bridge as part of the ceremony.

How many times have we crossed that bridge—and others—bearing the name of an official or notable resident without knowing it’s the official designation of the bridge?

Naming background

Florida Department of Transportation’s designation of certain roads, bridges or other transportation facilities is a “long-standing practice in Florida.” A designation must be made according to statutory requirements and procedures. FDOT pays costs related to signage (as of 2011). Dwight Laing Rogers (1886-1954) moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1925 and served as United States Representative (D-FL) four terms 1945-1954.

The Dwight L. Rogers Memorial Causeway includes the bridge approaches and bridge. Most refer to it as the Las Olas bridge. Now you know where this memorial causeway sits.

Bridge update

The bridge underwent significant rehabilitation in 2013 for about $9 million (some sources report $5.8 million).

Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan

 Sources:

 *George, Paul S. Meeting the Challenges of Growth: Road and Bridge Building in Post WWII Fort Lauderdale. Broward Legacy.

Florida Department of Transportation

Fort Lauderdale News, Jan. 12, 1956

Fort Lauderdale News, April 1, 1956

The Miami Herald, July 18, 1957

The Miami Herald, Oct. 31, 1957

The Miami Herald, Dec. 5, 1957

Fort Lauderdale News, Aug. 16, 1958

Fort Lauderdale News, Aug. 26, 1958

The Miami Herald, Sept. 7, 1958

The Miami Herald, Sept. 22, 1958

Tags: Las Olas bridge, Fort Lauderdale in the 1950s, Rep. Dwight Laing Rogers

 

Fort Lauderdale in the news 1950 - surprises and …

 

Fort Lauderdale

 

A fast-growing city in 1950, Fort Lauderdale began to capture the attention—and headlines—of northern newspapers. Some news came courtesy of public relations initiatives. Other items raised interest because the city was gaining popularity among potential tourists as well as entrepreneurs looking for new opportunities.

Below is a synopsis of stories published in New York and Chicago in 1950. They involve a female baseball player, tourism, gambling, shopping and weather.

Baseball:

Steve Calder, owner of the Fort Lauderdale Club of the Class B International League (a men’s team), and club official James Hunt, attempted to acquire female first-base phenom Dorothy Kamenshek, 26, from the Illinois-based Rockford Peaches All-American Girls’ Baseball League. Calder’s bid to buy out her contract failed when her team said they couldn’t afford to lose her. Some said she was good enough to play in “organized baseball.”

Tourism and economy:

A record-breaking building boom raised $20,000,000 in permits for construction of 122 “apartment houses” and seven hotels.

Tourist entertainment or sightseeing venues included: Bahia Mar (in its second year), shuffleboard tournaments, boat trips throughout city canals, including a visit to the “Jungle Bird Farm”; a new 18-hole golf course and an annual fishing festival. Hotel rates started at about $13 on the beach and hotels downtown at about $10.

About 100,000 vacationers visited Fort Lauderdale annually in 1950 (in comparison, Port Everglades alone currently sees 4 million a year coming through for cruises).

Gambling:

The Kefauver Committee on Crime heard testimony about Greenacres, a gambling joint on “the outskirts of Fort Lauderdale” owned by Frank Erickson.

Former Fort Lauderdale Sheriff Walter Clark and his brother Robert, once his deputy, were indicted on gambling charges. They were charged with allegedly owning slot machines and operating a lottery. Florida Governor Fuller Warren had removed Clark from office after hearing testimony from the Kefauver Committee.

Shopping on Las Olas:

In May 1950 it was announced that for the “first time in the history of Fort Lauderdale,” shops would remain open year round. The city expected its busiest summer season that year.

Weather:

It was reported on January 1, 1950, that 16 inches of rain the last week in December, caused $1 million in damage to crops near Fort Lauderdale in the Broward County “Everglades winter vegetable area.” One storm saw gusts up to 46 mph.

A look back tells us that news about Fort Lauderdale rings the same bells in different ways.

Sources:

Chicago Tribune, Jan. 1, 1950

Chicago Tribune, Jan. 8, 1950

Daily News, Jan. 8, 1950

Chicago Tribune, Feb. 26, 1950

Daily News, March 31, 1950

Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1950

Staten Island Advance, Aug. 4, 1950

Daily News, Aug. 19, 1950

Daily News, Dec. 4, 1950

Tags: Fort Lauderdale in the news 1950, Fort Lauderdale history, Fort Lauderdale tourism, Fort Lauderdale in the 1950s

 

Coral Springs, once green beans and cattle but no springs

 

Coral Springs in 1977, State of Florida Archives

By Jane Feehan

Broward County pioneer Henry L. Lyons arrived in Florida during the early 1900s with plans to farm and assess other opportunities. About 100 settlers lived in  northern Broward County then.

Lyons (1893-1952) a Valdosta, Georgia native, looked west, toward the Everglades, as many new settlers did, for an income source. The rich, dark mucky soil of that area held promise for growing vegetables.

Lyons accumulated about 20,000 acres over the years. He built canals and installed pumps to accommodate his growing green bean farm. According to The Palm Beach Post (Aug. 27, 2020), Lyons dedicated 4,000 acres to growing green beans and was thought to own the largest bean farm in the United States at one time.

But Mother Nature altered farming plans of some and launched plans of future developers.

Two September hurricanes in 1947 flooded crops throughout South Florida. What became the South Florida Water Management District drained areas that later included Coral Springs. Lyons shifted gears to cattle ranching. He dominated that Florida industry for a few years, and became a member of the Broward County and the National Cattlemen's Association.

South Florida and Broward County grew at leaps and bounds during the 1950s and 1960s attracting developers, builders and real estate entrepreneurs. A few years after Lyons died (1952), his family wanted to sell off their land holdings.

Coral Ridge Properties (CRP), founded by James S. Hunt (d. 1972) and Joseph P. Taravella (d. 1978), saw gold in western Broward County. A high-profile, successful real estate development company, Coral Ridge Properties had scored a few notable land deals in the eastern part of the county, including the purchase of Galt Mile and also what became known as Coral Ridge.

CRP bought 3,859 acres from Lyons family in 1961 for a reported $1 million. CRP purchased additional property from family through the 1960s amassing future acreage of the city of Coral Springs. 

Hunt and Taravella used auctions to sell lots or tracts as investment packages to attract builders.  A group settled on the name Coral Springs though the city cannot boast of any springs. To advance development plans, Coral Springs was created by legislative act June 6, 1963 (along with North Lauderdale and Parkland). Harry W. Wilson of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea was tapped as first mayor/commissioner of Coral Springs. See the “Birth of  a City,” ran the ads and other promotions for Coral Springs.

In 1963 Hunt and Taravella planned a city for an expected 50,000 residents. They envisioned a large retirement village for about 3,500 apartments, medical facilities and 24-hour nursing services. Total monthly payments would include the cost of prescriptions and other medicines. CRP built roads and 50 miles of canals for about $3.2 million. Focus on a retirement village expanded into condos, co-ops, a golf course and all the amenities of a new city. They knew their market.

Enthusiasm for Coral Springs proved boundless. An auction held in July 1964 highlights how hot the market was for Coral Springs. Held at Galt Ocean Mile Hotel, the auction sold off 568 lots or 160 acres valued at $1.6 million in a reported seven minutes. Tracts of 1.25 acres to two acres sold for $19,000-$50,000 with 20 percent down, 80 percent payable over five years at a 5.5 percent interest rate.

Coral Springs land sales also attracted the famous. Jack Drury, a well-known and respected public relations figure in Fort Lauderdale, persuaded friend and entertainer Johnny Carson to buy a few lots in Coral Springs. Carson was on hand for one of the city’s early land auctions and a groundbreaking event when he purchased 60 acres in 1964. He held on to the property for eight years and later told Drury it turned out to be one of the best financial decisions of his life.

Westinghouse purchased Coral Springs land in 1966 and left Coral Ridge Properties as developers. The city, totally built out by 2003, set restrictions on commercial signage, house colors and vehicle storage, elements of a planned community that differentiated them from others at the time. A covered bridge, built in 1964 at one of the city entrances to attract interest, remains standing.

Today Coral Springs is home to about 135,000 residents, three high schools, a middle school two, several elementary schools and a shopping mall. Occupying 24 square miles, the center of Coral Springs sits at West Sample Road and University Drive. (University Drive was built to “link the major educational plants of Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties" in 1965.)

Some may say that enthusiasm about Coral Springs, once farmland, amounted to much more than a hill of beans … green beans.

Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan

Sources:

Fort Lauderdale News, July 11, 1931

Fort Lauderdale News, July 16, 1952

Fort Lauderdale News, March 27, 1963

Fort Lauderdale News, June 6, 1963

Fort Lauderdale News, July 15, 1964

Fort Lauderdale News, July 21, 1964

Fort Lauderdale News, July 22, 1964

Fort Lauderdale News, Feb.27, 1965

Fort Lauderdale News, Nov. 29, 1965

Fort Lauderdale News, March 1,1979

The Palm Beach Post, Aug. 27, 2020

South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Sept. 25, 2021

Drury, Jack. Playground of the Stars. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2008

The City of Coral Springs

Tags: Coral Ridge Properties, Coral Springs, Henry L. Lyons, Broward County in the 1960s, Johnny Carson, Jack Drury

Palm Beach County's Hypoluxo - surrounded by water, no way out

 

Hypoluxo peninsula,
State Archives of  Florida

By Jane Feehan

Those driving by I-95 exit signs for Hypoluxo may be more curious about that name than its history.

More on that name to come, but first its story. It's similar to those of other South Florida settlements of the 1800s. A few paragraphs, if not chapters, set it apart.

One differentiator is its location on a small peninsula off the Lake Worth Lagoon and on a small section of the adjoining mainland. The beauty of the area  beckoned Captain W. H. Moore of Chicago during his mail steamer routes to this new frontier. On a return trip to Chicago, he convinced his brother-in-law, Hannibal Dillingham Pierce (1834-1898), to travel with him to Florida with Pierce’s wife, Margretta and their child, Charles.

Pierce settled in Jupiter where he worked as assistant to the lighthouse keeper from October 1872 to October 1873. The family moved to Hypoluxo Island in 1873 where Pierce grew tomatoes and eggplants. He acquired 50 acres with a federal Homestead Grant in 1883. He also served with the government overseeing several houses of refuge along the coast and serving as postmaster.

Genesis of the name, Hypoluxo, is not clear. One story indicates Pierce asked a Seminole how to pronounce the name they called the area. From that, he fashioned its spelling. Local Indians reportedly said it meant “surrounded by water, can’t get out.” Other accounts say the word meant “round hill or mound.” The name Hypoluxo first appeared on War Department maps in 1841.

Hypoluxo sign 1986
State Archives of Florida

Of note—and amusement— is the story of the first election held in what became Palm Beach County. A Dade County election was conducted in 1874 in Hypoluxo (the Palm Beach area was part of Dade County then). According to news accounts, the voting precinct was the home of Hannibal Pierce; his old palmetto hat served as the ballot box. One man voted as well as four members of the election board. Only three other residents lived on the island. According to news of that day, they probably didn’t vote in that election because they didn’t know about it.

Another interesting story is the Barefoot Mailmen connection. Three men in their early 20s from Kentucky ventured to Hypoluxo in 1885: Andrew Garnett, James Porter and James Edward Hamilton. Together, they purchased 16 acres. Garnett and Hamilton also signed up with the United States government to work the recently re-opened Star Route 6451 deactivated in 1867.

Andrew Garnett was tapped as postmaster. Ed Hamilton signed up as courier in 1887. His route ran south past Jupiter (southern terminus of route 6451) to Miami. 

A few months after joining the postal service he disappeared at Hillsboro Inlet where it is thought he tried to swim across the inlet to retrieve a lost boat. His clothes were found along the shore, but he was not. He may have drowned or was attacked by alligators that frequented the area.

Hypoluxo, 14 miles south of Palm Beach and just west of Lantana, grew slowly after Henry Flagler’s East Coast Railroad was extended south. The picturesque area caught the attention of developers—as much of the area did—after Palm Beach gained popularity.

Advertisements for Hypoluxo in The Palm Beach Post touted its beauty, location and prospects in 1920:  He who gives his family a home on Hypoluxo Island gives them the best. There will only be 196 men in this world who can give as much. 

The 196 probably referred to available lots.

One of the fortunate residents was Charles Myers, a winter resident of Hypoluxo who spent summers in Illinois. In 1920 he notified The Palm Beach Post to change newspaper delivery from Wheatfield, Il. back to Hypoluxo.

It’s too hot up here and I want some fine air off the ocean. My vacation slogan is: See tropical Florida: if you don’t like it you can go back.

Mr. Myers might say that today or he could be one of those to go back. The town is home to about 2,800 residents.

Hypoluxo was incorporated as a town in 1955. 

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan

Sources:

The Palm Beach Post, July 13, 1918

The Palm Beach Post, July 1, 1916

The Palm Beach Post, Aug. 18, 1920

The Palm Beach Post, Jan. 9, 1923

The Palm Beach Post, Jan. 18, 1923

The Palm Beach Post, Nov. 17, 1940

The Palm Beach Post, April 26, 1953

The Palm Beach Post, May 19, 1954

The Palm Beach Post, July 3, 1955

Jupiter Lighthouse

WestPalmBeach.com

Tags: 

Hypoluxo, Palm Beach County history, Lake Worth Lagoon

The Landmark Building leads downtown Fort Lauderdale development in 1972

 Looking north from 3rd Avenue Bridge
Landmark sits center of photo 1991
(White strip to roof))
State Archives of Florida/Riddle

Landmark Building 1996, State of Florida Archives 1996,
Florida Dept. of Commerce, Motion Picture and Television Bureau

One Financial Plaza, 100 SE 3^rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, 33301

https://www.onefinancialplazaftl.com/

By Jane Feehan

In 1972 Fort Lauderdale was abuzz about the newly opened Landmark Building, the tallest in Broward County. The 28-story structure was expected to “trigger” commercial interest in the sleepy downtown area.

First National Bank bought the future Landmark site that once served as home to Fort Lauderdale High School. The bank purchased the property for $1.3 million from the Broward County School District in 1968. 

The old high school was demolished in August 1970. Pile drivers began pounding into 48 feet of sand in December 1970. Construction included 900-1,000 piles, 1,670 cubic yards of cement and 380 tons of reinforcing steel.

Transamerica Investment Group, Inc. was named developer of the new building and later named as owner in local newspapers. Fred Millsaps, president of First National Bank, told the Fort Lauderdale News that the building was expected to run $10-11 million to complete. 

When the Landmark Building opened early November 1972, advertisements indicated First National in Fort Lauderdale was a Landmark Bank. An open house November 4 and 5^th promised visitors balloons, orchids, “NFL roster packets” and free tours.

Early tenants of what became known as One Financial Plaza included Causeway Lumber (office), Eastern Airlines, Fort Lauderdale Telephone Co., Gerber Enterprises, Attorney Alcee Hastings, L.C. Judd Realty, Merrill Lynch Fenner & Smith as well as a few accountants, other attorneys, doctors, and insurance companies. A private club occupied the top floor.

Over the decades, tenants and owners changed. It is currently owned, as indicated by the Broward County Property Appraiser, by Alliance HP who purchased the 375-foot building for $82 million from Crocker Partners in 2019. 

One Financial Plaza, as it is referred to today, was recently renovated for millions and now offers charging stations for electric vehicles. The Tower Club, with different operators since 1972, remains a posh gathering place for the city’s influential.

Downtown 2024 - looking north from near 3rd Avenue

No longer the tallest structure in Broward County (I couldn't find it driving downtown; it's surrounded by buildings), One Financial Plaza heralded a revitalization of downtown Fort Lauderdale back in the early 1970s.

A second development push occurred about 25 years ago with residential high rises defining the city’s ever-growing skyline. Today (2024) the tallest building—100 Las Olas—rises 46 stories or 499 feet. For comparison, the Panorama Tower in Miami reaches 85 stories or 868 feet; it is, today, the tallest residential high rise south of New York City.

Fort Lauderdale may not be far behind with a claim of tallest building. Additional projects continue coming out the pipeline. There’s not much vacant property available at this point, but old structures are falling across the city, clearing the way for big—and not often wanted—projects.

The Landmark Building, trigger or not, headed the downtown parade of high rises.

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan

Sources:

Fort Lauderdale News, May 1, 1970

Fort Lauderdale News, May 6, 1970

Fort Lauderdale News, Jan. 23, 1971

Fort Lauderdale News, Feb. 27, 1971

Fort Lauderdale News, Nov. 2, 1972

Fort Lauderdale News, Jan. 6, 1978

 https://www.onefinancialplazaftl.com/

https://1financialplaza.com/

Tags: Fort Lauderdale in the 1970s, Landmark Building, One Financial Plaza, Fort Lauderdale development, Fort Lauderdale tallest building

Sun Tower, one of the oldest remaining hotels on Fort Lauderdale sands

 

 

Sun Tower Hotel & Suites

2030 N. Ocean Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL

954-565-5700

By Jane Feehan

The Sun Tower remains one of the few hotels in Fort Lauderdale that can claim the beach lies literally out the back door. With a deck and restaurant only feet off the sand, it draws locals and repeat visitors from afar.

It’s been around since about 1959 when original owner George A. Zarekas filed a fictitious name or intent to do business as “Sun Tower Apartments.” Architect of the 22-unit building was Gamble, Pownell and Gilroy Company. According to The Miami Herald that year, a $235,000 contract was “let to W. Edward Seese” to build; D.E. Britt served as engineer.

Zarekas came to Florida from Carbondale, Pennsylvania in 1955 where he and wife Marjorie owned and operated the Waymart Hotel and Restaurant. In Fort Lauderdale they also owned the Carib and North Shore motels. The seven-floor Sun Tower was known by several different names over the years. Some referred to it as the Sun Tower Motel or Hotel. It was not pretentious. In fact, the Zarekas would advertise for a couple to run the place while they were away for the summer.

Today it operates as Sun Tower Hotel and Suites. Zarekas, a World War II veteran who fought at Normandy, died in 2021 at age 98. His wife died in 2022. Current owners are listed as Sun Tower Investments with a mailing address in New York City.

The small hotel was upgraded during the COVID pandemic. Not enough can be said about its very casual restaurant, Sand Bar and Grill (or Sand Bar Grill), which serves a tasty breakfast, lunch and dinner on the deck or in a small adjacent room. It’s all about the beach … 

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan

Sources

The Miami Herald, Sept. 20, 1059

Fort Lauderdale News Oct. 23, 1959

Fort Lauderdale News, May 6, 1965

Fort Lauderdale News, April 9, 1973

South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Nov. 19, 2021

Legacy.com

 

 Tags: Fort Lauderdale hotel history, Fort Lauderdale beach hotels, Fort Lauderdale in the 1950s, George A. Zarekas, Sun Tower Hotel & Suites