Federal aid to community development 1933 Fort Lauderdale Florida State Archives |
Fort Lauderdale experienced a devastating hurricane and land bust that sent it spiraling into the throes of the Great Depression two to three years before the rest of the nation. Tourists visited but spent little money. Land sales plummeted to a halt.
Some facts about those depression years:
Some facts about those depression years:
• Fort Lauderdale’s population reached nearly 8,700 (it doubled by 1940).
• The average assessed value of homes in 1934 was about $4,500.
• Illegal gambling, and bootlegging (until 1933) flourished.
• Grits and Grunts topped menus at homes and restaurants. An inexpensive meal, it included small fish or grunts caught off nearby reefs fried in oil and served with grits.
For more about Fort Lauderdale in the 1930s, see index.
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Sources:
Weidling, Philip J. , Burghard, August. Checkered Sunshine. Gainesville: University of Florida Press (1966).
http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch03.pdf
Miami News, March 9, 1934
Tags: Fort Lauderdale in the 1930s, Fort Lauderdale history, Fort Lauderdale during the Great Depression, film researcher
For more about Fort Lauderdale in the 1930s, see index.
________________
Sources:
Weidling, Philip J. , Burghard, August. Checkered Sunshine. Gainesville: University of Florida Press (1966).
http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch03.pdf
Miami News, March 9, 1934
Tags: Fort Lauderdale in the 1930s, Fort Lauderdale history, Fort Lauderdale during the Great Depression, film researcher