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, the Lemon City Port, the Lemon City Cemetery, and here in the historic neighborhood of Lemon City Knightsville. I have learned a lot of Florida history by stopping to read the blue historic markers which can be found all over the state. I discovered this marker while traveling through Lemon City. It recounts the history of Knightsville which is bounded by the area east of I-95, between 71st and 54th Streets. Five acre Knightsville was the cultural center of the community. It had two churches and the local chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the first floor which was the school and the second floor was a meeting space and place for social events. Marker F-1071 was installed in 2019 by Alexander Adams and the Florida Department of State. The Little Haiti of today bears little resemblance to the Lemon City of the past. For one thing there are no more lemon trees but I love finding these historic markers that bring the past to life. It is fun going on a scavenger hunt for the signs. Each one provides another glimpse into Lemon City that despite no longer existing, still continues to influence Miami today.

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.

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 Post Office. Marker F-945 installed in 2017 details the history of the Lemon City Post Office. The Lemon City post office opened on October 1, 1889. It was located in a corner of Moffat's bayside store and E.L. White served as the first postmaster. Mail came into Lemon City from the port or by train before being sent south. In 1891 the post office broke with the Moffat family and moved from location to location. It finally got a permanent location in 1905 in its own building. During the years the post office was open, it moved nine times and had twelve postmasters. The post office became part of the Miami postal system in 1925. In 1974, it ceased operation. 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. Although the post office is no longer here, there is a huge MAGIC sign set up heralding what will hopefully be good things to come for this area. I am excited to see the next chapter of history unfold here.

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 Post Office. Marker Number F-944 erected in 2017 details the history of the Lemon City Train Station which was built in 1896 by Henry Flagler to assist with the transportation of crops grown in the area and mail delivery. The yellow and white white wood frame train station with a flower garden looked like all of the train stations he built. A few were saved and you can see them in history parks or museums around the state. Sawfish Bay Park in Jupiter has one. The Lemon City Train station was located between what is now NE 59th St. and NE 60th St. The station was near other businesses and the Lemon City Dock and it contributed to the economic prosperity of Lemon City. The station was part of the Florida East Coast Railway and offered passenger and freight delivery. In the late 1890's the train took a lot of Lemon City residents out of the community and on to better opportunities in Miami. For those who stayed, the commercial district moved closer to the railroad station and new businesses opened. The only remnant of the station today is a section of Florida East Coast is a section of Florida East Coast right of way. Although the train station no longer exists there is a lot happening 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. There is a huge MAGIC sign set up heralding what will hopefully be good things to come for this area. I am excited to see the next chapter of history unfold here.

Apart from this actual sign to state what this area used to be, there is not a lot to see, rather…read morethan just a general feel for this part of Miami. Here is the history - Boles Town was named after a black man, Elijah Boles who came from Lake City with his wife Rosa. Boles Town was near or just west of present-day Miami Avenue at about Fifty-Seventh Street. Before 1915 there was no road access to Boles Town other than sand roads through pine trees. Boles bought the property and built a number of shacks along a single street and ran a small store. The rents and store profits made him the most affluent black in Lemon City.

The Hollywood Historical Society is a non profit organization, founded in 1974 for the purpose of…read morecollecting, preserving, and educating the public about the history of Hollywood, Florida. They are located in the historic Hammerstein House on Polk Street where they operate a research center that has over 20,000 pieces in it's collection. There is a small store at the research center that sells photos, postcards, and books. They also give free tours of the Hammerstein House on first Sunday of the month, October through May, from 1:00-4:00 PM. On the events page of their website you can see the dates for their lecture series as well as an upcoming lunch on January 19th at the Tropical Acres Steak House. Also on their website is a great printable tour map that gives you a self guided walking tour of historic places along the beach and in the downtown. I love what the historical society is doing to preserve the history in Hollywood. It is always fun to discover on of the plaques they have installed on a building and read about the history of the place. You can support the historical society by becoming a member, making a donation, or serving as a docent at the Hammerstein House.

My 1400th year I saved this milestone review for this organization that I have been a Lifetime…read moremember of since moving to Hollywood 19 years ago. This is a wonderful organization that's mission is preserving and protecting Hollywood's history. The headquarters is located a short walk from my home on the Southside of the golf course, on Polk street in the historic district of Hollywood Lakes. The Hammerstein House was donated to the City by the Hammerstein's who have a great love for this city as well as no children to pass the property down to. The Historic Society rents the property on a 99 year lease for $1. per year. There is free tours given of the home first Sunday of the month from October through May. The historic details are magnificent such as the Cuban tile that is original to the home as well as the grand archways. The kitchen has cabinets that reach up to the top of the ceiling and it really lent itself as a place for entertaining. The grounds have beautiful greenery and lush trees. As a past President I had my own home featured on the Annual Historic Home Tour. That year we featured the homes of Northlake which also included the Hollywood Women's Club that is located around the corner from my home across from the Hollywood Beach Resort and Country Club. I highly recommend you stopping by the home for a tour as well as learn more about the City of Hollywood's fascinating history as well as former residents that called Hollywood their home.

Hialeah Entrance Plaza is one of the landmarks in the City of Hialeah. I have to say when it was…read morefirst restored in 2005 (for a whopping $411,000), I didn't like it. It grew on me as time progressed and I always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. Then again that exemplifies my whole experience being a born and bred Hialeahan. Hialeah's motto is the "city of progress", but being born and raised here I can tell you that the city and its people can get a bad rap from the rest of the county, state and heck even sometimes the rest of the country. Sometimes to be fair to the detractors, rightly so, other times very unfairly. Its to the point that the city is mocked as the land of "agua, fango y factorias", or water, mud and factories. There have been times where I have been judged for being from Hialeah. Its a working class/poor area of Miami-Dade County, heavily minority, with a large percentage of its residents who do not speak English. Still, I was born and raised in Hialeah and it has shaped who I am and who I became. In the end, this structure shows Hialeah is more than what its detractors say it is. It is beautiful, well maintained, with a cascading fountain. As an aside, one of my fondest memories of this place was when back in September 10, 2009 some high school student spiked the fountain with soap just before rush hour. I laughed so hard right on my way to work! Like to the story: https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/hialeah-fountain-throwing-a-suds-party/2051397/?amp=1 I took pictures myself that I found which are attached. Ahhh sweet memories!

It's not the Arc de Triomphe but it is the monument that serves as the entrance way to Hialeah. In…read morethe 1980s and 1990s, a coral rock fountain on a grassy patch at SE Fourth Street and Okeechobee was all that stood here. In 2005 the city built the that pale yellow Mediterranean style building that features two sentry towers and a stone fountain on the ground floor at a cost of a $411,848.56. In 2011 the Miami New times listed it as "the worst public works projects in Miami-Dade, where bureaucrats and elected officials take pride in wasting millions in taxpayer dollars on crap residents have little-to-no use for." They site the lack of parking, no sidewalk, and the inability to climb up to the top although there is a staircase on the inside. On occasion pranksters will fill the fountain with soap causing the suds to spill out onto the roadway. Although the New Times may have a point that the fountain was an expensive cost to tax payer, it's final price tag came in twice as much as it's budget, I still like it. It fits nicely in with the Mediterranean Revival theme that was popular in the 1920's when Hialeah was founded. It would however be better if it was more accessible for public use like the entrance ways to Coral Gables.

Continuing to brush up on my Latin American history, I present the bust of General José Gervasio…read moreArtigas. This is one of a number of Latin American monuments from the 1960s that were moved to the exterior of Bayfront Park when it was redesigned by artist and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi in the 1980s. José Gervasio Artigas (1764-1850) was a soldier and statesman famous for leading the independence movement in Uruguay. Artigas was born in Montevideo, then part of the Spanish Empire. He worked as a rancher and cavalryman before joining local militias. In 1811, inspired by broader independence movements in South America, he led a revolt against Spanish colonial authorities. His victory at the Battle of Las Piedras became a major symbol of resistance. This bust can be found near the Freedom Tower. It honors Artigas's role as a leader of the gauchos in the fight against Spanish domination. He is a national hero known as the "Father of Uruguayan Independence."