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.

This made me sad. Apart from a sign to state its history, there was nothing else to see. This…read moremade me sad, really? all that history, all these pour should and bodies that were originally buried here, and that's the best you can do? Very sad. Nothing to see apart from an area, taken over, possibly avoiding the truth the history just be forgotten in the name of what? progress? life? life carrying on? According to records there were 525 people buried in the land, many of whom were Black and Bahamian labourers that helped develop Miami in the early 1900's. Discovered in 2008, the Lemon City Cemetery is believed to be one of the oldest burial sites of people of color in Miami and was designated a historical site in November 2009. In April 2009, Carlisle Development Group and Biscayne Housing Group were in the beginning stages of developing a series of low-income housing buildings, when human remains were found while digging the land. At the time, the city had no records of the cemetery's existence. An examination of the remains and the land concluded that the construction site was indeed a cemetery, believed to date back to the early 1900s. (This is so freaken sad - how can this be so????) Further examination of the human remains concluded 525 souls were interred in the cemetery, the majority of whom were of Black American and Bahamian descent. Many of them were laborers who helped with the construction and development of Miami. see this for more information - https://www.miamitimesonline.com/faith_family/to-be-laid-to-rest-historical-markers/article_93f90568-bc1d-11e8-a548-fbaebc0ed876.html

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, and here at the Lemon City Cemetery. In April 2009 while doing construction on the Village Carver Apartments, an affordable housing development off Northwest 71st Street near Fourth Avenue, workers who were digging discovered bones. According to the city, they were not aware that the 2.4 million dollars worth of land held a cemetery. It turned out that a total of 525 lemon City residents were buried there, most of whom were black Americans of Bahamian descent. Burials in the Lemon City Cemetery are documented from 1911 until 1935 when African-Americans were buried here during segregation. Eventually the city lost track of the location of the cemetery. Concerned citizens united to prevent building from taking place on the cemetery. Led by local historian Enid Pinkney, they formed the Lemon City Cemetery Community Corporation. In November 2009, the City of Miami designated the cemetery a historical site. The developers offered to move the remains buried here but ultimately gave in to the demand to leave them. Instead a memorial was constructed in 2011 and the cemetery was left as a garden. The memorial is on private property and contains 500 names but where everyone is exactly buried is lost to time. In 2018 a historical marker was placed her to explain the history of the cemetery. It is one of the sadder chapters of Lemon City but thanks to the City of Miami and community leaders this cemetery was rescued from being a housing development. It now provides 2 acres of green space to an area that is otherwise paved over.

As a fan of architecture and history I was delighted to spot this historic marker in the North…read moreShore neighborhood in Miami Beach. Stopping for a minute to read a historic marker is a great way to learn more about the history of an area. I have gained so much knowledge about Florida from these blue historical markers that can you find all around the state. This marker is on a median next to Tatum Park and it recounts the history of the mid century North Shore neighborhood. The North Shore Historic District in North Beach, Miami Beach is famous for having the most intact mid-20th century resort architecture (MiMo) in the Greater Miami area. The neighborhood was platted in 1929 and is bounded by 87th Street, Collins Avenue, 73rd Street, and Hawthorne Avenue. After WWII many GI's moved to Florida where the warmer weather was beneficial for helping to recover from their war wounds. A post WWII construction boom saw the creation narrow garden apartments with features designed to adapt to Miami. These architectural details included patios, loggias, flat roofs with broad overhanging eaves, exterior staircases, and catwalks. The architecture in the district is primarily Miami Modernism MiMo style featuring futuristic and modern elements, unique to Miami. Design features include acute angles, delta wings, pipe columns, sweeping curved walls, and soaring pylons. Other architectural styles reflected in the district, include Mediterranean Revival, Art Deco, and Moderne. The North Shore Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Marker F-1090 was erected in 2020 by The City of Miami Beach and the Florida Department of State.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a history buff especially in Miami which is relatively new. This area…read morewas a lot different than what it is now, see below for some information about this. If you walk down the street it leads to the water's edge so you can get a glimpse of Miami from another angle. Lemon City was a community on the shores of Biscayne Bay, predating the incorporation of the City of Miami, that was home to white and Black pioneers. Most of the Blacks in this area were of Bahamian descent and established flourishing communities and businesses including the only U.S. Post Office in the area, a library, churches, "a colored school" and a cemetery. There were at least three identifiable Black communities in Lemon City--Nazarine, Knightsville and Boles Town--all dating from about 1900. After the area underwent a drastic demographic shift in the 1920s, Lemon City became a distant memory in the minds of many of Miami's Black pioneers. Today, over a relatively short period of time, Haitians have moved into the area and changed the character of the neighborhood that was once known as Lemon City. The culturally vibrant Haitian community has enriched Miami-Dade's multi-ethnic character.

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 Historic Lemon Avenue. In 1889 eighty-one small lots were platted in Lemon City. A main street ran down the middle named Lemon Avenue. The street originally ran from the Biscayne Bay to Rock Road which is now NE 2nd Ave. The street was forty feet wide and was sand and exposed rock. Much of Lemon City's development took place along Lemon Avenue including the areas first hotel in 1892. In 1895, owner Eugene C. Harrrington deeded the street to Dade County. Since Lemon City was unincorporated they had to pay for their own infrastructure. The all women Village Improvement Association was organized in 1896 to pave Lemon Avenue. They completed laying rocks in 1902 and Dade County provided a steamroller to finish the job. The completion of the road allowed Lemon City to expand west. Lemon City was annexed in 1925 and the name of Lemon Avenue was changed to NE 61st St. I love finding these historic markers and Lemon City has so many of them. It is fun going on a scavenger hunt for the signs. Each one provides another glimpse into a city from the past that no longer exists but still continues to influence Miami today.

The histories of Cuba and Miami are deeply intertwined, and reminders of that connection can be…read morefound throughout the city, including here at Tamiami Park. While driving through the park, I couldn't miss the large Cuban Flag Memorial near the FIU stadium. Curious to learn more, I stopped for a closer look. The Memorial Cubano was created through a community effort by Cuban exiles in South Florida who wanted to commemorate those who died under the Cuban government after 1959 or while attempting to flee the island. The project began in 2002 when a group of exiles organized a symbolic cemetery to honor victims whose graves were either inaccessible or nonexistent. Thousands of white crosses were placed throughout Tamiami Park, each bearing the name of a deceased person. What began as a temporary tribute soon became an annual tradition. After years of displaying the crosses, a permanent memorial was officially inaugurated on February 22, 2014. Designed by Cuban architects Willy Borroto and Otto Borroto, the memorial features a 62 foot tall obelisk painted as the Cuban flag, a large white star-shaped plaza representing the flag's star, royal palm trees representing the national tree of Cuba, and black marble panels engraved with the names of the deceased. Memorial Cubano, Inc., the nonprofit organization that owns and maintains the memorial, keeps records of individuals whose deaths it deems are attributed to political repression, imprisonment, military actions, or attempts to escape Cuba. Annual ceremonies continue to be held here to honor those who lost their lives under Castro's regime. One particularly large gathering took place on the day of Fidel Castro's funeral. As I walked through the memorial and looked at the names and photographs, the cost of the struggle for freedom was driven home. It was a moving experience. This memorial is well worth a visit if you find yourself in Sweetwater. It is a reminder of the enduring impact Fidel Castro's regime has had on Cubans and the South Florida community.

This was such a cool find in the historic Bayshore area while walking around Biscayne Blvd!…read more I luv that there is so much history throughout Miami if you're willing to look for it! Finding these historical placards and being able to reference what was in them and seeing out into the bay was like being teleported for a moment and imagining ships docked offshore, lemon tree-line cobblestoned streets, and the sounds of carriages and passing trains. On a gorgeous evening, definitely worth the stroll down the street and through history!

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 Port. In 1892, Lewis Pierce set up a large steamboat wharf just south of today's Legion Park, at Lemon Avenue, now known as NE 61st Street. The first dock for vessels in Miami was in Lemon City on Biscayne Bay. A business district developed around the port. By 1891 there were four to six ships arriving in Lemon City every day delivering mail, animals, people, produce, and goods. Larger vessels had to stay in deeper water while smaller boats ferried people and items to the dock. The largest boat to arrive in Lemon City was the Emily B, a three-masted, thirty-ton schooner that traveled between Jacksonville and Key West. In 1891 Julia Tuttle arrived aboard the ship. She became known as the "Mother of Miami," because of her contributions to city. By 1895 the Lemon City port was booming. Hotels and businesses had sprung up around the port. Lemon City became the trading center of Biscayne Bay which attracted the railroads who wanted to transport the goods from the port deeper into the city of Miami. The opening of the Lemon City station on the Florida East Coast Railway in 1896 marked the end of the port as it fell out of favor for transporting goods. Businesses started to shift to Miami. By 1910, the port was no longer used commercially, only for leisure. Today you can stand and gaze into Biscayne Bay where the port used to be. It is fun to go on a scavenger hunt for the signs in the now extinct town. There are actually two historical signs side by side here. Each sign provides another insight into Miami's first settlement.

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until…read moreJuly 1, 1967 when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. AIr Line does not refer to air travel but instead is a common term for the shortest distance between two points. The railroad operated 4,000 miles of track running from Richmond, Virginia down through Jacksonville and ending in West Palm Beach. Solomon Davies Warfield, chairman of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad at the time, extended the railroad further into South Florida to Miami in 1925 and to Homestead in 1927 where it ended. Solomon Davies Warfield was the uncle of Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson, the woman whose love affair with King Edward forced him to abdicate the throne. Opened in 1926, the Hialeah Station like all of the Seaboard Air Line Stations, was designed by architect L. Philipps Clarke. This was one of 40 stations built around this time frame for the railroad. All of the stations were designed the ornate Mediterranean Revival style. The Hialeah station is identical to the one in Naples that has been turned into a beautiful free museum by Collier County. Sadly this station has not been restored. It has been bordered up and it looks like squatters broke in. The beautiful light fixtures are missing. This station serviced the Seaboard trains, the Orange Blossom Special until 1953, and the Silver Meteor beginning in 1939. Passenger service to the station ended in 1972. The station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on July 14, 1995. Today it is used by Tri Rail which added a blue shelter structure. Only two of the Seaboard Air Line Stations have been destroyed. The Boynton Beach station was torn down in 2006 and the Delray Station was destroyed by arson a few months ago. it would be nice if there was interest in fixing up this station. This whole area looks not safe. As soon as I parked I saw smashed glass on the ground all over the parking lot. Never a good sign. 5 stars for the history, 3 stars for its sad current condition.

If you are a history buff - come for a visit. Here is some info that I found out about it…read more. Hialeah Seaboard Air Line Railway Station was built in 1926. The station is essentially identical to the Naples Seaboard station on the southwest coast of Florida. It was served by, among other Seaboard trains, the Orange Blossom Special until 1953, and the Silver Meteor beginning in 1939. Passenger service to the station ended in the 1960s. On July 14, 1995, the station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In 1989, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority began Tri-Rail commuter rail service to the station, adding a bus shelter style structure immediately to the south, which is called the Hialeah Market station.

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.