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.

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.

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.

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.

Being English I am a history buff, here in Miami. So I decided to check out this place on the…read moreHistorical list. This is what I found out about the place - although now it houses a Ballet studio and school. This impressive Neo-Classical building was designed for J.W. Warner, founder of South Florida's first floral company. The home's fine craftsmanship is especially evident in its massive columns, Palladian window and porte-cochère. Wide porches and verandas adapt the J.W. Warner House to the Florida climate with a graciousness that evokes the elegance of Florida's early years. This house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The J.W. Warner House is a historic Greek Revival house that was added to the U.S. National…read moreregister of Historic Place in 1983. James Warner came to Miami in 1906 to work as an accountant for Henry Flagler's railroad. Having lived in Palm Beach James wife Susan noticed that there were no florists in Miami. Susan began to grow flowers and made arrangements for friends and family. She then decided to turn her hobby into a business which turned out to be quite profitable. The Miami Floral Company was founded in 1906 and it did so well that James left his at Miami Electric to work at the flower business. In addition to working at the family business James was also active in politics and civic organizations. As the family became wealthy James desired to have a house reminiscent of the Plantation style homes he grew up with in Georgia. He hired German architect George L. Pfeiffer to design the neoclassical home. Unlike the wood homes that were standard in Miami at the time the Warners decided to build their home with reinforced concrete to withstand hurricanes. The house was completed in 1912 and also unlike other homes at the time had both electricity and indoor plumbing. after James death atthe age of 54 in 1922 Susan and her children continued to run the floral building until her death at the age of 69 in 1942. Two of the children continued to run the company until 1972 when they finally shut it down after being in business for 66 years. George Warner the son of James and Susan passed away and left the house to his widow Autumn and her daughter. By that time the house had become run down and was too large for her to manage. Preservationists were able to buy the home from Autumn Warner and renovated it and leased it to commercial businesses. Today the home is used by the Miami Hispanic Ballet. They purchased the house in 2009 with a grant from the city of Miami. They received a second grant in 2012 to remodel it and it now includes a space to exhibit art and two dance studios. The house is instantly recognizable with it's six three story columns along the front. When the Warner's occupied the house it had 22 bedrooms and a view of the Miami River. Today culture and history mix in the home that once belonged to one of the founding pioneer families of Miami.

In front of the building that houses the Miami Design Preservation League's Art Deco Museum is this…read morehistoric marker that is part of the Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular and valued public history programs. The markers raise awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of schools, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, churches, historic districts, forts, and historic buildings like this one. Historic marker F-1001 was installed in 2018 by the City of Miami Beach and the Florida Department of State. This marker honors Barbara Baer Capitman (1920-1990). The history of South Beach dates back to 1910 when Carl Fisher began to transform the community into a world class resort destination. In the 1920's during Florida's land boom years, many hotels and mansions were built. The 1930's and 40's were the height of the art deco design movement inspired by Paris and many of the hotels were built in this style. By the 1970's South Beach was run down by neglect and salt water damage. Things were so bad that the movie Scarface used to South Beach to stand in for a drug infested ghetto neighborhood. Barbara Baer Capitman and a group of activists banded together to preserve the Art Deco buildings of South Beach. Capitman founded the Miami Design Preservation League in 1976 with Leonard Horowitz which started a movement to place one square mile of South Beach on the National Register of Historic Places. Their efforts enabled 800 of the historic Art Deco buildings to be saved. Formerly run down hotels on Ocean Drive were refreshed in pastel colors chosen by Horowitz. In the late 1980's South Beach had a resurgence. Models and the fashion industry moved in. Barbara Baer Capitman saved the Art Deco treasures of South Beach by taking a local movement to save important architecture and spreading it nationally and internationally. Her impact on South Beach can not be understated. An area that once had people thinking twice about driving through became home to the wealthy. Today it is walking friendly and generally low crime. You can find a bronze bust of a 19 year old Barbara Baer Capitman next door in Lummus Park.

Hialeah is a city northwest of Miami. Since I lived in South Florida for a total of Forty Years I…read moredefinitely know the recreational activities and demographics of the city. My happiest memories are of the historic Hialeah Park Race Track. Naturally when I had visitors from the North I usually found entertainment here. At one time it was a definite city that drew the tour buses full of tourists. I had Four Years of Spanish in Middle and High School but when I visit Hialeah I'm sorry to say I still have trouble communicating. This city has areas where they do not speak English. I recommend you visit this city that's rich in Florida History. Visit the race track at least!

Glenn H. Curtiss, aviation pioneer, inventor, and land developer Glenn H. Curtiss moved to Miami in…read morethe 1920's where he partnered with James Bright who made his fortune in cattle. Curtiss and Bright purchased 17,000 acres of scrub and pasture land that years later would become Miami Springs, Hialeah, and Opa-Locka. The city of Hialeah, located in north west Miami was named by a Seminole Indian named Willie Willie, When developer James Bright asked him to describe the property, he called it Hi-ale-ah, translating to pretty prairie or high prairie. The Seminoles used to dock their canoes in Hialeah and sell their wares. Bright dug the Miami Canal to drain the submerged land and Hialeah was incorporated in 1921. One million dollars of land was sold by the developers within 10 days. Bright built his home and cattle ranch at the corner of Hialeah Drive and East Second Avenue and Curtiss built an airfield in the Deer Park Creek neighborhood. G.R. Milliard, Hialeah's first resident, built a home at Okeechobee Road and Hialeah Drive where he operated the town's first post office, first real estate office, first general store, first car repair shop. and the first headquarters for the bus line to Miami. In 1921 his daughter Leah was the first child to be born in Hialeah. In the next two years the town had a dog track and a race course laid out by Glenn Curtiss. In the ensuing years Hialeah became the place where the working people settled buying inexpensive wood frame houses with canvas roofs. The September 1926 Hurricane struck destroying most of the town. This signaled the end of Florida/s land boom years followed by the Great Depression. In 1937 famed aviator Amelia Earhart set off for her doomed final flight from Hialeah. Hialeah and Florida bounced back with the return of GI's seeking a warmer climate after WWII. Hialeah is now the sixth- largest city in Florida with an estimated population 6,198,782 people. Homestead and Hialeah are the only places in Miami Dade County to have its own street grid numbered separate from the rest of the county. Hialeah is primarily Hispanic with the largest population of people of Cuban decent. Many exiles from Cuba who were fleeing Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution settled here. As a resident of Broward County I never gave Hialeah much thought. It was just an exit you passed by on your way to Miami. After taking some time to explore Hialeah I see I have been missing out on art, culture, shopping, architecture, and food. Hialeah has the ornate Mediterranean Revival architecture I love. Start your tour at the Hialeah entrance plaza. Some of the places I have recently discovered and enjoyed include Flamingo Plaza, Garden of the Arts, and the Leah Arts District. I put a collection up on Yelp for anyone interested in exploring Hialeah. Hialeah may not have a beach that draws the tourists but when you take the time to look it is filled with its own charm.