On October 25, 1924, Miami pioneer James Ingraham died in a sanitorium in Atlanta, Georgia. Ingraham was one of Henry Flagler's most trusted advisors, vice president of the Florida East Coast Company, and president of the Model Land Company at the time of his death.

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OTD: October 25, 2014 - Tobacco Road’s Last Call Celebration

On October 25, 2014, the iconic Tobacco Road Bar in Miami celebrated its last night at 626 South Miami Avenue in the Brickell Neighborhood. The building that Tobacco Road occupied for years was constructed in 1916 and was originally a residential-style bakery run by Karl Gunnar Rosenquist. The establishment name first appeared at this location in 1941 when Southside Bar was renamed to Charlie's Tobacco Road. The bar at this location had several different names through the years.

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OTD: October 27, 1933 - Miami Pioneer Rose Wagner Passed Away

Rose Wagner Richards died on October 27, 1933, at the age of 81. Rose was the daughter of the Wagner family who arrived in Miami between 1855 and 1857. Her 1903 article entitled “Reminiscences of the Early Days of Miami” in the Miami News provided detail of life along the Miami River during the Civil War years of 1861 through 1865.

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OTD: October 28, 1978 - Merrick House Opens

On Saturday, October 28, 1978, the historic Merrick House at 907 Coral Way opened to the public as a landmark honoring the legacy of George Merrick, the founder of Coral Gables, and his pioneering family. Once the family residence of the Merricks, the home was preserved as a tribute to their remarkable contributions to the founding and development of the City of Coral Gables.

Today, the Merrick House serves as a historic house museum, offering visitors a glimpse into the family’s journey to South Florida and the vision, determination, and ambition that helped transform their homestead into the community known as the City Beautiful.

Click on the learn more button to find out how to take a tour of the Merrick House.

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Save the Date - Freedom Tower Tour

OTD: October 29, 1900 - Orange Bowl Pioneer Earnie Seiler was Born

On October 29, 1900, Miami sports pioneer Earnie Seiler was born. Seiler was a key figure in the founding of the New Year’s Day Orange Bowl game and a driving force behind the construction of the Orange Bowl Stadium

OTD: October 30, 1913 - Dade County Voted Dry

On October 30, 1913, Dade County voters went to the polls and voted to make Dade County a dry county. At the time, Dade County included Miami, Dania, Hallandale and Fort Lauderdale. The "drys" won and claimed a 115 vote victory. Dade County officially remained dry until the repeal of prohibition in 1933.

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Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book

Get your signed copy of the Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book by ordering online on the Miami History Blog website. The book shares a pictorial history of the Brickell neighborhood from 1870 through the 1980s. Read more about the contents of this book and purchase your copy by clicking on the ‘Learn More’ button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.

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Before Miami City Councilman Josiah Chaille introduced his plan to reorganize the city’s street names, Miami followed a relatively simple naming convention that assigned letters to avenues and numbers to streets. Avenues were designated alphabetically, beginning with Avenue A near Biscayne Bay and progressing westward to Avenue K at the city’s western boundary. Streets were numbered sequentially from north to south, beginning with First Street near the northern city limits and continuing to Broadway, which marked the southern boundary. Broadway is known today as SE Fifteenth Road.

Although this system served Miami during its earliest years, its limitations became increasingly apparent as the city expanded beyond its original boundaries. The annexation of unincorporated areas to the north and west in 1913, combined with expectations of substantial growth during the 1920s, made the existing naming convention impractical.

City leaders recognized the need for a more organized and scalable approach to identifying streets and assigning addresses. Chaille’s proposal offered a solution: a comprehensive grid system, modeled in part on Washington, D.C., that could accommodate Miami’s continued expansion while bringing greater consistency to its street layout.

Recognizing the limitations of Miami’s original street-naming system, Chaille introduced a proposal that would reorganize the city’s thoroughfares into a more logical and expandable grid. At the heart of his plan was the intersection of Twelfth Street and Avenue D, renamed to Flagler Street and Miami Avenue as part of the new grid system. This intersection became the central reference point from which all streets and avenues would be numbered and assigned directional designations.

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On October 17, 1926, the Mareldean Hotel and Rooming House opened at 44 SW Eleventh Street in the Brickell neighborhood. The former site of this structure is now part of the Millecento Condominiums located at 1100 South Miami Avenue.

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OTD: October 18, 1911 - The Miami Club was Sold

On October 18, 1911, Max Zapf sold the Miami Club, located on NE Second Avenue between SE First and Flagler Street in downtown Miami, to Peter Ullendorf and W.C. Groves for $12,500. The Miami Club was formed to promote the city of Miami before the formation of the Chamber of Commerce in 1915.

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OTD: October 18, 1906 - Hurricane Made Landfall in Miami

On October 18, 1906, the Miami Hurricane of 1906, which reached sustained winds of 80 MPH, made landfall in Miami and did significant damage to downtown Miami and surrounding areas.

Often referred to as the Florida Keys Hurricane of 1906, the storm crossed the Keys before tracking northeast through the Greater Miami area.

With the population of the Miami area numbering only about 5,000 people, the destruction of more than 100 homes represented a substantial blow to the fledgling community.

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OTD: October 19, 1904 - Remembering Miami Pioneer Captain Edward E. Vail

On October 19, 1904, Miami Pioneer Captain Edward E. Vail passed away. The captain converted a steamship into a floating hotel to provide Miami Pioneers with accommodations on the Miami River prior to the construction and opening of land-based hotels in early Miami.

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OTD: October 19, 1950 - Roper Building Opened

On October 19, 1950, the Roper Building at the corner of SE Third Avenue and Flagler Street officially opened. The building was completed on June 1st, and stores unofficially conducted business prior to the formal opening. It was built on land that was once the location of the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Miami.

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OTD: October 21, 1896 - First School in Miami Opened

On October 21, 1896, the first school in Miami opened, with 38 students in a storefront in downtown Miami. By 1897, with the help from Henry Flagler, Miami's Grammar School, a two-story, four classroom building was constructed on the site of what became the post office and federal courthouse on NE 1st Avenue, between Third and Fourth streets. This is a picture of the first school building in 1904.

OTD: October 21, 1912 - John Collins Donated Land for Park

On October 21, 1912, the city council for Miami passed a resolution to accept John Collin's offer to donate 10-acres of land to be used as a park. This donation was the beginning of Collins Park on Miami Beach at 2100 Collins Avenue.

OTD: October 22, 1899 - Miami Quarantined During Yellow Fever Epidemic

On October 22, 1899, Miami is quarantined by state officials because of a yellow fever epidemic. The quarantine was lifted on January 15, 1900, and there was a total of 220 reported cases of the illness resulting in the deaths of 22 people who contracted yellow fever during this epidemic. The City of Miami had 1,700 residents at the time of the outbreak.

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OTD: October 23, 1926 - University of Miami Plays First Football Game

On October 23, 1926, in the programs very first game, the University of Miami football team defeated the Rollins College freshman team by a score of 7-0.

OTD: October 23, 1909 - Carl and Jane Fisher Marry

On October 23, 1909, Carl Fisher, the father of Miami Beach, married his wife Jane.

OTD: October 23, 1939 - Florida National Bank Opens in New Home

On October 23, 1939, Florida National Bank opens in the new Alfred I Dupont building at 169 East Flagler Street. The grand opening featured music, flowers, and a crowd of state and bank dignitaries to witness the opening of the building. A few years later, the Alfred I Dupont building would be taken over by the U.S. Navy as their southern command during the war years.

OTD: October 24, 1895 - Henry Flagler and Julia Tuttle Sign Contract

On October 24, 1895, the official contract was signed between Julia Tuttle and Henry Flagler to deed land in exchange for Flagler to extend his railway to the Miami River, build a first class hotel and lay out the infrastructure for a city. The Brickell's signed a similar agreement on June 12, 1895.

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This guided historical walking tour begins at the Dade Heritage Trust headquarters at 190 SE Twelfth Terrace, originally the surgical office of Miami pioneer physician Dr. James Jackson. Relocated from downtown Miami to Brickell in 1916, this historic building offers a fitting starting point for our journey into the neighborhood’s past.

As we make our way north toward the Miami River, discover the story of the Brickell family, who settled along the river in 1871 and eventually owned and sold much of the land that became their namesake neighborhood. Learn about the family’s influence on Miami’s early development and the two apartment buildings constructed by the Brickell’s’ eldest sons near the eastern terminus of the historic Tamiami Trail.

Our journey continues to the Miami Circle at Brickell Point, where we will explore the legacy of the Tequesta, the Indigenous people who inhabited the mouth of the Miami River centuries before the arrival of European settlers. We will also visit the Brickell family mausoleum in Brickell Park, the historic First Presbyterian Church, and sites that illustrate the neighborhood’s remarkable transformation from an exclusive residential enclave into a bustling district of soaring condominium towers, office buildings, and luxury hotels.

Although much of old Brickell has disappeared beneath the modern skyline, it’s fascinating stories remain an essential part of Miami’s history. From ancient Indigenous settlements and nineteenth-century pioneers to twentieth-century development and today’s glittering high-rises, Brickell’s evolution reflects the extraordinary growth of the Magic City itself.

Join us for a leisurely Saturday morning stroll through one of Miami’s most historically significant neighborhoods. Discover the people, places, and events that shaped Brickell long before it earned its modern reputation as the “Manhattan of the South.”

Click on the Buy Ticket(s) button to ensure your spot for this tour. This likely will be the last tour that will begin in the Dade Heritage offices as this building will be moved to Coconut Grove soon!

The ticket price on Eventbrite reflects the tour price + the platform fee of $3.18 per ticket.

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On October 11, 1887, the clothing and mail pouch of James Hamilton was found on on his mail route without any trace of his body. James was the barefoot mailman that delivered mail on a 66 mile route from Palm Beach to Miami Beach. One theory is that Hamilton shed his clothes and mail pouch to swim to the other side of a river to retrieve his boat when he disappeared.

OTD: October 11, 1920 - Ida M. Fisher School Opens on Miami Beach

On October 11, 1920, the Ida M. Fisher School opened its doors for the first time. In 1926, it became Miami Beach Senior High School. The school was named in honor of Carl Fisher's mother.

OTD: October 12, 1905 - John E. Lummus Awarded Contract for FEC Commissaries

On October 12, 1905, John E. Lummus buys the right to operate the Florida East Coast commissaries (equipment and provisions), for the construction of the Oversea Railway. The project required that 4,000 men be fed and clothed for what was estimated to be a four year duration. The Oversea Railway was completed on January 22, 1912, nearly seven years after Lummus was awarded the contract.

OTD: October 12, 1988 - Arrest of Bank Officers in Brickell for Money Laundering

On October 12, 1988, two bank officers from the Miami branch of the Luxembourg-based Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), at 1200 Brickell Avenue, were arrested as part of a money laundering sting by Federal agents.

OTD: October 13, 1988 - Demolition of Senator Hotel on Miami Beach

On October 13, 1988, The Senator Hotel on Miami Beach was razed to make room for a surface parking lot. The fate of The Senator was hotly contested by preservationists, but ultimately was decided by a wrecking ball on this date.

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OTD: October 14, 1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis Began

On October 14, 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis began as a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba.

OTD: October 15, 1926 - University of Miami Opened for Registration

On October 15, 1926, the University of Miami opened for registration for the first time. Registration took place at George Merrick's half-completed Anastasia Hotel on University Drive, about a half mile away from the campus.

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Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book

Get your signed copy of the Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book by ordering online on the Miami History Blog website. The book shares a pictorial history of the Brickell neighborhood from 1870 through the 1980s. Read more about the contents of this book and purchase your copy by clicking on the ‘Learn More’ button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.

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On October 2, 1885, Florida’s first female representative in Congress and Miami resident, Ruth Bryan Owen, daughter of William Jennings Bryan, was born in Illinois. Mrs. Owen served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1929 until 1933. In 1933 she became American’s first female envoy, serving as ambassador to Denmark until 1936. After WWII Owen worked as a delegate to the San Francisco Conference which resulted in the creation of the United Nations Charter. Owen was also an original officer of the first board of regents for the University of Miami.

OTD: October 2, 1937 - Walgreens Opens in Downtown Miami

On October 2, 1937, the Walgreens store at 200 East Flagler Street in downtown Miami opened for business.

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OTD: October 2, 1982- James L Knight Center was Dedicated

On October 2, 1982, the $110 million James L. Knight Center was dedicated in a ceremony hosted by Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre. The convention center is located at the Miami River on the west side of SE Second Avenue.

OTD: October 5, 1986- Remembering Restaurant Pioneer Wolfie Cohen

Remembering Wolfie Cohen who died on this day (October 5), in 1986 at the age of 74. Cohen was the flamboyant founder of three of South Florida's most famous eating establishments: Wolfies, The Rascal House and Pumperniks. All three eateries were fixtures in Miami Beach beginning in the 1930s.

OTD: October 6, 1920- Miami Street Naming Scheme Approved

On October 6, 1920, the Miami City Council approved the Chaille Plan to rename all the streets in the City of Miami. The plan called for the center of the new naming system to be the intersection of Miami Avenue and Flagler Street.

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Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book

Get your signed copy of the Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book by ordering online on the Miami History Blog website. The book shares a pictorial history of the Brickell neighborhood from 1870 through the 1980s. Read more about the contents of this book and purchase your copy by clicking on the ‘Learn More’ button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.

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This photograph captures the scene along Flagler Street on the night of the world premiere of The Glenn Miller Story, starring James Stewart, on January 19, 1954. The premiere capped a whirlwind promotional visit to South Florida for Stewart, who made appearances at three different theaters in the region during the premiere.

The Glenn Miller Story chronicled the life and career of renowned trombonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader Glenn Miller, who became one of America’s most celebrated musical figures during the big-band era. At the height of his fame, Miller put his civilian career on hold and entered military service in 1942, eventually leading an Army Air Force band that entertained Allied troops during World War II.

On December 15, 1944, Miller boarded a small military aircraft at RAF Twinwood Farm near Bedford, England, bound for Paris. The plane disappeared while crossing the English Channel, and neither Miller nor the aircraft was ever found. Despite numerous theories over the decades, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain unresolved.

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On September 27, 1963, demolition of Miami's downtown Florida East Coast Railway Station began. The station opened in 1912 and was the second permanent railway station in downtown Miami. Locals complained about how the train depot would constrict automobile traffic in and around the county courthouse. The razing of the structure was met more with celebration than nostalgia when it was demolished in 1963.

Click on the button below to hear the podcast episode on Miami’s downtown train stations through the years.

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OTD: September 27, 2002 - Virginia Key Beach Added to National Register

On September 27, 2002, Virginia Key Beach Park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing a site that played an important role in Miami’s African American and civil rights history.

During segregation, Black residents of Greater Miami were prohibited from using most public beaches. On May 9, 1945, African American activists challenged that discrimination by staging a “wade-in” at the whites-only Baker’s Haulover Beach. Rather than make arrests, county officials soon agreed to establish a beach for Miami’s Black community, and Virginia Key Beach officially opened on August 1, 1945.

Initially only accessible by boat, the beach became easier to reach after the Rickenbacker Causeway opened in 1947, and remained a blacks only beach until desegregation in the 1960s. It closed in 1982 and remained largely unused for years before community preservation efforts helped save the historic property from redevelopment.

OTD: September 30, 1843 - William Burdine was Born

On September 30, 1843, William Burdine was born in Monroe County, Mississippi. Burdine formed W.M. Burdine & Son store that would later become the Burdines Department Store after his death in 1911. His establishment was considered the finest store in Miami at the time of his death. The store continued to grow under Roddy Burdine's stewardship.

Click on the listen button below to hear the podcast episode detailing the story of the Burdine’s family and their namesake store.

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Get your signed copy of the Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book by ordering online on the Miami History Blog website. The book shares a pictorial history of the Brickell neighborhood from 1870 through the 1980s. Read more about the contents of this book and purchase your copy by clicking on the ‘Learn More’ button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.

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This podcast episode features an interview with Jeff Davies, co-author and social media co-administrator for a book and Facebook page titled “Florida – A History in Pictures.” Jeff shares his family’s journey from New York to Miami in 1968 and how his father’s memories as a child inspired him to make South Florida his family’s home.

Jeff, along with his co-author Mike McGinness, published a pictorial history of the State of Florida based on photographs donated by subscribers to their Facebook page and from their personal collections. Davies is a colorful raconteur who shares some of his favorite memories from his youth and stories of photos from the book during this episode.

Tune into this week’s podcast episode to hear more about Jeff, Mike and their project to keep Florida history alive in books and social media. You can download this episode on your favorite podcast platform (iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify) or listen directly on the Miami-History website. Please remember to click on the subscribe button and to provide a rating and comment on any of the platforms where this podcast episode is available.

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For those who lived through it, the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 was the big one. In the early morning hours of Saturday, September 18, the eye of the hurricane swept across Miami Beach before moving over downtown Miami. A powerful tidal wave inundated portions of the barrier island, leaving many residents fearing that Miami Beach had been virtually swept away. For thousands who endured the hurricane, it was their first experience with a storm of such extraordinary intensity.

South Florida had changed dramatically in the years leading up to the hurricane. Miami’s population had grown from just 5,471 residents in 1910 to an estimated 127,000 by 1926, fueled by the extraordinary real estate and construction boom of the early and mid-1920s. The population growth of the city included the additional residents added by the annexation of communities around Miami in 1925. Many of the newcomers who had poured into the region had little or no experience with hurricanes and were unprepared for the danger and destruction that arrived that September morning.

Much like the survivors of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, those who endured the great hurricane of 1926 carried vivid memories of the storm for the rest of their lives. They told stories of destroyed homes, rising water, terrifying winds, and remarkable acts of survival. Now, a century later, no firsthand witnesses remain, but their experiences continue to live on through the memories and stories passed down within their families. For many descendants, the hurricane remains more than a historical event, it is part of their family history and an enduring reminder of a storm that transformed South Florida.

Hurricanes from 1903 - 1909

The first decade of the twentieth century was an active period for hurricanes in South Florida. Between September 1903 and June 1906, three significant storms affected the region, producing peak winds of roughly 80 to 85 miles per hour. Although each storm brought its own measure of damage and disruption, none reached the intensity of what would later be classified as a major hurricane.

That changed on October 18, 1906, when the most powerful hurricane of the decade struck South Florida. Often referred to as the Florida Keys Hurricane of 1906, the storm crossed the Keys before tracking northeast through the Greater Miami area. With estimated peak winds near 120 miles per hour, the hurricane brought destructive winds and flooding to the young city of Miami.

Streets in downtown Miami were inundated as the storm passed close to the city, while numerous homes, churches, and other buildings, many constructed of wood, were severely damaged or destroyed. The hurricane provided Miami’s growing population with an early and sobering demonstration of the region’s vulnerability to powerful tropical cyclones.

The 1906 hurricane also had a devastating impact on the construction of Henry Flagler’s Over-Sea Railroad, which was then being extended through the Florida Keys toward Key West. Railroad workers were among those caught in the storm, and many of the injured were transported to Miami for medical treatment. During its destructive journey from Central America across Cuba, the Florida Keys, and Southeast Florida, the hurricane claimed approximately 240 lives and caused an estimated $4 million in damage in 1906 dollars.

Although Miami escaped the level of devastation experienced in portions of the Florida Keys, the young city nevertheless suffered significant damage. With the population of the Miami area numbering only about 5,000 people, the destruction of more than 100 homes represented a substantial blow to the fledgling community. Buildings were damaged, streets were flooded, and residents were given a sobering preview of the destructive potential of a powerful hurricane.

On October 11–12, 1909, a powerful hurricane passed through the Florida Keys before moving northeastward near South Florida. Key West experienced the storm’s most destructive winds, while Miami was struck by strong winds and heavy rain as the hurricane passed nearby. Contemporary reports indicate that the strongest part of the storm remained south of Miami, sparing the young city from the devastation experienced farther south.

Among the most significant damage in downtown Miami was that suffered by the newly constructed March Villa, a planned rooming house located along what is today Biscayne Boulevard and scheduled to open on December 1, 1909. Powerful wind gusts shattered the building’s windows and reportedly lifted the structure from its foundation, leaving it so badly damaged that it had to be razed and rebuilt. The storm also damaged other prominent buildings in the city. According to the October 12 edition of the Miami Metropolis, the Masonic Temple lost its roof during the hurricane.

Miami would continue to experience tropical storms during the following two decades, but it would not confront another major hurricane until the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926. Despite getting a warning in July 1926 of what was to come, no one expected what would be unleashed later in mid-September.

Warning in July 1926

In late July 1926, Miami received a warning of what was to come. A powerful hurricane devastated Nassau before turning northward along Florida’s Atlantic coast. Although the storm’s center remained well to the east of Miami, winds of roughly 55 miles per hour toppled trees, signs, utility lines and telephone poles, while damaging windows and awnings on Miami Beach.

The relatively modest destruction gave many of Miami’s newer residents their first experience with a tropical cyclone. Rather than demonstrating the full danger posed by hurricanes, however, the July storm may have provided a false sense of security. Although the storm could have been much worse had it made a direct hit on Miami, meteorologist Richard Gray, who headed the Miami office of the National Weather Bureau, provided the Miami Herald with a storm activity map over the prior two decades and cautioned Miami residents and visitors to remain vigilant during what was yet to become the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Miami Beach and the coastal communities suffered more than the mainland. Winds shattered windows and tore away awnings, while rough surf and unusually high tides damaged waterfront structures. At North Beach, waves damaged a bulkhead near Baker’s Haulover, and property around the Gulf Stream apartment complex sustained several thousand dollars in wind and water damage. Bulkheads at Normandy Isles were damaged, small palms were uprooted on Allison Island, and several small vessels, houseboats and harbor craft were damaged or wrecked in Biscayne Bay.

Agricultural areas south of Miami also sustained significant losses. Citrus groves were damaged, and contemporary reports estimated that approximately two-thirds of the ripe avocado crop was blown from the trees, representing losses of roughly $100,000 in 1926 dollars.

For Miami residents, however, the most important aspect of the July storm may have been what did not happen. The center remained offshore, so Greater Miami experienced essentially the fringe of a major hurricane rather than its destructive eyewall. The city endured downed utilities, coastal flooding, crop losses and scattered structural damage, but escaped widespread devastation.

Days Prior to Impact

The days leading up to the Great Miami Hurricane of September 18, 1926, were characterized by complacency. Miami had grown so dramatically that the vast majority of its new residents had never had to prepare for a hurricane, much less the storm that was heading their way. Compounding the dangers and feeding the complacency were the limitations of hurricane forecasting during the 1920s. Prediction models by meteorologists relied on ship reports, observations and incomplete communications to track the direction and intensity of storms moving across the Atlantic.

The U.S. Weather Bureau first learned of the developing cyclone through reports from ships in the central Atlantic around September 11. As the storm continued westward, it passed north of Puerto Rico and intensified rapidly, reaching estimated sustained winds of approximately 150 miles per hour near the Turks and Caicos Islands on September 16.

However, forecasters of that era had limited information on the storm’s strength, position and direction. Different from today’s technology, meteorologists did not have satellites, radar, or aircraft reconnaissance to track hurricanes. Even the reports coming from places hit by the storm were intermittent and inconsistent.

By Friday, September 17, the hurricane was tearing through the Bahamas and moving toward South Florida, but Miami still had remarkably little warning. The Weather Bureau had issued no official alert for Miami that morning.

At about noon, Washington authorized the Miami office to hoist a northeast storm warning, indicating dangerous winds but not yet signaling an approaching hurricane. The full hurricane warning did not go up until approximately 11:00 p.m., only a few hours before hurricane-force conditions reached the coast. This left residents less than six hours to prepare, and many people were already asleep when the warning was issued.

While meteorologists were concerned about the track and intensity of the storm by September 17, residents were seemingly oblivious to the danger that was headed their way. As newsboys waved late editions of the Miami Metropolis announcing that a hurricane was headed for Miami, people were shopping, went to picture shows and just went about their business on a pleasant Friday afternoon. Very little hurricane preparedness was happening even hours prior to the impact of this major hurricane.

Landfall on September 18

While much of South Florida was still asleep during the early morning hours of Saturday, September 18, the weather began to deteriorate rapidly. By about 1:00 a.m., the outer bands of the hurricane were reaching Miami Beach. Roughly ninety minutes later, the western edge of the storm was battering the barrier island with sustained winds near 60 miles per hour as conditions continued to worsen.

By 3:00 a.m., portions of the region were beginning to lose electrical power and telephone service, leaving many residents increasingly isolated as the hurricane intensified. Within a few hours, sustained winds in downtown Miami exceeded 115 miles per hour. On Miami Beach, an instrument atop Allison Hospital recorded sustained winds of approximately 114 miles per hour before conditions became even more severe.

Although the center of the hurricane crossed the coastline at Miami Beach, more recent NOAA analysis suggest that the center of the eye passed slightly south of downtown Miami. As a result, the heart of the city appears to have remained within the northern portion of the eyewall rather than passing directly through the center of the eye. Around 6:10 a.m., winds in downtown Miami suddenly dropped to about 10 miles per hour, creating a false sense of security that the storm had passed. However, residents were experiencing the eye of the storm, and many were unaware of what was to follow.

As the hurricane-force winds suddenly subsided, many residents of downtown Miami, the most densely populated area in the storm’s path, mistook the lull for the end of the storm. Believing the danger had passed, people emerged from their shelters to inspect the damage to their homes and businesses.

Some who had sought refuge on higher ground, including those sheltered at King’s Funeral Home on SE Eighth Street in Brickell, began making their way back home. At the same time, Miami Beach residents who had evacuated to the mainland started returning across the bay, unaware that the most dangerous portion of the hurricane was still approaching.

From his third-floor post in the Federal Building at 100 NE First Avenue, Richard Gray, meteorologist and official in charge of the Miami Weather Bureau, looked down during the deceptive calm and saw people venturing into the streets. Realizing that many mistakenly believed the hurricane had passed, Gray rushed downstairs and into the street to warn them that the storm was far from over. He urged residents to return indoors and seek shelter before the hurricane’s powerful winds returned. Some heeded his warning and hurried to safety, but others did not.

By about 6:45 a.m., the winds abruptly shifted direction and rapidly increased in intensity as the eastern side of the hurricane swept across the area. People caught in the open suddenly found themselves in extreme danger. Some were crossing the SW Second Avenue bridge between Brickell and downtown, while others were traveling toward Miami Beach along the County Causeway.

The returning winds were accompanied by a powerful storm surge that pushed water, along with some ships moored in Biscayne Bay, into Bayfront Park and Biscayne Boulevard of downtown Miami, and additional coastal flooding up the Miami River. Those exposed on bridges and along the waterfront had little protection from the rushing water, and some were swept away, contributing to the heavy loss of life during the storm.

My grandmother, Hattie Faye Combs, who lived on SW First Street near the Miami River, recalled losing the roof of their home during this storm. She, her mother and siblings, had to leave their now uninhabitable residence in the middle of the storm by crawling across the street to a neighbor’s house. There were many harrowing stories of survival on that ominous Saturday morning of September 18^th.

The back side of the hurricane battered the Miami area for nearly two hours before conditions finally began to improve around 9:00 a.m. As the winds subsided along the southeast coast, the storm continued its destructive march northwestward across the Everglades. By noon, the hurricane was approaching Bonita Springs, and by approximately 3:30 p.m. its center was moving past Punta Rassa and emerging into the Gulf of Mexico. Although the storm had weakened considerably during its passage across the Florida peninsula, it remained a resilient and persistent storm as it entered the Gulf.

The Aftermath

The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 was both extraordinarily powerful and far-reaching. Hurricane-force winds extended across a broad swath of South Florida, from the Upper Keys northward into southern Palm Beach County. The eye of the storm was estimated to be approximately 13 miles in diameter, while maximum sustained winds reached roughly 145 miles per hour, placing the hurricane within what would today be classified as Category 4 intensity.

The human and physical toll was staggering. The storm claimed an estimated 372 lives, including 114 in Dade County. According to Weather Bureau estimates, approximately 4,725 homes were destroyed and another 9,100 were damaged, leaving more than 25,000 people without adequate shelter.

Miami’s hotels and other commercial buildings became temporary refuges for displaced families. The newly completed Everglades Hotel on Biscayne Boulevard, finished shortly before the hurricane struck, reportedly had to clear sand and water from its lobby before it could be used to house storm victims. In the immediate aftermath, buildings intended to serve tourists and new residents instead became emergency shelters for a city suddenly overwhelmed by destruction.

Contemporary estimates placed the total damage caused by the hurricane at approximately $100 million to $105 million in 1926 dollars, the equivalent of more than $1.8 billion in 2026 dollars. As noted earlier, the City of Miami had a population of roughly 130,000 in 1926, compared with nearly 500,000 residents a century later. With today’s far denser population, vastly greater development, and much higher property values, a hurricane of similar strength following the same path would have the potential to produce economic losses far exceeding those recorded in 1926.

The extent of the destruction varied considerably from one community to another, in part because of differences in construction standards and building codes. For example, Coral Gables, which had emphasized stronger construction during its rapid development in the 1920s, generally fared better than many surrounding communities.

Although homes and commercial buildings suffered broken windows, roof damage, and other moderate losses, much of the city remained structurally intact. Elsewhere across South Florida, however, the destruction was far more severe, particularly in communities where buildings were less substantial or more vulnerable to the hurricane’s powerful winds and storm surge.

Hialeah was one of the hardest-hit communities in the Miami area during the Great Hurricane of 1926. Although further inland, as described in a Miami Herald article:

“Hialeah was subjected to the hurricane’s extreme winds for hours, and its relatively lightly constructed housing stock proved especially vulnerable. Contemporary and later accounts indicate that about 70 percent of the city was severely damaged, with hundreds of working-class homes either flattened or badly damaged.”

Meyer-Kiser Building in Downtown Miami

Like many surrounding communities, downtown Miami suffered extensive damage during the hurricane. Powerful winds tore at buildings throughout the business district, while the storm surge pushed schooners, boats, and other vessels onto streets and waterfront property. Floodwaters swept through low-lying areas, inundating ground-floor businesses and leaving portions of downtown covered with debris, mud, and standing water.

Among the most severely damaged structures was the Meyer-Kiser Building at 139 NE First Street. The 17-story office tower, developed by Locke T. Highleyman and Jerry Galatis, had opened only a year earlier in 1925. Its principal tenant was the Meyer-Kiser Bank, a financial institution that specialized in construction financing and mortgages. Founded in Indiana, the company came from a region accustomed to tornadoes and other severe weather and routinely required borrowers to carry insurance against such hazards. That practice would prove especially significant after the hurricane devastated Miami and severely damaged the building that bore the bank’s name.

When Sol Meyer, president of the Meyer-Kiser Bank, agreed to finance the construction of the building, he insisted that developers Locke T. Highleyman and Jerry Galatis obtain insurance protecting the structure against wind damage. After the building opened and the Meyer-Kiser Bank became its principal tenant, Meyer continued to insist that the coverage remain in force. Highleyman and Galatis considered the additional insurance unnecessary. During their years in Miami, the city had not experienced a direct strike from a major hurricane, and there seemed little reason to anticipate such a catastrophe. Nevertheless, they needed both Meyer’s financing and his bank as a tenant, so they maintained the windstorm policy.

That decision proved remarkably fortunate. The Meyer-Kiser Building was reportedly one of only a small number of major downtown structures carrying insurance specifically covering hurricane-force wind damage. Following the storm, structural engineers inspecting the 17-story building determined that hours of exposure to extreme winds had caused its upper floors to twist, leaving them structurally compromised. Engineers recommended that the damaged floors be removed and reconstructed.

Rather than restore the building to its original 17 stories, Highleyman recognized that Miami’s once-booming commercial real estate market was unlikely to recover quickly from the hurricane and the collapse of the building boom. He chose instead to remove the upper ten floors and modify the building to a seven-story structure. The insurance settlement of approximately $675,000 provided sufficient funds to repair and renovate the property. A century after the hurricane, the dramatically altered Meyer-Kiser Building still stands at 139 NE First Street, its seven-story profile serving as a lasting architectural reminder of the destruction wrought by the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926.

An Enduring Legacy

Although the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 is often credited with bringing an end to South Florida’s extraordinary real estate boom, the collapse was far more complicated. The speculative frenzy had already begun to weaken during 1926 as rising costs, tightening credit, transportation bottlenecks, and declining investor enthusiasm placed growing pressure on the market. The hurricane did not single-handedly end the boom, but it delivered what some historians have described as the “final blow” to a real estate market that had already begun to unravel.

In the storm’s aftermath, Miami’s elected officials and business leaders worked quickly to reassure the outside world and limit the damage to South Florida’s reputation. Even so, confidence in the region as an investment destination weakened as reports and images of the devastation spread.

Many of the era’s most prominent developers remained committed to their projects and continued investing in their communities, often at great personal financial cost. George Merrick, for example, was left holding large numbers of promissory notes from buyers who were unable or unwilling to meet their obligations, contributing to the financial collapse that eventually forced him into bankruptcy. Other leading developers of the boom years faced similar difficulties as the speculative market that had fueled South Florida’s rapid expansion came to an end.

In the aftermath of the hurricane, Miami’s civic and business leaders invested heavily in advertising and public relations in an effort to shape how the disaster was portrayed beyond South Florida. Their message emphasized that the hurricane had dealt the region a serious setback, but Miami would recover quickly and be ready to welcome visitors for the coming winter season. Despite those efforts, tourism declined sharply, mirroring the collapse of the real estate market and deepening the economic difficulties already facing the Greater Miami area.

When the stock market crashed in October 1929, the nation entered the prolonged economic crisis that became the Great Depression. South Florida, however, had already been struggling for several years. The collapse of the real estate boom, the destruction caused by the 1926 hurricane, and the subsequent weakening of tourism had pushed the region into an economic downturn well before the rest of the country. Meaningful recovery would not begin until the mid-1930s, nearly a decade after the hurricane transformed Miami’s fortunes.

The loss of life and economic devastation caused by the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 left a lasting mark on South Florida. Families mourned loved ones, communities rebuilt shattered neighborhoods, and a region that had expanded at a tremendous pace was forced to confront the consequences of both natural disaster and economic collapse.

A century later, the hurricane remains a defining event in the history of Greater Miami, one that altered the course of its development and tested the people who called it home. Yet amid the destruction and uncertainty, thousands remained, rebuilt their lives and communities, and continued to believe in the future of the Magic City.

Resources:

• Website: National Weather Service – Memorial Web Page

• Website: National Weather Service – Great Miami Hurricane

• Website: Hurricane City

• Miami Evening Record: “Storm Swept Miami Center of Hurricane”, October 19, 1906.

• Miami Metropolis: “Hurricane Strikes Miami Lifting Roofs and Razing New March Villa”, October 12, 1909.

• Miami Herald: Weather Bureau Map Shows Course of Storms in 20 Years”, July 29, 1926.

• Miami Daily News: “Miami Warned of Tropical Storm”, Friday, September 17, 1926.

• Miami Daily News: “Toll of Death Mounting”, September 19, 1926.

• Miami Daily News: “Hurricane Hits Miami”, September 19, 1926.

• Miami Herald: “75 Are Dead in Miami Storm, 60 Lives Are Taken in Hollywood”, September 20, 1926.

On September 17 - 18, 1926, a hurricane directly hit Miami Beach and then downtown Miami in the dead of night. The category 4 storm recorded 130 MPH sustained winds. Given the damage inflicted on the region, the hurricane is considered one of the most memorable hurricanes in South Florida history. Storms were not given names until decades later, so it is referred to as the Great Hurricane of 1926.

OTD: September 21, 1920 - City of Miami Strikes Deal with Estate of Henry Flagler

On September 21, 1920, the City of Miami reached a deal with the estate of Henry Flagler to purchase seven blocks of bay front, from NE Fourth Street to SE Second Street in downtown Miami, exclusive of the shoreline occupied by Elser Pier, to construct Bayfront Park. The city paid the Flagler Estate $1 million for this parcel of shoreline.

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OTD: September 22, 1899 - Miami City Hospital Opens

On September 22, 1899, Miami City Hospital, known as the Friendly Society Hospital at the time, opened at Fourth Street and The Boulevard, which is today's NE 8th Street and Biscayne Boulevard, located across from the FEC Pier in downtown Miami.

OTD: September 22, 1915 - City of Miami Beach Buys Land for Lummus Park

On September 22, 1915, Ocean Beach Realty Company, which was owned and operated by James E and John Newton Lummus, sold the Town of Miami Beach a mile long stretch of ocean front land for a park for $40,000. The land for the park extended from between Fifth and Sixth streets north 4120 feet to Fifteenth Street, with an average width of 250 feet. The park was named Lummus Park as part of a resolution, passed on July 28, 1921, to honor Miami Beach's first Mayor John N. Lummus.

Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book

Get your signed copy of the Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book by ordering online on the Miami History Blog website. The book shares a pictorial history of the Brickell neighborhood from 1870 through the 1980s. Read more about the contents of this book and purchase your copy by clicking on the ‘Get Your Signed Copy’ button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.

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On September 9, 1944, Lieutenant CO Huttoe, head of the city's moral’s squad, was suspended by the Miami Police Department on multiple charges of participating in politics.

OTD: September 10, 1925 - City of Hialeah Incorporated

On Thursday, September 10, 1925, the City of Hialeah was incorporated during the height of South Florida’s great real estate boom. The new municipality developed rapidly from land promoted beginning in 1921 by aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss and Missouri cattleman James H. Bright, who envisioned Hialeah as a residential community and center for recreation west of Miami.

By the time of incorporation, Hialeah had grown to a population of roughly 1,500 residents and already featured new neighborhoods, businesses, municipal services, and recreational attractions. J.P. Grethen was selected as the city’s first mayor, receiving a unanimous 234 votes.

Listen to the podcast episode on the history of the City of Hialeah by clicking on the button below.

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OTD: September 14, 1898 - Remembering Julia Tuttle

Remembering Julia Tuttle on the anniversary of her passing on September 14, 1898. She was only 49 years of age at the time of her death. She is a principal founding pioneer of the City of Miami and is fondly remembered for her vision and contributions for the creation of what became the Magic City.

Click on the button below to hear a Miami History podcast episode on the life and contributions of Julia Tuttle to the formation of the City of Miami.

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OTD: September 14, 1933 - Roddy Burdine Gets Re-Married

On September 14, 1933, Roddy Burdine, the prince merchant of Burdines Department Store, got married to Lillian Jennette Chapman. Lillian was Roddy's second wife.

OTD: September 15, 1850 - Coconut Grove Pioneer Kirk Munroe was Born

On September 15, 1850, Kirk Munroe, early Coconut Grove pioneer, writer and conservationist, was born in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Explorer, author and adventurer are three words to describe Munroe. He traveled the world and wrote stories based on his experiences. He arrived and settled in Coconut Grove ten years prior to Miami incorporating as a city. For more information about Munroe, click the ‘Read More’ button below.

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OTD: September 15, 1961 - Legendary Dolphin’s Quarterback Dan Marino was Born

On September 15, 1961, Miami Dolphin quarterback legend, Dan Marino, was born in Pittsburgh, PA. Dolphin fans miss the days when Dan would "pick a guy and let it fly".

OTD: September 15, 1903 - Miami Evening Record Published First Newspaper

On September 15, 1903, Frank B. Stoneman, father to environmentalist and writer Marjory Stoneman Douglas, began publishing the Miami Evening Record. In 1910, the paper reorganized and became the Miami Herald under the leadership of Stoneman and Frank B. Shutts.

OTD: September 16, 1916 - Dr. Jackson’s Residence and Office Diverted to Brickell

On September 16, 1916, Dr. James Jackson's home and office / surgery center were diverted and moved by barge from downtown Miami to South Bayshore Drive and 12th Terrace, in the Brickell neighborhood. The buildings were originally destined for Ocean Beach, or the future Miami Beach, before the change in destination moved them to the Brickell neighborhood.

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OTD: September 16, 1928 - Deadly Hurricane Floods Lake Okeechobee

On September 16, 1928, a massive storm, known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane, hit Florida near West Palm Beach and proceeded to dump tons of water into Lake Okeechobee. The loss of life was estimated over 2000 people. It was one of the deadliest hurricanes ever recorded in the North America basin. The storm killed an estimated 2,500 people, with most of the fatalities near Lake Okeechobee.

Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book

Get your signed copy of the Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book by ordering online on the Miami History Blog website. The book shares a pictorial history of the Brickell neighborhood from 1870 through the 1980s. Read more about the contents of this book and purchase your copy by clicking on the ‘Learn More’ button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.

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This podcast episode tells the story of the Wagner family, among the earliest permanent settlers along the Miami River during the middle decades of the nineteenth century. William Wagner, a veteran of the Mexican War, arrived at Fort Dallas in 1855 with his business partner, Captain Sinclair. The two men came as sutlers, supplying soldiers after the U.S. Army reoccupied the fort during the Third Seminole War. In addition to operating their business near the mouth of the Miami River, Wagner and Sinclair established a coontie mill along a nearby tributary that would later become known as Wagner Creek.

After the war ended and the soldiers departed in 1858, Wagner was joined in South Florida by his wife and young children. The family remained along the Miami River and continued operating the coontie mill, becoming part of the small but growing community that preceded modern Miami. In 1875, the Wagners constructed a chapel on their homestead that became an important early center of Catholic worship in sparsely populated Dade County. It was there that their daughter Rose Wagner married Adam Richards in a ceremony performed by a visiting Catholic priest on September 5, 1876.

Rose Wagner and her children later became valuable sources of oral history, preserving firsthand accounts of life along the Miami River before the arrival of the railroad and the incorporation of Miami in 1896. Their recollections provide a rare glimpse into the isolated frontier community that existed during the second half of the nineteenth century.

William Wagner spent the final years of his life on his original homestead near what is today the Culmer Metrorail Station. Although he sold the property to Julia Tuttle in 1893, he financed part of the transaction and regained the land following Tuttle’s death in 1898 after the outstanding loan was not repaid. The story of the Wagner family offers a remarkable window into Miami’s transformation from a remote settlement along the river into the city that emerged at the close of the nineteenth century.

Tune into this week’s podcast episode to hear more about the Wagner family. You can download this episode on your favorite podcast platform (iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Spotify) or listen directly on the Miami-History website. Please remember to click on the subscribe button and to provide a rating and comment on any of the platforms where this podcast episode is available.

On September 1, 1944, the Miami Police Department swore in their first five black police officers. The department was segregated at the time and black officers were responsible for patrolling Overtown, the black section of Coconut Grove, and Liberty City until the force was desegregated in 1963. From left to right, the men were Ralph White, John Milledge, Clyde Lee, Edward Kimble, and Moody Hall.

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OTD: September 2, 1995 - Miami Heat Hires Pat Riley

On September 1, 1995, Pat Riley was traded to the Miami Heat from the New York Knicks for a first round pick and was officially hired by the Heat the next day, on September 2. During Riley's introductory press conference, he stated "I imagine in my mind about the symbolic championship parade. Maybe right down Biscayne Boulevard." He delivered on that promise on June 23, 2006, after the Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks at the end of the 2005-06 NBA season.

OTD: September 2, 1935 - Labor Day Hurricane

On Labor Day, September 2, 1935, the strongest hurricane ever recorded, with winds at 200 miles per hour, roared across the Keys and took an estimated 800+ lives, but only 408 were recovered, most of them veterans of WWI working on an oversea highway.

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OTD: September 5, 1876 - Pioneer Wedding Along the Miami River

On September 5, 1876, Rose Wagner married Adam Richards at the homestead of the bride's family near the Miami River off of Wagner Creek. The wedding was officiated by Father Hugan of Key West who traveled to the sparsely populated area, which was later incorporated as the City of Miami, for the ceremony.

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OTD: September 6, 1928 - Dade County Courthouse was Dedicated

On September 6, 1928, the Dade County Courthouse was dedicated. The 28-story structure cost $4,062,779 to construct, and it was Dade County’s sixth courthouse since its formation in 1835. More than 7,000 people, many of whom stood in the late afternoon sun for nearly an hour, participated in the dedication of the courthouse. During the dedication, the lobby was crowded with people waiting for the elevators to take them to the twenty-fourth floor and observation balcony. Hundreds walked up the stairs and visited the various county and city offices.

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OTD: September 8, 1565 - Saint Augustine, Florida Founded

On September 8, 1565, Pedro Menendez de Aviles established Florida's first permanent European settlement. He gave it the name St. Augustine after the saints feast day.

Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book

Get your signed copy of the Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book by ordering online on the Miami History Blog website. The book shares a pictorial history of the Brickell neighborhood from 1870 through the 1980s. Read more about the contents of this book and purchase your copy by clicking on the ‘Learn More’ button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.

Buy Your Personalized Copy

As the Miami Dolphins approach the start of their 60^th season, it should be noted that the Dolphins were not the first professional football team in Miami. The Dolphins first season began in 1966, but it was 20 years earlier that the Miami Seahawks played their one and only season in Miami as part of the All American Football Conference (AAFC).

Although the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) may be unfamiliar to many football fans today, it posed a serious challenge to the established NFL during the postwar years of the late 1940s. When the AAFC folded after the 1949 season, several of its franchises were absorbed into the NFL in 1950.

Among them were the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, two teams that remain prominent NFL franchises today. The original Buffalo Bills also competed in the AAFC before the name was later revived by a new franchise in the American Football League in 1960. The Miami Seahawks, however, followed a very different path, one that ultimately created an intriguing historical connection to today’s Indianapolis Colts.

All American Football Conference

As the end of World War II came into view, wealthy investors across the United States began looking ahead to the opportunities of the postwar era. By 1944, the National Football League had been in existence for nearly a quarter century and appeared poised to resume its role as a monopoly in professional football once the war ended.

At the same time, a growing number of wealthy businessmen wanted an opportunity to enter the professional football market. Many of the NFL’s established owners, however, resisted expansion, believing that adding new franchises would divide fan interest and reduce the earning potential of existing teams. Their refusal to expand left prospective owners with few options for joining the league. Rather than abandon their ambitions, some of these investors chose another path, one that would ultimately lead to the creation of rival professional football leagues.

One organization was particularly well positioned to challenge the NFL’s established standing. The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was founded by Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward and formally introduced on September 2, 1944. Ward was already a prominent figure in American sports, having originated the Major League Baseball and college football All-Star games.

Drawing on his extensive connections in the sports world, he assembled a group of wealthy football enthusiasts willing to finance and operate franchises in the new league. With substantial financial backing and access to major media outlets, the AAFC entered the professional football landscape with the resources and visibility necessary to pose a serious challenge to the NFL.

On November 21, 1944, Ward hired Jim Crowley to serve as commissioner of the new league. Crowley brought considerable football prestige to the position as one of the legendary “Four Horsemen of Notre Dame,” who played under famed coach Knute Rockne. In an interesting twist, the NFL commissioner at the time was Elmer Layden, another member of Rockne’s celebrated Four Horsemen. The two rival professional football leagues were therefore headed by former Notre Dame teammates who now found themselves competing for players, fans, and media attention in the rapidly changing postwar sports landscape.

The new league quickly assembled six franchises including: Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. The Cleveland franchise hired as their first head coach, Paul Brown who had coached Massillon High School in Ohio to six championships in nine years and led Ohio State to the 1942 National Championship. Paul Brown’s innovations would not only impact the excitement of the game played in the AAFC, but led to changes in the NFL that help guide the evolution of the game to what it is today.

Brooklyn would later be added as the seventh franchise. The league had hoped to add Baltimore as the eighth franchise. Baltimore’s ownership group was headed by retired boxer, Gene Tunney, and the group was considered well-funded and well positioned to round out the original set of franchises. However, Baltimore was unable to get an agreement with Municipal Stadium in time to be awarded a franchise.

The AAFC needed to add one more team to have a properly balanced league. In addition to Baltimore, there were several other cities that were competing for the last franchise. However, it was an unexpected candidate that ultimately got the eighth and final franchise for the inaugural season.

Miami Awarded AAFC Franchise

At an AAFC ownership meeting on December 8, 1944, the league awarded its eighth and final franchise to Miami. Two days later, the Miami News reported that the franchise had been acquired by Harvey Hester and his partner, Doug Wycoff, a former football star at Georgia Tech. Hester explained that “he and Wycoff were the principal men involved right now, but they were hoping to include some of Miami’s business leaders in the venture.” Their successful bid brought Miami into the new professional football league ahead of four other cities that had also been competing for the final franchise.

The announcement generated considerable excitement in Miami, which was preparing to welcome a major professional football team for the first time. The new franchise adopted the name of the Miami Seahawks and secured an agreement to play its home games at Roddey Burdine Stadium. The stadium, already one of Miami’s most important sporting venues, would later become known as the Orange Bowl. With a name, ownership group, and home field in place, the Seahawks were positioned to represent Miami when the AAFC began play.

Harvey Hester was an Atlanta restaurateur who also maintained business interests in Miami. Compared with the other owners in the newly formed AAFC, however, Hester had relatively modest financial resources. In fact, he was the only franchise owner in the league who was not a millionaire, a distinction that would become increasingly important as the Seahawks attempted to compete with better-financed teams.

Hester quickly went to work assembling his football organization and hired Jack Meagher as the Seahawks’ first head coach. Like AAFC commissioner Jim Crowley, Meagher had ties to Notre Dame, where he played in 1916 under then-assistant coach Knute Rockne as a backup tight end. He later served in the U.S. Marines during World War I and played for the Chicago Tigers during the American Professional Football Association’s (APFA), inaugural season in 1920. The Tigers only lasted one season in the APFA which was later renamed to the National Football League in 1922. Meagher went on to build an extensive coaching résumé that included stops at Rice University and the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks before taking charge of Miami’s new professional football team.

The Seahawks also assembled an experienced group of assistant coaches. Hamp Pool, a standout player at Stanford who later played professionally for the Chicago Bears, was hired to coach the backfield. Hank Crisp, who had spent 25 years coaching highly regarded lines at the University of Alabama, was brought in as the Seahawks’ line coach. Together, Meagher, Pool, and Crisp gave the fledgling Miami franchise a coaching staff with extensive experience in both college and professional football.

By December 1945, the Miami Seahawks’ roster was beginning to take shape. In its December 13 edition, The Miami News reported that owner Harvey Hester believed he had a legitimate chance to persuade Sid Luckman, the celebrated quarterback of the Chicago Bears, to come to Miami. Luckman ultimately remained with Chicago and went on to lead the Bears to their fifth NFL championship in 1946.

The AAFC understood that attracting top players away from the established NFL would require aggressive spending. New league owners often offered substantially higher salaries to proven veterans and sought-after draft choices, a strategy that angered longtime NFL owners such as George Halas. The competition forced NFL teams to respond financially, either by increasing what they were willing to pay their players and prospects or risk losing them to the rival league.

By the time the Seahawks reported for their first training camp, Hester was optimistic about the roster and coaching staff he had assembled. That confidence was shared by many in South Florida, where excitement was building around the arrival of a professional football team representing Miami on a national stage.

One and Only Season in 1946

The All-America Football Conference structured its inaugural-season schedule in part around the expected weather conditions in each city. Buffalo, for example, was given a schedule that placed more of its home games early in the season, reducing the likelihood that the team would have to play too many late-season contests in snow and bitter cold.

Miami faced the opposite situation. Because of South Florida’s heat and humidity during the early fall, the Seahawks opened the season with three consecutive road games and were scheduled to play seven of their first eight contests away from home. Although Miami residents were eager to see the city’s first professional sports franchise in action, they would have only one opportunity to watch the Seahawks at home before the middle of November 1946.

The difficult schedule did little to help the expansion team find its footing. Miami opened against the Cleveland Browns, followed by games against the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Dons. The Seahawks lost all three contests by a combined score of 95–28. After the third defeat, one local newspaper columnist offered a particularly harsh assessment of the struggling team, describing the Seahawks as “woefully inept.”

The Seahawks arrived at Roddy Burdine Stadium for their first home game carrying a 0–3 record. On Tuesday, October 8, 1946, Miami suffered its fourth consecutive defeat, losing to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 34–7 before a crowd of approximately 7,500 fans. The early losing streak quickly began to erode some of the enthusiasm that had surrounded the arrival of professional football in Miami. Following the disappointing home debut, the Seahawks returned to the road for three consecutive Friday night games.

Their next stop was Buffalo on October 11, 1946, where the Seahawks finally earned the first victory in franchise history by defeating the Bisons, 17–14. The celebration was short-lived. One week later, Miami traveled to Chicago and lost to the Rockets, 28–7. The defeat dropped the Seahawks to 1–5 on the season and underscored just how difficult their inaugural campaign had become.

The Seahawks’ difficult start eventually led to a change in leadership. On October 22, 1946, head coach Jack Meagher abruptly resigned. His departure came as little surprise, and the team’s Board of Directors quickly accepted his resignation. Team president Harvey Hester announced that assistant coaches Hamp Pool and Hank Crisp would jointly direct the Seahawks for the remainder of the season, expressing confidence in the abilities of both men. Hester also acknowledged problems with the construction of the roster, stating, “I was misinformed about players I signed and that there would be changes made.”

Pool and Crisp had little time to make those changes before their first game in charge. Just three nights later, the Seahawks traveled to Brooklyn to face the Dodgers. Unfortunately, the coaching change did little to alter Miami’s fortunes. Brooklyn defeated the Seahawks decisively, 30–7, extending what had already become a frustrating season.

Following the loss in Brooklyn, the Seahawks finally returned to Miami for an extended stretch of home games. They opened a six-game homestand with three consecutive Monday night contests at Roddy Burdine Stadium. It marked the first time a professional football team had played more than one home game on Monday night during a season. The unusual scheduling arrangement provided an early precedent for the concept of Monday night football, an idea that the NFL would adopt many years later.

The Seahawks lost two of their three consecutive Monday night games, but they did manage to defeat the Buffalo Bisons for a second time, completing a season sweep of their northern rival. It is an accomplishment that Miami Dolphins fans would undoubtedly enjoy seeing repeated against Buffalo today.

Miami then dropped its next two home games before giving local fans something to celebrate in the season finale. The Seahawks closed their inaugural campaign with a 31–20 victory over the Los Angeles Dons at Roddy Burdine Stadium, ending an otherwise difficult season on a positive note.

The 1946 season proved to be a frustrating one for owner Harvey Hester, and his troubles did not end when the final whistle sounded. After leaving Roddy Burdine Stadium following the last game of the season, Hester was involved in an automobile accident. The Miami News reported on December 16 that the accident was minor and resulted in no injuries, although Hester’s car sustained significant damage. He was subsequently charged with reckless driving.

Save the Miami Seahawks

As the AAFC’s inaugural season drew to a close, considerable uncertainty surrounded the future of the Miami Seahawks. The franchise was reportedly about $350,000 in debt, including approximately $80,000 in unpaid payroll and travel expenses. Owner and team president Harvey Hester had stretched his personal finances well beyond their limits in an effort to keep the team operating.

In early December, AAFC commissioner Jim Crowley traveled to Miami to help address the Seahawks’ growing financial problems. While meeting with prospective ownership groups at the McAllister Hotel on Biscayne Boulevard, Crowley also arranged for the league to provide emergency loans to keep the franchise afloat.

Most importantly, the assistance ensured that players would receive their scheduled December 16 paychecks. League funds were also used to satisfy obligations to United Airlines, cover rent at Roddy Burdine Stadium and pay other outstanding expenses as the Seahawks struggled to make it through the end of their first season.

Several groups, both local and from outside Miami, expressed interest in taking control of the struggling Seahawks franchise. One local effort was led by James F.X. O’Brien, president of the Quarterbacks Club and owner of the Tycoon Tackle Company. O’Brien organized a group of investors determined to keep the team in Miami and even explored whether the Seahawks could improve attendance by playing home games on Sunday afternoons, something that was discouraged in Miami in 1946. He approached Mayor Perrine Palmer Jr. and two city commissioners about the possibility, and all indicated that they had “no personal objection” to Sunday football.

A second local group was led by Frank Harney, a prominent sportsman and owner of Manning’s Restaurant at 801 Biscayne Boulevard. Harney assured AAFC commissioner Jim Crowley that “his group could put up the money on 24 hours notice, provided that they didn’t have to assume the present indebtedness of the Seahawks.” His group was prepared to move quickly, but only if it could acquire the franchise without inheriting the financial burden accumulated under the existing ownership.

That condition became the central obstacle for both Miami groups. Neither was willing to assume the Seahawks’ substantial debt, making the financial obligations of the franchise a potential deal breaker. At the same time, interest from outside Miami was growing, with several prospective ownership groups willing to take control of the team if they could relocate the franchise to another city. The Seahawks had therefore reached a critical point: the question was no longer simply who would own the team, but whether professional football would remain in Miami at all.

Bankruptcy and AAFC Takes Over Team

Among those who met with Commissioner Jim Crowley during his stay in Miami was Dr. Mal Stevens, the former head coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Stevens discussed the possibility of transferring the struggling franchise to out-of-town investors and was believed to be representing prospective ownership groups from both Philadelphia and Baltimore.

Before either the local or outside groups could present an acceptable offer, however, Harvey Hester filed for bankruptcy on behalf of the Seahawks. Crowley quickly stepped in and assumed control of the franchise for the AAFC, effectively ending Hester’s ownership of the team.

Behind the scenes, Crowley and other league officials were increasingly opposed to keeping the franchise in Miami. Although the city was growing rapidly in the years immediately following World War II, Miami was still only the 42nd-largest city in the United States in 1946. Attendance had also declined sharply as the season progressed.

The team’s poor performance and heavily back-loaded home schedule certainly contributed to the problem, but the Seahawks averaged fewer than 10,000 spectators during their final six home games, a level the league considered unsustainable. With the Miami franchise now under league control, Crowley believed there were other markets that offered a better opportunity for the Seahawks to survive.

Seahawks Franchise to Baltimore

Ultimately, the AAFC awarded control of the former Miami franchise to Washington, D.C., attorney Robert D. Rodenburg and four other businessmen. After securing a stadium agreement in Baltimore, the new ownership group relocated the team and reorganized it as the Baltimore Colts, bringing an end to the Miami Seahawks after just one season in South Florida.

The original Baltimore Colts began play in the AAFC in 1947 and were among the teams absorbed into the NFL in 1950. Their stay in the NFL was brief, however, as continuing financial difficulties forced the franchise to fold after the 1950 season.

Three years later, a new Baltimore Colts franchise was established in the NFL and adopted the name and identity of the earlier team. That second incarnation of the Colts remained in Baltimore until 1984, when the franchise relocated to Indianapolis and became the Indianapolis Colts.

The Miami-to-Baltimore story would take an interesting turn more than two decades later. In 1970, the Miami Dolphins made perhaps the most important acquisition in franchise history when they hired Don Shula away from the Baltimore Colts.

Miami had lost its first professional football team to Baltimore in 1947, but 23 years later Baltimore lost to Miami the man who would become the winningest head coach in NFL history. Under Shula, the Dolphins would soon emerge as one of professional football’s dominant teams, giving the Miami-Baltimore connection a fitting historical twist.

Twenty Years Later

Twenty years after Miami lost the Seahawks to Baltimore, professional football returned to South Florida when Joe Robbie, Danny Thomas, and the Miami community were awarded an American Football League franchise, the Miami Dolphins, in 1966. For fans who have followed the team from the beginning, the Dolphins became source of civic pride throughout South Florida, particularly during the franchise’s remarkable championship run in the early 1970s.

Like Harvey Hester’s Seahawks two decades earlier, the Dolphins encountered serious financial challenges during their early years, and by 1969 the possibility of relocation had become very real. Joe Robbie, however, was able to navigate those difficulties and persuade local business leaders to invest in both the team and his vision for its future.

Robbie’s fiscal discipline also meant that the Dolphins were not overwhelmed by debt, making it possible for new investors to buy out his partner, Bud Keland, who favored moving the franchise. In an ironic twist, the proposed destination was Seattle. Seven years later, in 1976, the NFL awarded Seattle an expansion franchise that adopted a very familiar name: the Seahawks.

The Dolphins have not won a Super Bowl since the 1974 season and have not appeared in one since the 1984 season, but each new year brings hope that the franchise can eventually return to championship contention. As Dolphins fans settle in for another NFL season, it is worth remembering how differently Miami’s professional football history might have unfolded. Had the events of 1946 taken another course, South Florida fans might be chanting “Let’s Go Hawks” today instead. The challenging 1946 season for the Miami Seahawks lasted only one year, but its brief legacy remains an intriguing chapter in the history of professional football in Miami.

Resources:

• Book: “From Sandlots to the Super Bowl – The National Football League, 1920 – 1967”, Craig R. Coenen

• Miami News: “Miami Gets Franchise in New Pro Loop”, December 10^th, 1944

• Miami News: “Hester’s Pockets Bulge with Juicy Contracts”, December 13^th, 1945

• Miami News: “Officials Depart – Miami Grid Pros About Ready”, July 14^th, 1946

• Miami News: “Jack Meagher Resigns As Seahawks Coach”, October 22^nd, 1946

• Miami News: “Hester Plans More Changes In Hawks”, October 23^rd, 1946

• Miami News: “Sale or Shakeup in Seahawks Soon”, December 8^th, 1946

• Miami News: “O’Brien and Crowley Confer Over Hawks”, December 12^th, 1946

• Miami News: “Many Dicker for Seahawks”, December 13^th, 1946

This podcast episode explores the incorporation and early development of Miami Springs, a community founded during South Florida’s extraordinary building boom of the 1920s. After helping establish Hialeah and Opa-locka, aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss and James Bright founded Country Club Estates on August 23, 1926. The community was later renamed Miami Springs, and this year marks the centennial of the founding of this distinctive South Florida municipality.

Like other master-planned communities developed during the era, including Coral Gables and Miami Shores, Miami Springs was carefully designed with its own architectural identity. What distinguished the community was its prominent use of Pueblo Revival architecture. Curtiss had traveled extensively throughout the American Southwest while promoting aviation and became fascinated by the region’s architecture. That influence helped inspire the Pueblo-style homes and buildings that became one of Miami Springs’ most recognizable and enduring characteristics.

Tune into this week’s podcast episode to hear more about the founding and development of the City of Miami Springs during its centennial year. You can download this episode on your favorite podcast platform (iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Spotify) or listen directly on the Miami-History website. Please remember to click on the subscribe button and to provide a rating and comment on any of the platforms where this podcast episode is available.

On August 17, 1931, the Florida National Bank & Trust, owned by Alfred I Dupont, opened its first branch in Miami at 118 East Flagler Street. The bank purchased the assets of City National Bank & Trust after that bank, headed by J.C. Penney, abruptly closed in December of 1930.

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OTD: August 18, 1920 - Nineteenth Amendment Passed

On August 18, 1920, the nineteenth amendment to the US Constitution was ratified. This amendment gave women the right to vote.

OTD: August 19, 1916 - Dr. Jackson Residence Moved to Barge

On August 19, 1916, Dr. James Jackson's house and office were moved from downtown to a barge located at the end of Flagler Street on Biscayne Bay, to prepare for a move to Ocean Beach. They were ultimately moved to the Brickell neighborhood in September of 1916.

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OTD: August 20, 1981 - Venetian Pool Added to National Register

On August 20, 1981, the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

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OTD: August 21, 1972 - National Convention for the Republican Party Began in Miami Beach Convention Center

On August 21, 1972, the national convention of the Republican Party took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The three day convention culminated with the nomination of Richard Nixon as their presidential candidate for reelection.

OTD: August 24, 1992 - Hurricane Andrew Made Landfall

On August 24, 1992, at approximately 5:05am, Hurricane Andrew made landfall in southern Dade County near Homestead as a Category hurricane, becoming one of the most destructive storms in South Florida history. Andrew was a relatively compact but extremely powerful hurricane, with maximum sustained winds now estimated at 165 mph and gusts reaching at least 175 mph.

Its eyewall swept across communities from Kendall south through Cutler Ridge, Homestead and Florida City, leaving entire neighborhoods virtually unrecognizable. Homes were reduced to piles of lumber, roofs were torn from buildings, trees and utility poles were snapped, and thousands of residents emerged after sunrise to scenes of extraordinary devastation.

Click on the watch button to see and hear more about the destruction of Hurricane Andrew.

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Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book

Get your signed copy of the Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book by ordering online on the Miami History Blog website. The book shares a pictorial history of the Brickell neighborhood from 1870 through the 1980s. Read more about the contents of this book and purchase your copy by clicking on the ‘Learn More’ button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.

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As 1978 gave way to 1979, members of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church awaited the outcome of the nuisance lawsuit filed against them by the City of Miami Beach and the Dade County State Attorney’s Office. They hoped the courts would uphold their claim that the sacramental use of ganja was protected by the First Amendment. Instead, an unfavorable ruling intensified the campaign to remove the congregation from Star Island.

The church’s legal troubles deepened in October 1979, when a plane carrying more than a ton of marijuana crashed in the Everglades west of Fort Lauderdale. Among the wreckage, investigators discovered the body of one of the Zion Coptic’s senior leaders. The evidence recovered from the crash provided local and federal law-enforcement agencies with a crucial link to the organization’s alleged marijuana-trafficking network.

Part 2 of the Zion Coptic story follows the coordinated investigation that led to the indictments and convictions of Brother Louv and 18 other members of the sect. Those prosecutions ultimately brought an end to the church’s presence on Star Island. After years of legal battles and financial difficulties, the deteriorating mansion at 43 Star Island Drive was sold in 1988.

Nuisance Suit Hearing – Day One

The state’s nuisance case against the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church went to trial on Wednesday, January 10, 1979, before Circuit Court Judge Frederick Barad. The City of Miami Beach joined the action, alleging that the congregation’s use of 43 Star Island Drive violated the island’s single-family residential zoning. Even with the zoning issue added to the case, much of the testimony focused on complaints from neighboring residents, who cited the persistent odor of marijuana, increased traffic and trespassing by visitors, and early-morning chanting and singing associated with the church’s prayer services.

Prosecutors Hank Adorno, Heath Bayard and Arthur Berger presented a series of witnesses, including two Star Island residents, a Miami Beach narcotics officer and an 11-year-old boy who had visited 43 Star Island and participated in religious services. The Zion Coptic’s were represented by a legal team led by attorneys Milton Ferrell Jr. and Richard Booth. The hearing stretched for more than ten hours and featured often contentious testimony, pointed questioning and vigorous cross-examination from attorneys on both sides.

During opening statements, Bayard outlined the state’s central argument: “We intend to show that 43 Star Island is open to anybody who desires to go there, and we intend to show that anyone who goes there can smoke marijuana whether or not they are members of the Coptic Church.” The prosecution hoped to demonstrate that the activities at the mansion extended beyond the private religious practices of church members and had become a broader public nuisance affecting the surrounding neighborhood.

At the heart of the nuisance case was testimony from neighboring Star Island residents Dr. Theodore Struhl and Joe Harry Branam. Both described the impact of living near the Coptic compound, focusing on the early-morning chanting, frequent activity around the residence and the persistent odor of marijuana drifting from 43 Star Island. Each portrayed the culmination of activities as an ongoing nuisance on the quiet residential quarter of the island.

Miami Beach Police Sergeant Richard Barado also testified that he had frequently been called to Star Island in response to complaints involving the Coptic residence. He told the court that, when standing downwind of the property, he could smell marijuana and that during one early-morning visit he could clearly hear loud chanting and singing at approximately 5:30 a.m.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Milton Ferrell Jr. asked Sergeant Barado whether he questioned the sincerity of the Zion Coptic Church members and their religious beliefs. Judge Frederick Barad interrupted the line of questioning, making clear that the legitimacy of the congregation’s faith was not what the court had been asked to decide. “I assume they are true believers, I really do, but that is not the issue here,” Barad said. His ruling, he indicated, would turn instead on whether the activities at 43 Star Island constituted a nuisance to the surrounding neighborhood.

Perhaps the most damaging testimony for the defense came from an 11-year-old boy who said he had been welcomed into the Star Island residence, where he participated in prayer services and smoked marijuana as part of the Coptic’s sacramental practices. His testimony was not entirely one-sided, however. The boy acknowledged that he was denied entry when he returned to the property on a later occasion, and under cross-examination he confirmed that his original purpose for visiting the residence had been to pray.

In addition to hearing testimony from witnesses, Judge Barad viewed approximately ten minutes of videotape recorded inside the residence by WPLG Channel 10 cameraman Robert Aeyres, who had been subpoenaed to appear at the hearing. The footage showed Coptic members engaged in prayer, chanting and singing while openly smoking marijuana as part of their religious observances.

By the conclusion of the ten-hour hearing on Wednesday, Judge Barad indicated that prosecutors had presented a strong preliminary case that the activities at 43 Star Island constituted a public nuisance. He was less persuaded, however, that the church had violated Miami Beach’s single-family zoning ordinance. Barad made clear that the burden now rested with the defense to rebut the state’s allegations, warning that unless the Coptic’s could successfully challenge the prosecution’s case, he was prepared to rule in favor of the state and declare the church’s activities on Star Island a nuisance.

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Iconic WTVJ news anchor Ralph Renick was born on August 9, 1928, in New York. Renick began his career with WTVJ in 1950 as an intern while studying journalism at the University of Miami. He enjoyed a long career with the station, from 1950 until 1985, while reporting directly to the president and founder of WTVJ, Mitchell Wolfson.

Within six weeks of his retirement announcement from WTVJ, Ralph declared his candidacy for governor of Florida in 1986. After losing his bid for political office, he joined WCIX (now WFOR), to do a nightly show called 'The Ralph Renick Report', until he retried from that endeavor in September 1990.

Webinar: August 19, 2026 - Orange Bowl Stadium: Miami’s Football Shrine

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Time: 6:00 - 7:30pm EDT
Fee: $16 (paid subscribers get a $10 discount off the webinar fee)

For more than seventy years, the Orange Bowl Stadium was one of Miami’s most revered landmarks, a place where sports, tourism, civic ambition, and community life came together.

This webinar will explore the stadium’s formative years, beginning with the temporary wooden bleachers used for the earliest Orange Bowl games and continuing through the construction, expansion, and modernization of the permanent stadium between 1937 and 1958.

The presentation will include a lot of photos and stories of the early years of “Miami’s Sports Cathedral.” If you cannot make it during this time, anyone who is a paid registrant will receive a link to watch the recording after the presentation.

For more information and to register for the webinar, click the button below. If you are a paid subscriber and did not get the discount code, please e-mail me at casey@sfwebnet.com

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OTD: August 13, 1859 - Miami Pioneer E.A. Waddell was born in Perth, Ontario

On August 13, 1859, Miami Pioneer Edwin Alexander Waddell was born in Perth, Ontario. Waddell was living in Key West when he first arrived to Miami in 1888. He purchased land in today's Omni neighborhood and became one of the Magic City's earliest real estate agents. He constructed the first poured concrete home for himself on the corner of today's NE Third Avenue and NE Second Street. Waddell was considered one of early Miami's most persistent ambassadors and advocates.

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Upgrade Promotion: 1926 Hurricane Booklet

For a limited time, anyone who upgrades their membership to become a paid subscriber will received a booklet of the 1926 Hurricane which features over 100 photos of the impact of this historic storm.

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of this devastating hurricane in September 2026, you have the opportunity to get your copy of a very rare booklet with a number of never before seen photographs.

Click on the button below to learn more about this promotion.

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OTD: August 14, 1945 - Japan Surrenders (VJ Day)

On August 14, 1945, the Japanese Emperor announced an unconditional surrender to the United States to end World War II. Although the official instrument of treaty was not signed until September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri, in Tokyo Bay, August 15th has been referred to V-J Day (Victory over Japan), ever since.

Attached is a photograph of US Navy service men and women celebrating on Flagler Street when the news broke. Downtown Miami was taken over by the Navy for training during WWII.

Click on the button below to listen to the podcast episode on the role South Florida played to prepare servicemen for battle during World War II.

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OTD: August 16, 1965 - Dolphins Awarded to Miami by AFL

On August 16, 1965, Miami was awarded a professional football franchise by the American Football League which was ultimately named the Dolphins. The franchise was headed by entertainer Danny Thomas and Minneapolis attorney Joe Robbie.

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Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book

Get your signed copy of the Brickell Avenue Neighborhood Book by ordering online on the Miami History Blog website. The book shares a pictorial history of the Brickell neighborhood from 1870 through the 1980s. Read more about the contents of this book and purchase your copy by clicking on the ‘Learn More’ button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.

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On August 7, 1956, the Orange Bowl Stadium hosted one of the most unusual baseball spectacles in Miami history, a game billed as the “World’s Greatest Baseball Party.”

The Miami Marlins hoped to draw more than 80,000 spectators and break the attendance record for a minor league baseball game. To help fill the massive football stadium, the organization turned the evening into an entertainment extravaganza featuring Martha Raye, Margaret Whiting, Russ Morgan and his orchestra, Cab Calloway, and several other notable performers.

The biggest attraction on the field, however, was legendary pitcher Satchel Paige. At the age of 49, the former Negro Leagues star was given the starting assignment for Miami. Paige pitched into the eighth inning and even contributed at the plate, driving in three runs with a double to left-center field.

Although attendance fell short of the ambitious 80,000-person goal, an impressive 51,713 paying spectators packed the Orange Bowl to watch the Miami Marlins defeat the Columbus Jets, 6–2. Both clubs were members of the Triple-A International League, and despite the elaborate festivities surrounding the event, the matchup counted as an official league game.

The evening was more than a baseball promotion. Gate receipts from the game were donated to several local charities, making the “World’s Greatest Baseball Party” not only a memorable event but also a charitable one as well.

Related Content:

• Orange Bowl Stadium (1937 – 1947)

• Orange Bowl Stadium (1948 – 1957)