Week in History: December 29 - 31
Events that occurred during the week of December 29th through the 31st in South Florida's history.
OTD: December 29, 1894 - Freeze in Florida Fortuitous to Founding of City of Miami
On December 29, 1894, Florida experienced its worst freeze since 1835, when temperatures dropped as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit in West Palm Beach. The freeze had a devastating impact on the citrus crops in the middle part of Florida. A second freeze that spanned from February 7th – 9th in 1895 compounded the devastation and set a series of events in motion that led to Henry Flagler extending his FEC Railway down to what became the city of Miami.
OTD: December 29, 1837 - Miami Beach Pioneer John Collins was Born
On December 29, 1837, John Stiles Collins was born in Moorestown Township, New Jersey. Collins invested in a coconut plantation on a barrier peninsula that would later become Miami Beach. He partnered with Carl Fisher to become one of the founders and developers of Miami Beach.
OTD: December 29, 1937 - Miami Entrepreneur Wayne Huizinga was Born
On December 29, 1937, Wayne Huizenga was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois. Huizinga was known as a serial entrepreneur who grew three fledlging businesses into Fortune 500 companies: Waste Management, Blockbuster, and Autonation. Huizinga may have been better known as the owner of the Miami Dolphins (1990 - 2009), and the man who brought the Marlins and Panthers to the South Florida sports landscape. Huizinga passed away on March 22, 2018.
OTD: December 30, 1843 - St. Augustine News Predicts City of Miami
In an article dated December 30, 1843, The News in St. Augustine provided a prophecy that there would be a vibrant town established on the banks of the Miami River. It stated that this location was the most suitable for a town in all of southeast Florida.
OTD: December 31, 1919 - The McAllister Hotel Celebrates Grand Opening
The McAllister Hotel officially opened on New Years Eve in 1919 (12/31/1919), hosting a dinner and an elaborate gala in the ballroom on the top floor of the hotel to welcome in what would become a very eventful decade of the 1920s.
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.