Cozy Corner in Downtown Miami
When John Sewell and his crew began preparations to clear the grounds in April of 1896 for what would become the Royal Palm Hotel, Julia Tuttle asked him to preserve as many of the best shade trees as possible. She…
John Sewell
Entrance to Nowhere
On the periphery of the east-west expressway along NW Tenth Avenue stands two old gate posts seemingly to nowhere. They appear to be what they are, relics of an era long forgotten. The gate posts were constructed by pioneer John…
Chamberlain Apartments on Flagler Street
Nestled between the McAllister Hotel and the Elks Club at 313 East Flagler Street stood the Chamberlain Apartments from 1916 until 1925. The apartment building was constructed by one of Miami’s pioneer photographers, John Chamberlain, who knew that Miami would…
Preparing the Grounds for the City of Miami
In the Fall of 1895, John Sewell was in Palm Beach, Florida, working for Joseph A. McDonald who was the head of the construction arm of the Florida East Coast Railway. It was during a brief meeting that McDonald informed…
MIami’s First Christmas in 1896
Christmas 1896 in the newly-incorporated city of Miami was euphoric for many of its estimated 1,000 residents, who exhibited feelings of pride in for the transformation of a wilderness into an instant municipality in less than one year. In fact, some were already calling it the “Magic City.”