Miami Celebrates 15th Birthday in 1911
The Magic City celebrates its fifteenth birthday in style with a baseball game, parade, and aviation exhibition beginning on July 20, 1911.
At the onset of 1911, the residents of Miami were preparing for a milestone celebration. While this year only marked the fifteenth anniversary of the city’s incorporation, there was a notable sense of excitement and accomplishment among the pioneers of the soon to be fifteen-year-old municipality.
According to the 1910 census, there were fewer than 5,500 inhabitants living in the Magic City. It was likely that every resident was aware and enthusiastic for the events that would mark the city’s celebration in July of 1911. If they were not aware, it was the decoration committee, responsible for preparing the city for the three-day celebration, who informed them of what to expect and prepare for this important commemoration.
Schedule of Events
The committee of decorations included some of the most notable pioneer women in the young City of Miami: Adele Sewell, wife of Everest G. Sewell, a three-time mayor of Miami and one of Miami’s most notable promoters. Letah Tatum, wife of B.B. Tatum, along with his brothers, was an early and important real estate developer in South Florida. Marie Romfh, wife of Edward C. Romfh, who was a founder and president of First National Bank. Lastly, Marie Riley, wife of John B. Riley, who was the first mayor of Miami. Marie was also the daughter of Joseph A. McDonald, Flagler’s lieutenant who orchestrated the founding and construction of many of Miami’s first institutions.
Despite not having a voice at the ballot box during this time, these women were the driving force behind the city’s commemoration of its fifteenth birthday. They went door to door in the commercial district to instruct business owners how they need to decorate their buildings for the festivities. They organized a parade, baseball games, speeches and the first flight in South Florida, all as part of the three-day celebration.
The multi-day commemoration took place from Thursday, July 20th through Saturday, July 22nd. The schedule of events by day were as follows:
Thursday, July 20, 1911
10:00am – Parade of decorated automobiles on Twelfth Street terminating at Royal Palm Park.
11:00am – Speeches by city and state dignitaries in Royal Palm Park.
1:00pm – Baseball game between the Fort Pierce Seminoles vs Miami baseball team.
4:00pm – Aviation meet featuring an exhibition of Frank Gill in a Wright Brothers plane.
5:00pm – Military maneuvers and dress parade by the National Guard of Florida.
8:00pm – Military and civic parade on Flagler Street.
8:30pm – Fireworks by Paine Fireworks Company set on barge in Biscayne Bay.
9:30pm – Grand military ball in the Fair Building.
Friday, July 21, 1911
9:00am – Foot races on Twelfth Street from Avenue C to Boulevard.
10:00am – Motorcycle races on Twelfth Street to Lawrence Road.
1:00pm – Baseball game between the Fort Pierce Seminoles vs Miami baseball team.
4:00pm – Aviation meet featuring an exhibition of Frank Gill in a Wright Brothers plane.
5:00pm – Military maneuvers and dress parade by the National Guard of Florida.
7:30pm – Exhibition drill by Dan Hardie’s Zouaves on Twelfth Street.
8:00pm – Firefighting drill by Miami Fire Department.
9:00pm – Grand military ball in the Fair Building.
Saturday, July 22, 1911
9:00am – Excursions to the Everglades drainage canals, Cocoanut Grove, Ocean Beach (future Miami Beach), and Cape Florida.
10:00am – Boat races from the Terminal Dock and pass in front of the city.
2:30pm - Baseball game between the Jacksonville Olympics vs Miami baseball team.
Music throughout the day by the Second Regiment, Miami and the Key West Light Guard bands.
In addition, the committee commissioned a Welcome Arch which was constructed on the north side of the Twelfth Street and Avenue B intersection. This is today’s Flagler Street and NE Second Avenue. Click on the link associated with ‘Welcome Arch’ to read more about it.
The committee raised money through donations from local businesses. In total, the expenditures for the celebration would amount to $4,755.25, where $2,000 of that total cost was for the transport and rental of the Wright Brothers’ plane for two days of flight exhibitions at the Royal Palm golf course. The latter fee also included compensation for the pilot for his performance.
Parade on Flagler Street
The foundational event of the three-day celebration was the car parade down Twelfth street (today’s Flagler street), to Royal Palm Park. The parade featured a procession of cars, decorated as floats, to provide, as the Miami Metropolis described in its review of the parade, “a beautiful spectacle” of automobiles aligned along the city’s central business thoroughfare.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Miami History to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.