Week in History: May 17 - 24
Events that occurred during the week of May 17th through May 24th in South Florida's history.
OTD: May 17, 1980 - Miami Dade Police Officers Acquitted for Murder
On May 17, 1980, five Dade County policemen were acquitted of beating a black man, Arthur McDuffie, to death, sparking a three-day riot in Liberty City leaving 18 dead and $100 million in property damage. McDuffie was a marine veteran who was eluding police by motorcycle when he was stopped and beaten to death by the arresting officers. The controversial acquittal was a surprise to many observing the trial and sparked outrage throughout the black communities in Dade County.
OTD: May 18, 1870 - Miami’s First Mayor was Born
On May 18, 1870, John B. Reilly, the first Mayor of Miami, was born in New Haven, Connecticut. Reilly served the first four one-year terms as the mayor from 1896 to 1900. Reilly was son-in-law to Joseph A. McDonald, the man who Henry Flagler put in charge to overseas the development of the City of Miami in 1896.
OTD: May 19, 1946 - First Presbyterian Church Leases Downtown Parcel
On May 19, 1946, the First Presbyterian Church leased the northern parcel of their downtown property to the Roper Corporation for a term of 99-years and an annual amount of $46,600. This is the parcel that the downtown church edifice was located.
OTD: May 20, 1843 - William English Buys Land in South Florida
On May 20, 1843, William English purchased land from his Uncle Richard Fitzpatrick, which included 2,660 acres, over four square miles, on the north and south side of the Miami River, along with another 640 acres, one square mile, along the New River in today's downtown Fort Lauderdale, $16,000. This land included the acreage used for Fort Dallas from 1838 until 1842 (north side of the Miami River), and much of today's downtown Miami and Brickell neighborhood.
OTD: May 20, 1913 - Remembering Pioneer Founder Henry Flagler
Remembering Miami founding pioneer Henry M. Flagler on the anniversary of his passing on May 20, 1913, at his Whitehall residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Flagler became one of the richest men in America as part of Standard Oil during the peak of the Gilded Era of the mid to late 1800s. After retiring to Florida, Flagler invested in the development of the east coast of Florida from Saint Augustine through the Florida Keys. As part of that initiative, Flagler was incentivized by fellow Miami founding pioneers Julia Tuttle, as well as William and Mary Brickell, to extend his railway and invest in the development of the City of Miami in the mid-1890s.
Click on the button below to listen to the Miami History Podcast episode about Henry Flagler’s role in developing South Florida.
OTD: May 21, 1878 - Pioneer Aviator Glenn Curtiss was Born
On May 21, 1878, Glenn Curtiss, motorcycle and aviation pioneer, who was issued pilot license #1 in the United States, and founder of Miami Springs, Hialeah, Opalocka in South Florida, was born in Hammondsport, New York.
OTD: May 21, 1917 - Miami Beach Incorporates as a City
On May 21, 1917, a little over two years after becoming a town and with a population of several hundred, the town of Miami Beach became the City of Miami Beach.
OTD: May 22, 1825 - Founding Pioneer William Brickell was Born
Miami Pioneer William Brickell was born on May 22, 1825, in Steubenville, Ohio. Brickell moved his family to the banks of the Miami River in 1871 after acquiring the acreage on the southside of the river to where Vizcaya is located today. Upon arriving, William opened a trading post at Brickell Point at the mouth of the Miami River. The Brickell neighborhood is named for this family.
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 button below. Scroll to the bottom of the page to purchase your signed copy online.