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Images of America: Florida
Miami: The Magic City
Whether you call it the Gateway to the Americas, the Capital of Latin America, or even the Magic City, Miami is a city that has enchanted millions for many years.
The city we know as Miami only came into existence in 1896, but evidence suggests people lived in the area for over 2000 years before Europeans ever set foot on the continent. The land was conquered by the Spanish in 1566, but Florida didn't become part of the United States until 1821. Miami holds the distinction of being the only major city founded by a woman - Julia Tuttle was a wealthy citrus grower who originally owned the land the city was built on. When a prolonged bout of cold weather known as the Great Freeze throttled crops further north, farmers arrived to the area in droves, and Tuttle convinced railroad tycoon Henry Flagler to extend his Florida East Coast Railway to the region, for which she became known as "the Mother of Miami." Miami has weathered yellow fever epidemics, the 1920s boom and bust, two World Wars, hurricanes, and numerous other economic ups and downs to become one of the world's great cities and the growth of South Florida.
The city we know as Miami only came into existence in 1896, but evidence suggests people lived in the area for over 2000 years before Europeans ever set foot on the continent. The land was conquered by the Spanish in 1566, but Florida didn't become part of the United States until 1821. Miami holds the distinction of being the only major city founded by a woman - Julia Tuttle was a wealthy citrus grower who originally owned the land the city was built on. When a prolonged bout of cold weather known as the Great Freeze throttled crops further north, farmers arrived to the area in droves, and Tuttle convinced railroad tycoon Henry Flagler to extend his Florida East Coast Railway to the region, for which she became known as "the Mother of Miami." Miami has weathered yellow fever epidemics, the 1920s boom and bust, two World Wars, hurricanes, and numerous other economic ups and downs to become one of the world's great cities and the growth of South Florida.
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 25, 2021
An interesting visual journey
Having grown up in Miami in the 1960s-late 80s I thought it interesting to view the Miami of old through my more contemporary lens. The photos that are in this book are amazing, however, I felt a lot of history was glossed over. The author practically gushes over some pioneers while missing a lot of important historic characters that contributed Miami’s essence. At times it felt like I was reading someone’s college assignment . This book is worth your time if just for the pictures.
Having grown up in Miami in the 1960s-late 80s I thought it interesting to view the Miami of old through my more contemporary lens. The photos that are in this book are amazing, however, I felt a lot of history was glossed over. The author practically gushes over some pioneers while missing a lot of important historic characters that contributed Miami’s essence. At times it felt like I was reading someone’s college assignment . This book is worth your time if just for the pictures.
January 21, 2019
Miami, “The Magic City” is the most accurate moniker you can place on this city. It’s hard to believe that Miami was only founded in 1896, making Miami the newest city in America and boy has it grown! Miami was turned from a rural backwater to a sprawling city overnight due to Henry Flagler’s decision to extend his railroad south to this little town next to the Miami River. The images in this book were insightful and eye-opening. The fact that Miami has changed so drastically since its founding is still shocking me till this very day. Some vintage photographs in the book shows the old wood frame houses and public buildings in Downtown and Flagler Street. It’s sad that those vestiges of yore are not in existence anymore. It would’ve been nice if the City of Miami would’ve had a preservation association many years ago that could’ve preserved and saved many of Miami’s historical buildings from this time period. Some of the photographs also show the Trolleys that Miami used to be known for from many years ago. That also would’ve been nice to have had preserved since it would’ve added to Miami’s tourism industry. Miami is indeed a city on the rise and it continues to be developed even to the detriment of its citizens. This book is a cool keepsake that will remind everyone of the importance of historic preservation and to see the contrast of this great city.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews