The Decades: 1900 – 1909

Length of Video: 20 minutes & 30 seconds

The fourth episode features the first decade of the twentieth century in Miami and southeast Florida. The turn of the century represented a time of development and moderate growth. Miami went from a wilderness outpost to the start of the city in the last decade of the nineteenth century.

The 1900s began a period where Miami evolved into a typical southern city. The basic infrastructure of city was still being put into place. It was a resort city, but the pioneers of the city had a much grander vision. A downtown area began to develop and families began establish roots in the new city.

The outline for episode four is as follows:

Scene #1: A Southern Town

  • Not Miami, but “Mi-am-ma”
  • Demographics
  • Early Churches
  • Dade County’s Rock Courthouse
  • Miami High First Graduation Class (1904)

Scene #2: Downtown Miami

  • Importance of 12th Street
  • Early pioneer stores.
  • 5 livery stables, 4 Blacksmith Shops, several bicycle shops.
  • Newspapers: Miami Metropolis, Herald
  • Banks: Bank of Bay Biscayne, First National Bank
  • Theaters: Kelly’s, Alcazar, Air Dome.

Scene #3: Rise of Suburbia & Transportation

  • Tatum Brothers and Toll Bridge
  • Early Trolley service
  • Southside / Brickell

Scene #4: The Bayfront

  • Fair Building
  • Sports and Royal Palm Park
  • Ferries to Miami Beach

Scene #5: Saloons & Opposition

  • Downtown Saloons
  • North Miami
  • Anti-Saloon League & WCTU, Carrie Nation

Scene #6: Flagler’s Folly – Oversea Railroad to Key West

  • Reasons for overseas railroad.
  • Start of a long project.