March 2005
27 posts
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Run on the Bank
On Monday, November 16, 1931, as most Pompano residents were at breakfast or on their way to work,or out in the field getting crops ready for early harvest, news spread that a decline in deposits and steady withdrawals had caused the Bank of Pompano, the town’s only banking facility, to close its doors. Employed then as a bookkeeper in the bank, Pompano pioneer Lorena A. Hardin Robson...
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More on Esther Rolle
Before she gained widespread fame as Florida Evans in Maude and Good Times, Esther Rolle had a distinguished career as a dancer and on stage:Rolle attended Booker T. Washington High School in Miami, Florida and then Spelman College for a year before moving to New York. She supported herself by working in a pocketbook factory while auditioning for the theater. While taking drama classes at George...
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Showbiz
One of Pompano Beach’s most famous families is the Rolle’s. Various accounts have Jonathan and his wife Elizabeth arriving in Pompano from the Bahamas around 1908, the same year the town was incorporated. Jonathan and Elizabeth had eighteen children, a number of whom had successful careers in the performing arts. The most well-known is undoubtedly Esther Rolle (1920 - 1998), who...
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Big Day at Green Market
This coming Saturday, April 2nd, will be a big day at the Pompano Beach Green Market. First of all, it will be John Knox Village Day. Residents of JKV will be participating in the Market, providing entertainment, exhibits and demonstrations. If you experienced JKV Day at Last year’s Green Market, you know what an amazing day it will be. Also, this coming weekend marks the beginning of...
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Worth the Trip
The 53rd Florida Folk Festival will be held May 27 - 29, 2005, at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, Florida.
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Tales of Old Pompano
We’ve had quite a few inquiries about purchasing Bud Garner’s book, Tales of Old Pompano. The book is available for sale at the Pompano Beach Green Market every Saturday morning, at the Historical Society’s booth, for $10.00. If you would like a copy sent to you by mail, send a check for $12.50 to: Tales of Old Pompano Pompano Beach Historical Society P.O. Box 154 Pompano Beach,...
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History Resource for Teachers
History Now is an on-line resource for American history teachers (and everyone else who wants to learn more about our past). Arranged by subjects, which so far have included elections, slavery and immigration, the website includes digital essays, lesson plans for high school, middle school and elementary school classrooms, and questions and answers for each subject. The essays are written by...
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Bids in On Bank Building
The City of Pompano Beach has received two responses to its request for bids to purchase the Bank of Pompano and Bailey Hotel. It will have to be determined whether or not the bids are responsive to the specified criteria (see request document here), but this is an encouraging sign that the historic buildings will be saved.
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Congratulations Bud
Historical Society trustee Bud Garner was recently recognized as Pompano Beach’s first designated Historian by the City Commission, following his nomination by the Pompano Beach Historic Preservation Advisory Board. Bud Garner (left) is congratulated by Commissioner Lamar Fisher Bud is well-known for his colorful stories of Pompano’s past, many of which are collected in his book, Tales...
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Best Florida History Book
The Florida Historical Society has announced that the winner of 2005 annual Rembert Patrick Award for Best Scholarly Book in Florida History is Grander in Her Daughters: Florida’s Women During the Civil War, by Tracy J. Revels. The Award will be presented to Dr. Revels at the FHS’s 2005 Annual Meeting on May 20th in Palm Beach.
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Florida East Coast Railway Guide, 1910
(image courtesy of University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries, Dept. of Special Collections)
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Pioneer Women
March is Women’s History Month, and the Historical Society’s executive director, Dan Hobby, will be speaking about The Pioneering Women of South Florida on Tuesday, March 22nd, at the Beach Branch Library, 221 Pompano Beach Blvd., Pompano Beach. The public talk will begin at 1:00 PM, and refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Pompano Beach Libraries.
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Sunshine State Smokies
The Florida Highway Patrol has posted its history on the internet. It’s full of interesting information, such as its activities during World War II:When World War II erupted in Europe, many of our patrolmen enlisted to do their patriotic duty. Other patrolmen were called up for defense work. Because of the war, it was hard to get and keep patrol officers. The Patrol’s sworn officers...
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Historical Society Program Tonight
The Pompano Beach Historical Society will host an illustrated talk on the history of “Old 75”, the city’s first fire engine. Firefighter Rob Brantley, who over the years has donated thousands of hours to the preservation of the 1926 LaFrance Pumper, will discuss how the engine was sold, lost, found, recovered and restored. He will also talk about the history of Pompano’s...
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Tamiami Trail
We are approaching another significant anniversary in South Florida history. April 25th will mark 75 years since the completion of the Tamiami Trail, the first vehicular road connecting Miami and Florida’s west coast. In anticipation of the anniversary, the St. Petersburg Times has published a special report , written by Jeff Klinkenberg, commemorating the building of the road, as well as...
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Green Market Going to the Dogs
This Saturday, March 19th, will be Dog Day at the Pompano Beach Green Market. Bring your canine for talent and beauty contests, special treats and for a great opportunity to show off your pooch! The Green Market is located in Pompano Beach’s historic downtown, just north of the Atalntic Boulevard and Dixie Highway intersection. For directions and hours, visit the Green Market page on this...
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School History
“On October 2, 1899 the first two public schools in what would one day become Broward County opened their doors. Ivy Cromartie, Fort Lauderdale’s first teacher, welcomed nine students into the wood-frame schoolhouse located on South Andrews Avenue, South of the River. Pompano’s first teacher, Mary Butler also greeted nine students. Each teacher earned $40 per month. Since...
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Selling to Save
The Pompano Beach CRA is soliciting proposals for the purchase and preservation of the Bank of Pompano and Bailey Hotel buildings in Pompano Beach’s historic downtown: NOTICE OF INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS AND DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY POMPANO BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY Pursuant to Section 163.380, Florida Statutes, the Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (the...
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Commemorating Guy Bradley
On Saturday, March 19th, Everglades National Park will host “A Century of Preservation” with “A Day of Celebration.”One hundred years ago, in 1905, Audubon warden Guy Bradley was killed by plume hunters illegally taking wading birds from a rookery on Florida Bay near Flamingo. His death galvanized the conservation movement in the United States. Bradley was the first...
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The East Coast of Florida is Paradise Regained
The promotional map below was produced by the Florida East Coast Railway and Steamship Line and is dated 1898, just two years after the railway was extended south from West Palm Beach to Miami. Only two towns are shown between West Palm Beach and Miami — Fort Lauderdale and Lemon City. Source: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
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Broward County Sheriffs
A.W. Turner, 1915 - 1925 Paul C. Bryan, 1925 - 1927 A.W. Turner, 1927 - 1931 Walter Clark, 1931 - 1939 Eddie Lee, 1939 - 1940 Walter Clark, 1941 - 1950 Amos Hall, 1951 - 1957 J.A. “Quill” Lloyd, 1957 - 1961 Allen B. Michell, 1961 - 1968 Thomas Walker, 1968 Edward Stack, 1969 - 1979 Robert Butterworth, 1979 - 1982 George Brescher, 1983 - 1985 Nick Navarro, 1985 - 1993 Ron Cochran, 1993...
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Historical Society's March Program
The Historical Society’s monthly public program for March will feature Pompano Beach firefighter Rob Brantley, who will present an illustated talk on the restoration of both the old fire station as well as the rebuilding of the city’s first fire engine. The program will be held on Wednesday, March 16th, 7:00 PM at the Dick & Miriam Hood Center, 217 NE 4th Avenue, Pompano...
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Mile Markers
Neat site that “combines historical images with interpretaive information about the Florida Keys.” Very clever.
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Happy Birthday Publix
The Pompano Beach Historical Society took part in Publix Super Markets’ 75th Anniversary celebration with an exhibit of historic photographs and an information table at the Cypress Road Publix on Thursday evening. At Publix’s 75th Anniversary celebration (l. to r.): Historical Society trustees Jean Craft and Chris Mullon, Store Manager Brian Paolini and Customer Service Manager Terry...
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Hurricane Memories
Another excerpt from Mrs. Tinney’s letter about Pompano in 1914:This used to be a great storm center and after the great storm of 1907, when it blew down the houses and very few [were] left except the F.E.C. depot, and most of the trees were swept away leaving our country bare and cold-looking. We have missed the storm. Beautiful spruce trees now cover the bare places and the blown-down...
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Rough Beginnings
Continuing with excerpts from Mrs. Tinney’s 1914 letter about Pompano:The first days of Pompano were considerably marred by a class of rough people, who like to drink and fight, thus making it very undesirable for those who were used to better things. But, as time rolls on, there have come into the country people who tried to overcome these undesirable things, and to upbuild and help...
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Two Pioneers
Yesterday’s post quoted a 1914 letter from Mrs. Ollie Tinney in which she explained how Pompano got its name. In another excerpt from the same letter, she discussed two of Pompano’s pioneer settlers. J. A. Saxon [was] one of the first settlers here after the F.E.C. Railroad came through. He was a section master at that time, and is one of the largest property owners here now. L. R....
