May 2007
21 posts
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Florida's Flag
Florida’s official state flag was adopted by amendment to the state’s constitution in 1899 and approved by the voters the following year. It replaced the 1869 flag which had a pure white background with the seal of the state in its center. Some complained that this flag often appeared to look like a flag of surrender. During his administration, Governor Francis P. Fleming petitioned to...
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City Manager
Pompano Beach’s city manager form of government dates from the merger of Pompano and Pompano Beach in 1947. The municipality’s first city manager was S. T. Sawyer. Prior to that time, management of the city’s affairs was handled by the mayor and council.
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Homestead Exemption
The Great Depression hit Floridians before the stock market crash of 1929, and by the early 1930s many homeowners were in danger of losing their residences due to unpaid property taxes. In 1933, State Representative Dwight Rogers of Fort Lauderdale introduced legislation to amend the State Constitution allowing for the first $5,000 in property value to be exempt from taxation. The measure was...
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Dim Bulbs
From the Pompano Beach Town News, October 15, 1953:The Florida Power and Light Company was given a verbal “spanking” by Mayor [Donald W.] Johnston on Tuesday [October 13, 1953], and action was demanded by the Commission in getting installed the street lights which had been ordered more than 20 months previous. Emergency measures were recommended for lights in front of the Pompano High...
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A Lot of Territory to Cover
In 1950, the Broward Sheriff’s Office had only 28 deputies for law enforcement in the vast unincorporated areas of the county. At that time only about a third of today’s municipalities existed. Of those that did, all except Davie were located almost entirely east of today’s I-95.
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Hard Times
On April 14, 1931, Pompano’s City Clerk, O. B. Smaok wrote the following letter to the Hackensack Trust Company of New Jersey:We regret very much to advise that due to the small percentage of taxes collected it will be financially impossible for us to have monies on deposit in New York City for redemption of maturities and coupons due May 1st, 1931.With this message, the City of Pompano was,...
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A Whole Lot of History
The National Park Service is responsible for one of the largest historical collections in the world. In more than 400 parks in the United States and its territories, the NPS maintains over 27,000 significant historical structures, 66,000 archeological sites and 115 million objects in park museum collections.
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Christmas at the Track
The Christmas Day, 1926, grand opening of the Pompano Race Track had an attendance of approximately 15,000 - 20,000 people. It was undoubtedly the largest gathering ever in Broward County to that date. Bus service was provided from Fort Lauderdale and special trains ran from both Miami and West Palm Beach to Pompano for the occasion. The Fort Lauderdale Daily News reported that the Dixie Highway...
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Kendall Green
The area that now comprises the Kendall Green neighborhood, located between Dixie Highway and NW 3rd Avenue north of NW 16th Street, was for many years owned by the Walton family of Pompano. In the early 1950s there was a land boom in the Pompano Beach area and land prices soared as developers sought land on which to build. In 1955 the Walton’s land was purchased by a partnership of three...
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Canal Construction
In February of 1913, Fred C. Elliot, engineer for the Everglades Drainage Project, reported that two-thirds of the 49-mile Hillsboro Canal had been completed and that the Cypress Creek Canal was about one-third finished.
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Broward County Commission, 1923
Clockwise from upper left: Martin C. Frost (Dania and Davie), H. G. Wheeler (Fort Lauderdale; Chairman), John W. Walton (Pompano), James Dallas Butler (Deerfield), Frank A. Bryan (Clerk of the Court), William Ellis Williams (Hallandale).
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Driving Exams
Prior to 1941, a Florida resident who wanted to drive an automobile or truck had only to fill out an application and pay a fee to a county judge. In September, 1941, a new state law took effect requiring all Floridians applying for a drivers license for the first time to take vision, road signs, road rules and driving tests. Those applying to reinstate suspended or revoked licences also were...
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It's Eating Time
Next Wednesday, May 16th, the Pompano Beach Historical Society will end its 2006- 2007 programming season with an old fashion covered dish supper at the Dick & Miriam Hood Center (217 NE 4th Avenue, Pompano Beach). Members and friends are asked to bring a dish to share and experience what is always the tastiest meal in Pompano Beach. At the meeting the Society will install its new...
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Defending Florida
Between November 1940 and January 1941 Florida’s National Guard units were federalized to meet the manpower needs of America’s military as it prepared for what many saw as the inevitability of entering World War II. With its entire National Guard under federal control, Florida was left without any military force to meet emergencies within the state. The Legislature quickly quickly...
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Sands' Start
The origins of Pompano Beach’s Sands Harbor Resort and Marina go back to the late 1940s, when Mr. H. J. McDonald of New York was delivering a large boat to Mr. E. W. Beye of Pompano Beach. The two men had a hard time finding dock space for the boat, and finally had to settle for a spot in Fort Lauderdale. They discussed their problem and agreed to work together to develop a boating facility...
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The Old Mango
Most of the fruits and vegetables we eat today are the the product of hybridization and genetic engineering. The original “in the wild” species were often barely edible, as this passage about the mango shows:Some call the mango “the apple of the tropics.” It is more; it is the apple, pear and peach combined. The novice in eating the old common seedling sorts meets with...
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The Ice Maker
One of two statues of famous Floridians displayed in the U.S. Capitol is that of Dr. John Gorrie. Gorrie (1803 - 1855) is considered to be the father of modern refrigeration and air conditioning. He moved to the small Florida town of Apalachicola in the 1830s and became one of that community’s leaders, serving at various times as postmaster, vice mayor and mayor. Malaria and yellow fever...
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May is Preservation Month
During Preservation Month 2007, the National Trust and its partners and friends across America have much to celebrate. American enthusiasm for historic preservation is stronger than ever, and we are working more effectively than ever — protecting the places that people care about; sparking a renewed sense of community pride; bringing new investment, new jobs and new economic vitality to...
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A License to Bet
In 1963, the Pompano Race Track was able to institute parimutuel harness racing following the State Legislature’s 87 - 23 vote to transfer the license then held by a Key West dog track. The legislative action was fairly contentious, with Rep. Jack Saunders of Monroe County resigning from the Rules Committee over the issue. Saunders wanted the residents of Monroe County to vote on the move. ...
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Cleveland Visits Florida
The first sitting president to visit Florida was Grover Cleveland, in February, 1888. Cleveland and his party attended Jacksonville’s Subtropical Exposition, a world’s fair styled event that was staged to attract tourists to the city. The president spoke in support of tourism at the Exposition and then took the train to St. Augustine to meet Henry Flager. The presidential party then...
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A1A
One of the nation’s most famous highway designations is A1A, Florida’s coastal road that runs from Key West to Callahan, just south of the state’s border with Georgia. The highway did not get its A1A designation until November 25, 1946. Prior to that date the state road had gone by many different numbers, although SR 140 was the main designation for that portion running along...
