January 2010
20 posts
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Name Change
Pompano Beach’s Sands Harbor Hotel, located at 125 North Riverside Drive, traces its origins to 1948, but until 1977 the complex was known as the Sands Yachtel. When conceived in 1948, the Sands was primarily a boating facility, with a 12-unit motel to accommodate visitors docking overnight.
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Still in Pompano
Although Pompano’s first mayor, John R. Mizell (d. 1913), was laid to rest in West Palm Beach, two of his four children are buried at the Pompano Beach City Cemetery: Lena Florence Mizell Hinson (d. 1924) and Lutie Mizell Edenfield (d. 1953).
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Nondenominational
Although the First Presbyterian Church of Pompano Beach, commonly known as “the pink church,” was founded in 1954 it did not identify itself as Presbyterian until 1956. Initially it was a “community church” and was not affiliated with any particular denomination.
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A Big School Family
Blanche Ely began teaching in Pompano in 1923 and was principal of the Pompano Beach high school that carried her name when the Broward County School Board closed it following the 1969 - 70 school year. Over that period she taught multiple generations of the same families. She often called students who were the children of her former students her grandbabies.
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Women's Suffrage in Florida
The 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibited states and the federal government from denying women the right to vote on an equal basis with men. It was ratified on August 18, 1920. In Florida, the women’s suffrage movement had pushed for equal voting rights for years before the right was secured through the U.S. Constitution. Advocates were successful in getting a proposed amendment...
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Florida's First Congressman
When Florida was granted statehood in 1845, its first member of the U. S. House of Representatives was Edward C. Cabell, but he served less than four months. Cabell, a member of the Whig party, took his seat on October 6, 1845. His Democratic opponent, William H. Brockenbrough, was able to successfully contest Cabell’s election, forcing Cabell to step down as Florida’s Congressman on...
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High Point for the Pineapple
The 1908-09 growing season was the high point for pineapple cultivation in Florida, most of which was concentrated in the state’s southeastern coastal region. Whereas Florida’s pineapple farmers averaged about 550,000 crates shipped in the previous three seasons, in 1908-09 they increased production to over 1,100,000 crates. In subsequent seasons, the pineapple harvest returned to...
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Statehood
Although Florida was admitted to the union as a state in 1845, the statehood effort began much earlier. In 1838, statehood advocates gathered in the Gulf coast town of St. Joseph to take the first step — drawing up a a constitution. During the statehood campaign, there were those who wanted to enter the union as two states, East Florida and West Florida, but this proposal did not go far.
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Cigars, Not Cigarettes
According to the 1915 state census, cigars were produced in 19 Florida counties, with Hillsborough (Tampa, 267,792,000 cigars) and Monroe (Key West, 103,486,109 cigars) being the two largest producers. However, Tampa was the only place in Florida that produced cigarettes.
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Plant Here, But Not There
Many of Florida’s early farmers and visitors found the variety of soil types on the peninsula perplexing:Florida reminds me always of Cape Cod. It seems to be built out of the chips and dust of the making of the near-by continent, dumped irrelevantly. There is no telling why one acre is a desert that one would plough as uselessly as Ulysses ploughed the seashore, and the next acre is fat...
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Undercount?
Florida’s 1915 census counted only 129 Indians living in the state, with 74 of them residing in Palm Beach County.
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Q & A
In the early 1960s, efforts were being made to bring harness racing to the Pompano Race Track, but their was substantial opposition throughout Florida to any “extension” of gambling in the state. At a news conference held on May 3, 1963, Governor Farris Bryant was asked his opinion on this issue. His answer seemed to indicate he wanted as little to do with this issue as possible....
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Waterfront Homes for Everyone
In 1925, when Florida’s population had just surpassed one million residents, the authors of The Book of Florida envisioned big things ahead: “Adding lakes and river fronts to the eleven hundred miles of sea coast, Florida has 9,500 miles of water front, enough to accommodate one million homes and have five million people dwelling comfortably on the margin of our waters.”
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Forced Conversion
As early as 1704, the Spanish began transporting Tequesta Indians from southeastern Florida to Cuba so as to convert them to Catholicism. Although some transplants may have become Christian, it appears most of these Tequesta died soon after arriving in Cuba, and many went through the motions of converting, while retaining their traditional beliefs.
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What Did They Eat?
This month’s public program will feature FAU archaeology professor Michele Williams, PhD, who will speak on South Florida’s early inhabitants and their food sources. The program will take place on Wednesday, January 20th. It will begin at 7:00 PM at the the Dick & Miriam Hood Center (217 NE 4th Avenue, Pompano Beach). Dr. Williams’ talk is free and open to the...
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Boat Parade Beginnings
In 2009, the Pompano Beach Christmas boat parade was held for the 48th consecutive year … or maybe the 52nd year. There are some questions as to its origins. One version has Pompano Beach resident Russ Clayton getting the tradition started in 1962, when he equipped his boat with lights, a sound system and Santa and cruised the Intracoastal and finger canals wishing everyone a Merry...
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Stack's Changes
In 1968, former Pompano Beach commissioner and mayor Edward Stack was elected Broward County Sheriff. During his ten-year tenure in that office, he instituted many changes to professionalize the Broward Sheriff’s Office, including the hiring of the first female road deputies, the beginning of the 911 emergency call system, the contracting of BSO police services to municipalities and the...
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Saving Ice
Before the advent of electric home refrigerators-freezers, Pompano residents acquired their ice from the “ice man”, who delivered blocks of ice house to house. Since ice was not delivered every day, it was necessary for homeowners to have some method of keeping the ice in its frozen state. Some people had an “ice box” in their house, which was an insulated container (often...
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Ed's Contract
Ed Ball (1888 - 1981), who ran the Florida East Coast Railway for many years, was not a person who left things to chance, either in his businesses or his personal life. He had little time for a personal life, but was married once, for a little over ten years. His wife may have had some inclination that he was not a romantic individual, as their detailed prenuptial agreement spelled out, in...
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Happy New Year