September 2011
18 posts
Cone's Forts
On April 20, 1940, Florida Governor Fred P. Cone visited Pompano on a campaign trip down the state’s east coast. Cone was running for the U.S. Senate and according to newspaper accounts, he was met by large crowds.
In addition to the expected campaign promises such as better markets for citrus and vegetable crops, Cone also advocated building a series of forts along America’s...
No Racing
Pompano Park was one of a number of Florida race tracks that closed their doors on April 9, 1968 at the request of Florida Governor Claude Kirk. In response to the assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the following message was sent to state pari-mutuel facilities on Kirk’s behalf by L. B. Walker, chairman of he Florida State Racing Commission :
The Honorable Claude R. Kirk,...
Woman at Work
At the height of World War II, nationwide, 60 percent of American women over the age of 30 were in the workforce, 75-percent of whom were married.
Juno's Moment of Fame
When Miami was incorporated in 1896, it was not the county seat of Dade County. That honor went to the town of Juno, located north of West Palm Beach.
In the 19th century, Dade County stretched as far north as the St. Lucie Inlet, and the courthouse was located at Juno in 1890 primarily because it was the southern terminus of the so-called “Celestial Railroad” that ran from Jupiter...
African-American Newspapers
Although the documentation is less than complete, the first African-American newspaper printed on a regular basis in southern Florida was the Key West News, which published from 1882 through 1885.
Florida’s first black newspaper was probably the Gainesville New Era, which began in 1872. During the 1880s, a number of newspapers either owned by or published for blacks were established...
We Need Sewers
Dr. Paul Hughes, Broward County health director, today renewed his plea for modern sewer systems throughout the county.
Appearing before the County Commission, Dr. Hughes pointed out that the bacteria county in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Pompano Beach has risen sharply in the past year.
“Septic tank installations are temporary and rural affairs and are particularly unsatisfactory in...
Post-War Jump
With the end of World War II, the plantings of certain winter vegetables increased significantly. Throughout Florida, green bean acreage increased from 14,000 to 25,000, cucumbers from 1,200 to 2,800 acres and green peppers from 750 to 1,700 acres. Most of this increase was in southeast Florida.
The reasons cited for the expansion of these crops was the lifting of wartime price controls and,...
The Millionaire
Hiram F. Hammon, who established a far in 1919 deep in the Everglades, in the area that is today Margate, first came to southeast Florida in 1869. He returned in 1872 and by 1874 was homesteading on Palm Beach island. When he died in 1922, his estate was valued at more than a million dollars.
Gamblers' Lawsuit
In 1963 the Florida Legislature’s passed an act allowing the transfer of the Key West Kennel Club’s pari-mutuel permit to South Florida Harness Raceway, Inc., thus allowing the opening of Pompano Park.
Soon thereafter five South Florida pari-mutuel establishments (Gulfstream Park as well as the Broward, Hollywood, West Flagler and Miami Beach greyhound racing facilities) filed suit,...
Problem Signs
If merchants and businessmen in the area believe they have difficulty with [Pompano Beach’s] restrictions on signs, they should deal with the state as the city must do.
Officials received a “No” from the State Road Department when they requested permission to erect signs at both entrances of the city along Federal Hwy inside the center median strip
The signs would welcome...
Be Careful
In 1958, the Pompano Beach Fire Department responded to 256 emergency calls. This represented a nearly 40 percent increase over the previous year. Fire Chief C. L. Goodrich stated that about three-quarters of the fires the department dealt with were caused by “carelessness.”
Fashion Square's Claims to Fame
The Pompano Fashion Square (now Pompano Citi Centre) was the first enclosed shopping mall in Broward County when it opened in 1970, and was one of the few malls in the United States to contain as many as four major department stores (Sears, Burdines, Jordan Marsh and J.C. Penney).
The Fashion Square was designed by the firm of John Graham and Company, a Seatlle-based architecural practice that...
The Palms' Designer
The Palm Aire Country Club golf course (now known as the Palms) officially opened on January 22, 1961. The course was designed by William Mitchell, who between 1947 and his passing in 1974 designed over 200 courses in the United States, Canada and Portugal.
Pompano's Pro
Bruce Devlin, an Australian professional golfer who, during the 1960s and 1970s, won eight PGA tournaments in the United States and another 15 in Australia, was for a number of years during that period a resident of Pompano Beach, living at Palm Aire.
Upcoming Events
The Pompano Beach’s first public meeting for the 2011-12 season will be our traditional covered dish supper on September 21st at 6:30 PM.
The Pompano Beach Green Market’s 9th season will begin on October 22nd in Pompano’s historic downtown, and will run every Saturday through the end of April.
The Historical Society’s annual casino fundraiser will be held on Novermber...
Name Change
In December, 1972, the Coconut Creek City Council passed a resolution asking the Broward County Commission to change the name of Hammondville Road, between Blount Road and State Road 7, to Coconut Creek Parkway. The County Commission accepted the request and the name was changed in 1973.
No Permits in Pompano
South Florida’s building industry was shaken when, on January 15, 1951, the federal National Production Authority placed a one-month ban on the construction of commercial structures. The measure was taken to conserve materials for the nation’s Korean War mobilization.
While industry leaders in Miami feared as much as a 40 percent decline in construction employment there, in Pompano...
Stack Shakes Them Up
The white and green uniforms worn by the Broward Sheriff Office deputies were instituted in 1969 by newly-elected Sheriff Edward Stack, a former Pompano Beach city commissioner and mayor.
During his ten year tenure as Sheriff, Stack also oversaw the creation of BSO’s Organized Crime Division, the first female road patrol deputies and contracts with local municipalities to provide police...
