Date/Time
Date(s) - Sunday, May 5, 2019
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Location
Coral Gables Museum
Categories
Roads Through The Everglades, with Bruce Epperson
The Building of the Ingraham Highway, the Tamiami Trail and Conners Highway, 1914-1931
In 1915, the road system in Florida south of Lake Okeechobee was little changed from that in place at the conclusion of the Civil War. Those traveling from Miami to Ft. Myers most of the year had to go through Melbourne, Kissimmee, and Tampa.
But by 1931, there were three all-weather routes. Most of these roads were built, not to facilitate transportation, but to open up land for large-scale speculation. Ironically, the three roads examined in this presentation, the Ingraham Highway south of Homestead, the Tamiami Trail, and Conner’s Highway northwest of West Palm Beach, all failed as land speculation tools, but changed the face of South Florida forever.
Bruce Epperson is a retired attorney and transportation planner who formerly worked in Broward, Miami-Dade County, and for the Office of General Counsel to the U. S. Secretary of Transportation. He lives in Hollywood.
The members of the Miami Pioneers and Natives of Dade historical society invite the public — especially those with an interest in local history — to attend the monthly meeting on the first Sunday of the month at 2pm at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Avenue in Coral Gables.
Each meeting features a presentation by a guest speaker, followed by social time and refreshments. The public is invited.
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