Chronology
February 19, 1821
United States acquires Florida from the Spanish for $ 5 million in Spanish property claims against Americans in the Treaty of St. Ildefonso.
June 21, 1821
East Florida Coffee Land Association is organized in Philadelphia to grow coffee, cocoa and tropical fruits in Florida. Their petition for land is turned down by Congress.
1825
Cape Florida Lighthouse begins operation.
1835
Second Seminole War begins, lasting until 1842.
1838
Fort Dallas is established as a naval base at the mouth of the Miami river allowing the US Navy to scout the Biscayne Bay region. In the later stages of the Second Seminole War US Army forces under the command of Lt. Colonel William S. Harney launched a foray from the Fort deep into the wilderness near the site of present day Monkey Jungle in pursuit of Sam Jones, a legendary Seminole leader.
July, 1838
Dr. Henry Perrine receives a grant of land and township south of Miami.
December 25, 1838
Perrine Family arrives in Miami.
August 4, 1840
Perrine is killed during a Native attack led by Chekieka.
1845
Population has grown from 5,000 (1821) to 60,000 but little of it in South Florida.
1848
Henry E. Perrine takes control of developing Grant.
1849
Perrine sails to California to build saw mills
1850
Charles Howe, a business partner of Dr. Perrine, settles 36 Bahamian families on the Grant calling the area Perrinesville.
1864
John and Mary Addison are rumored to have settled at the Indian Hunting Grounds. They are commonly referred to as the first modern settlers of the area. 1876- Perrine, having lost much of the family fortune, returns to Perrinesville in hopes of recouping his losses. He offers 20 acres to any settlers who will come and settle.
1877
Perrine is unable to bear the wilderness life and leaves Perrinesville. Others who came with him upon his return stay and settle.
1883
Dr. William Cutler buys a 600-acre tract adjoining the Perrine Grant on the North. He made three attempts to settle the area.
1884
Population of Cutler reaches 75
1884
William Fuzzard, a settler brought in by Cutler, cuts a pass that started at present Coral Reef Drive (sw152st) and followed the jog of present Old Cutler Road and Ingraham Highway to Coconut Grove.
Fuzzard also applied for a post office further south than the one in Coconut Grove. He put Cutler on the application.
1886
Squatter’s Union set up to protect families that had settled from the Perrine heir’s that wanted their land back to sell for profit.
1896
Cutler School founded.
1897
Perrine-Peters Methodist Church founded.
1899
Richmond Inn built near Deering Estate and the public dock that was the main entrance to Cutler.
1901
Railey-Milam Hardware, an early, prominent Miami business, founded.
1902
Florida East Coast Railroad decides to pass through Perrine instead of Cutler.
Many blacks come to South Dade as members of railroad construction and survey crews. Many took residence in McClain’s Addition.
1903
Perrine Post Office opened with George Sullivan serving as postmaster.
Brown and Moody General Store opens in Peters.
1904
Homestead founded by FEC as a settlement for railroad families.
Drake Lumber Mill founded by Gaston Drake at Princeton. In ten years it would become the most important business in South Dade County.
1905
Perrine School founded.
1910
Detroit founded. Incorporated as Florida City (1914).
1913
Fuchs Homestead Bakery and Meat Market opened later moving in 1934.
1914
Massive citrus canker outbreak severely hurts South Dade crops.
1916
Rice Gang steals $6,500 from the Bank of Homestead.
1918
First airfield in South Dade built in Homestead. Cutler Aerial Gunnery Field completed. Later named after Victor Chapman the first US airman killed in WWI.
1920s
Land Boom hits Miami.
US1, Dixie Highway completed to Key Largo.
1922
Deering Estate finished.
1923
USDA buys Chapman Field from Army. Research headed by David Fairchild.
September 18, 1926
Great Hurricane hits Miami destroying much of South Dade’s crops and groves.
1929
Great Depression begins
1930
Rare Bird Farm opens south of present Kendall and US1
1934
WPA builds a variety of buildings at Chapman Field.
1935
Perrine Community House built by WPA
1936
Parrot Jungle and Monkey Jungle opens.
Matheson Hamock Park begun by Civilian Conservation Corps. Finished in 1938.
1938
Fairchild Tropical Gardens dedicated.
1939
Florida City Farmers Market opens.
1942
Richmond Naval Air Station built on present day Metrozoo.
Homestead Army Airfield taken over by US government.
Army leases portion of Chapman Field to Embry-Riddle Corp.
1944
Kendall’s Civilian Conservation Corps camp converted into a German POW camp.
Fruit and Spice park opened in Redlands
1945
Massive Hurricane strikes South Dade. Destroys many structures including Richmond Naval Air Station.
1946
University of Miami opens a South campus which closes 1948
1947
Harry S. Truman dedicated Everglades National Park.
1948
Miami Serpentarium opened.
Perrine incorporated at a meeting in the packing house of R.P. Barfield. The city limits encompassed Peters and Rockdale (North of Perrine).
1949
USDA purchases land that becomes Agricultural Testing Station on Old Cutler.
1945-60
Post war growth of Suburbia. Cutler Ridge, Leisure City, Amvet City, Richmond Heights, 1950- Cauley Square opened.
1951
Bayfront Park dedicated.
1953
Palmetto Golf Course opens.
1955
Air Force takes control of Homestead Air Force Base.
1969
Seadade oil refinery proposal defeated.
1960
Cutler Ridge Shopping Center opens.
1965
Perrine fails to re-incorporate.
1968
Biscayne National Park established.
1971
Severe drought devastates South Dade.
FPL completes Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant including cooling canals in South Dade.
1974
Larry and Penny Thompson Park opened south of what is now Metrozoo.
1978
Grand Re-opening of Cutler Ridge mall.
1980
Biscayne National Monument designated National Park.
1981
Metrozoo Opens.
1985
Dade County buys Charles Deering Estate.
1987
Weeks Air Museum opened.
1990
Population of South Dade 375,000 with more than ½ of many South Dade communities’ populations living below the poverty line.
August, 24, 1992
Hurricane Andrew devastates South Dade. 30,000 residents leave the area.
1994
Florida Keys Factory Shops opens at Turnpike’s end in Florida City.
1999
Failed attempt to incorporate Perrine as Palmetto Bay.
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