Julia Tuttle arrived from Cleveland, Ohio, in 1891, a widow with two grown children. She bought 644 acres on the north bank of the Miami River, which included Fort Dallas. Her neighbors across the river were fellow early pioneers William and Mary Brickell. A visionary, Tuttle announced to a friend, “It is the dream of my life to see this wilderness turned into a prosperous country.” When the “Big Freezes” of December 24 and 28, 1894, and February 6, 1895, froze the orchards further north, Tuttle sent Florida East Coast Railway executive Henry Flagler orange blossoms and oranges to persuade him to bring his railroad south from Palm Beach to Biscayne Bay. In exchange, she provided Flagler with 100 acres of land for a railroad terminal and hotel, and 263 acres in alternate city blocks for the future city of Miami. The first train entered Miami on April 13, 1896, and the city was officially incorporated on July 28, 1896. By the end of 1896, Miami Avenue was lined with stores, and its first laundry, bakery, and dairy were reportedly started by Julia Tuttle. She resided in the remodeled officers’ quarters of Fort Dallas, located at this site. She died unexpectedly, at the age of 49, on September 14, 1898.
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.