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Essay On South Floria

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South Florida’s ascendancy to the epicenter of the cruise industry began long before the modern cruise lines were born. Early in the twentieth century, a group of daring visionaries and entrepreneurs began to dream of expanding the local business community and creating new industries to take advantage of Florida’s climate with its sunshine and warmth. Chief among these businesses they envisioned a winter tourism trade but to realize this dream they would require a strong transportation infrastructure.

The coastal shipping trade along the United States’ East Coast helped to bring the first visitors to Florida spurred on by the growing railroad empires developed by Henry Flagler and Henry B. Plant. By the 1890s, these railroad tycoons …show more content…

Then in 1913, the Plant Line, now owned by Flagler’s Peninsular & Occidental Steamship Company (P&O), decided to send its new 3,786-ton steamer the ss Evangeline on winter pleasure cruises. But, instead of sailing from the new ports, she cruised from Key West calling at Panama, Jamaica, and Cuba. The following winter the cruises were repeated but this time sailing from Jacksonville. All the remained was to link these new cruise efforts with the emerging South Florida ports.

After World War I, a flourishing trade developed with steamers such as the 1,700 gross ton ss City of Miami and the 3,200 gross ton ss Northland, maintaining overnight runs between Miami and Havana. However, sensing that the ports still lacked a proper infrastructure to maintain the shipping industry, the first of many efforts began to improve the facilities. In Miami, a US$3 million project was undertaken in 1925 to dredge and widen the channel. Similarly, to the north, the Mayor of Hollywood was the driving force for a US$6 million project to deepen the harbor inlet, widen the turning basin and build modern 35-foot piers at Bay Mable. Completed early in 1928, it is said that more than 85 percent of the residents of Broward County turned out to witness the dedication of their new port. At the same time, local women’s groups led successful efforts to replace the unpopular Bay Mable Harbor name which what they thought would be a

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