Event of the Century | Happy Birthday Broward County

THE event of the century is TODAY, October 1, 2015,  in Broward County. A massive Happy Birthday to Broward County. Here is a brief history of our home county.

Broward County was named after Napoleon Bonaparte, no not that one but Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, who was the state’s governor from the year 1905 to 1909. Way back in 1915 to be exact, Palm Beach County to our north and Dade County in the south each contributed equal portions of land and Broward County was born.  

Did you know the original name intended for Broward County was Everglades County, my opinion on that one, they chose the wrong name. But live and let live I guess.

The facts about Broward County include…

We have nearly two million residents. As a whole, some 80+ people from all over the world move into South Florida every day. Our ancestry includes immigrants from Europe, the Caribbean, Latin and South America. Broward County has the largest number of Italians descendants, outside of the northeast United States.

The county population grew after World War II when many veterans and their families called our neck of the woods home.

Interesting events of the century include:

• 1904 The first town to incorporate in Broward County was Dania Beach
• 1907 One of the east coast’s most powerful lighthouses started operation in Lighthouse Point.
• 1911 Fort Lauderdale Incorporated.
• 1915  Broward County established.The renowned Dixie Highway, still in operation today completed. Residents were then able to travel thru the county “ with ease”. Years later the Florida Turnpike was operational  and allowed passenger vehicles to travel thru the county.
• 1926 Lillie Mae Smith was elected as the County Tax Collector, becoming the first woman to fill this elected post… go Lillie!

And then World War  II

• 1939  British cruiser Orion chased the German freighter Arauca into Port Everglades
• 1942 German submarines attack Allied warships off of the Florida coast.  

From that point on cities became established and incorporated throughout the county. The last city to officially join Broward County was  the marsh land now called Weston, the year 1996.

An incredible event of the century was recorded in 1977 when snow fell from the sky in the area.

Another first transpired in 1984 when Nick Navarro, a Hispanic is elected as the first Latin sheriff in Broward County.

And then there was 1992, well we all know what happened then… a BIG wind blew into our beloved country causing $20 million worth of damage. Hurricane Andrew, we will never forget you.

My brief  journey ends  in 2009 when the world’s largest cruise ship docks in her new home at Port Everglades. A selection of pictures can be found on our Facebook page HERE.

Roll on the next 100 years, let’s see where we go from here and what other events of the century we will look back upon.

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