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In 1986 the Junior League of Miami published a booklet which was a guide to historic sites in Coral
Gables. There were two self-guided walking tours which included maps. They also included the entrances, plazas and fountains,
the 7 villages, and other points of interest. The following is from that booklet.
CORAL GABLES In Retrospect
The soul of Coral Gables is George Merrick. He arrived in South Florida as a 12-year-old boy in 1899 when his father,
Solomon G. Merrick, a Congregational minister from Massachusetts sunk his life savings ($1100) into a back-country
homestead in the wilds of South Florida. George helped his father plant the first grapefruit trees, helped him pick the
fruit and then sold the fruit in Miami. He grew to maturity inspired by his father's faith, his mother's creativity and
enthusiam, and South Florida's unique beauty.
By 1903 the Merrick groves were doing so well that the family started building a beautiful rock home designed by Mrs. Althea
Merrick and named "Coral Gables" after the coral colored Ludovici tile gabled roof. (The city acquired the home in 1976 and
it is now open to the public.) At about the same time Solomon Merrick sold off a few lots to retired ministers who built other
rock homes on the dirt road that later became Coral Way.
When his father died in 1911, George Merrick was called home from college (where he was writing poetry and studying law.) to
manage the Coral Gables Plantation. Under George's leadership the groves became even more profitable. He was appointed to the
Dade County Commission in 1914 and became a promoter of the "back-country" – which at that time began at 17th Avenue. As he
saw Miami growing "like Topsey", devoid of any plan or thought to the future, he began to plan a dream of a better way to
live and grow and prosper. He studied, he traveled and he learned.
In 1916, his bride, the beautiful Eunice Peacock, granddaughter of Coconut Grove pioneers Charles and Isabella Peacock became
part of the dream. their home "Poinciana Place," was the gathering spot for the talented group of people Merrick attracted to
help him plan Coral Gables. Aided by his artist-uncle, Denman Fink, a nationally known illustrator, and landscape architect
Frank Button, who had come to South Florida from Chicago to work for Charles Deering. Merrrick's "castles in Spain" started to
take shape.
Coral Gables was to be a completely planned development that was in harmony with nature and with itself. Like a carefully designed
illustration, nothing would be out of place. Architecture would be in the "Mediterranean style," Merrick thought most suitable
to the South Florida environment. buildings would be built of native rock or stucco – purposely aged to give substance, beauty
and a sense of permanency.
While plans were being drawn, Merrick quietly added to his Coral Gables holdings and gained both capital and experience by
developing nine other smaller sub-divisions around Miami. By the summer of 1921 he was ready to start Coral Gables. He cleared
the grapefruit groves, laid the streets and sidewalks, installed the utilities and created the first of the beautiful plazas
(Granada and Coral Way). then he brought in the people
Buses transported prospective buyers from downtown Miami to what became more of an event than simply a real-estate sale. Edward
"Doc" Dammers, famous local auctioneer, gave away sets of dishes, clocks and other prizes to lure prospective buyers out to see
what Merrick was up to in the "back country."
By 1925, when Coral Gables was incorporated, Merrick had spent over $100 million on improvements, $5 million in advertising
alone. This promotional genius paid off. Railroads ran "Coral Gables Specials" from the north and Merrick's own fleet of 86
buses collected enthusiastic buyers from all over Florida. Buyers eagerly awaited to see what George Merrick would do next.
Coral Gables had a modern business district, an industrial area, magnificent hotels, churches, schools, cultural and recreational
facilities and homes and apartments for the working man to the millionaire. By 1926, the new Biltmore Hotel had opened and
gondolas ferried people down the Gables Waterway to the new Tahiti Beach in the Biscayne Bay section (now Cocoplum). Many other
major projects were on the drawing board. But unfortunately, the overheated boom was spinning out of control and by the end of
1926, it was all over.
In 1928, the Coral Gables commission turned on Merrick and kicked him out, even though he had sacrificed everything he had
trying to keep Coral Gables alive in the midst of the terrible depression that engulfed all the Florida following the 1926
hurricane.
For awhile it seemed that Merrick's vision for Coral Gables had been snuffed-out. Land sales stopped, buildings sat half-finished,
banks foreclosed on mortgages and grandiose plans were forgotten. Grass grew in the pink sidewalks that led through pine
barrens to nowhere.
After World War II, Coral Gables came alive again – but not along the lines that Merrick envisioned. "Modern" was in and
Mediterranean was out. Home-owners replaced the beautiful, barrel, red clay Cuban tiles, that were once required on all buildings,
with flat, white ones. In the downtown area what they didn't bulldoze they disguised. Thus the Gables grew and prospered, but
it almost lost its soul.
today, Merrick's dream for Coral Gables is once again alive and well. A strict preservation ordinance protects the best of the
historic buildings and many are undergoing restoration. a new ordinance encourages and promotes the revival of Coral Gables'
Mediterranean-style architecture in the business district. Merrick would not be surprised with this turn of events. "Coral
Gables," he wrote in 1921, "is not a thing of the moment, of the year, or even of the passing period, but a wonderful monument
to the achievement of worthwhile perseverance in the creation of beauty and the bringing true of dreams, that will a solidly
endure, and as beautifully and bountifully age, as does the everlasting coral upon which the master development is founded."
He was right.
Arva Moore Parks
This is part one of the booklet. Part two will be continued in newsletter #14.
Your Staff Recommends
For Your Listening & Reading Pleasure
Recommended Listening:
John Fogerty's new CD "The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again",
featuring the former Credence Clearwater Revival leader's cover versions
of classic pop and country songs. Highlight: His remake of the
Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved"...a duet with Bruce Springsteen,
and Rick Nelson's "Garden Party", featuring Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmidt
of The Eagles. There are also songs originally done by Buck Owens,
John Denver and Pat Boone.
Available at stores like Barnes & Noble, and from Amazon.com.
Harry Connick Jr.'s new CD "Your Songs", featuring his versions of classic
songs by such artists as Sinatra, Elvis, The Beatles, Elton John, Perry
Como, Roberta Flack and The Carpenters. There are also some old standards...
15 tracks in all.
Also at most stores where CD's are sold, as well as Amazon.com.
Recommended Reading:
"Down In Orburndale (A Songwriter's Youth In Old Florida)"
by Bobby Braddock, the writer of many country hits, including
what many consider the best country song ever...
"He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones.
Our guess is that "Orburndale" is the author's way of pronouncing Auburndale.
Which is located near Lakeland, Florida. Braddock was born in Auburndale.
The book is also available from Amazon.com.
John DeMas Comments on the Recent Passing
Of Guitar Genius Les Paul
I had the pleasure of performing with Les Paul & Mary Ford at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City
when I was only 10 or 11 years old. I will never forget the experience, and the guitar player
desire it awakened in me. They were both awful nice to a little kid (me). I was just sitting
in their rehearsal hall watching them and no one else was in there except staff. He came to
the edge of the stage and asked if they sounded Ok, and of course I said yes. Then he had me
come up and sit on a stool next to them and asked if I wanted to sing along, which of course I did.
I sang "Clancy Lowered the Boom," and they asked me to come back at show time to sing it
on the live stage.
Les showed me a couple licks on the guitar, but my folks couldn't afford to buy
me one. I never got one until I was about 14, but I never forgot those licks! He taught me to pick
out a song in the key of C.
The same year, and under the same circumstances, I got to sing with the Dorsey brothers...
another thrill for a youngster! My cousin (a song & dance guy) and I were put into a show
called Tony Grant's Stars of Tomorrow. I was hooked!
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