Downtown Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Miami River Historic Working Riverfront

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 13, 2023

1. Miami River Historic Working Riverfront Marker

Inscription. Considered one of the oldest natural landmarks in southeast Florida, the Miami River evolved over thousands of years from a tidal channel into a freshwater stream that carried water from the Everglades in the west to Biscayne Bay in the east. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Miami River was developed into a working riverfront, although it was one of the nation’s shortest with a length of only 5.5 miles. Along the river, the Florida East Coast Railway built warehouses and docks to serve the area's growing commerce and trade; for example, winter vegetables came in by water and were shipped to the northern states on freight cars. Boat construction and repair was another booming business sector located along the river. The need to facilitate growth to the south and west of downtown Miami and accommodate the vital new commerce along the river resulted in the approval in 1926 of a $2.15-million bond that funded construction of four new moveable bridges over the Miami River, including the original SW 1st Street Bridge that was completed in 1929 at this location. The 1929 double-leaf bascule bridge was replaced by the

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current bridge in 2021.
A Florida Heritage Site

Erected 2020 by The Florida Department of Transportation District 6 and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1126.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.

Location. 25° 46.375′ N, 80° 12.006′ W. Marker is in Miami, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. It is in Downtown Miami. It is at the intersection of Southwest North River Drive and Southwest 1st Street (Florida Route 968), on the left when traveling north on Southwest North River Drive. Marker is located below the SW 1st Street bridge along the river. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Miami FL 33130, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Florida

and on the Gold Coast.

It is also in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 13, 2023

2. Miami River Historic Working Riverfront Marker

itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: South River Drive Historic District Boarding Houses (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fort Dallas and the William F. English Plantation Slave Quarters (approx. ¼ mile away); Wagner Homestead (approx. ¼ mile away); Dade County (approx. 0.3 miles away); Lummus Park Historic District (approx. 0.4 miles away); Julia Tuttle - The Mother of Miami (approx. half a mile away); Gesu Catholic Church (approx. half a mile away); Menendez on Biscayne Bay (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Miami.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 (was approx. half a mile away but has been confirmed missing).

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 13, 2023

3. Miami River Historic Working Riverfront Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 839 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 21, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.