Local History
Celebrating 100 Years of History
Fort Lauderdale: A Brief History
 For as many as 2500 years, people have been drawn to Fort Lauderdale. The prehistoric peoples of South Florida, known as the "Glades Culture," and the early historic period peoples of the area, the Tequesta, enjoyed the abundance of natural resources available along Fort Lauderdale’s New River. By the late eighteenth century, the last of these aboriginal peoples had left the area, and except for a few white settlers, Fort Lauderdale was devoid of population. The Seminole Indians first appeared in what is Broward County in the early nineteenth century and were joined by a handful of white planters along the river.
The City of Fort Lauderdale is named for a Second Seminole War fortification built on the banks of New River in 1838. In that year, Major William Lauderdale led a detachment of Tennessee Volunteers south along the east coast of Florida to capture Seminole agricultural lands and battle the elusive Indian warriors. Altogether, three Fort Lauderdales would be constructed: the first at the fork of New River; the second west of Tarpon Bend; and the largest on the beach at the site of today’s Bahia Mar.
 After the war, southeastern Florida remained a virtual wilderness due to the lack of transportation into the region. In 1892, however, the Dade County government authorized a rock road to be built between Lantana and Lemon City (North Miami). An overnight camp and ferry crossing was established on New River, and a Ohioan, Frank Stranahan, arrived to take charge of the facilities. He soon established a flourishing trading post with the local Seminoles and by 1895, Stranahan’s Store was a South Florida landmark.
In 1896, the Florida East Coast Railway was completed south through Fort Lauderdale, providing rapid transportation from all parts of the nation to South Florida. It brought many new settlers to the region including the first African American pioneers, some of who had helped build the rail tracks. The little village increased in size and was incorporated in 1911. In 1915, Broward County was created out of parts of Dade and Palm Beach counties.
 The new county was named for Napoleon Bonaparte Broward who, as Governor of Florida, had begun a massive project aimed at dredging the Everglades. The Everglades survived this effort but canals that were constructed provided an efficient means for agricultural produce to be shipped to market. Fort Lauderdale became a major center for the shipping of winter fruits and vegetables north.
As Fort Lauderdale moved into the 1920s, it began to change from an agricultural community to a resort town. Population doubled and tripled in the early years of the decade, and many of the city’s finest residential developments date from this era. Hopes for continued prosperity came to an abrupt end on the evening of September 18, 1926, however. On that date a deadly hurricane struck the South Florida coast; hundreds were killed and thousands of structures were destroyed in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and
Miami. In the aftermath, many residents left never to return; South Florida was plunged into economic depression three years ahead of the rest of the nation.
 Except for the completion of Port Everglades, the next decade and a half were quiet times for Fort Lauderdale. It was not until the Second World War that the local economy was revived. The war brought tens of thousands of service men to the region; the South Florida climate being deemed suitable for training facilities. Torpedo bomber pilots trained at today’s Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and submarine hunters ventured out of Port Everglades to do battle with German U-boats.
After the war many servicemen returned to Fort Lauderdale to resume their lives. For the next forty years, the city experienced unprecedented growth. New suburbs grew in the agricultural lands of western Broward County. Fort Lauderdale’s annual College Swim Forum grew into the phenomenon of "Spring Break" that brought as many as 350,000 college students per year to the area at its peak in the mid 1980s.
 By 2010, the city had achieved a population of over 180,000 making it the seventh largest city in the state; Broward’s over 1.7 million residents make it Florida’s second largest county. Today, Fort Lauderdale has become the regional governmental and commercial center for a major metropolitan area and is world famous as a tourist destination.
Founding Families
Dwight Rogers, Paul Rogers, and Dwight Rogers Jr.
Floridians owe much to attorney Dwight L. Rogers, Sr., who came to Florida in during the land boom in 1925 and founded a law firm with partner John E. Morris. It was as a state representative in 1931 that Rogers drafted the Homestead Exemption Act, from which so many citizens benefit today. Rogers later served five terms as a U.S. Congressman. Son Paul followed in his father’s footsteps, serving twelve terms in the Congress. Dwight Rogers, Jr., was not a politician; he specialized in real estate planning and helped found several banks. It was as Assistant State Attorney in 1950 that young Rogers took on illegal gambling in Broward County, putting the notorious Colonial Inn (in Hallandale) out of business, and crippling the illicit industry. Read more about the Rogers family in the Winter 2008 edition of the New River Insider  .
Learn More About Fort Lauderdale’s History
Ever wonder how Fort Lauderdale got its name? Or what it was like when it was incorporated 100 years ago? Sign up now to request a free presentation on Fort Lauderdale's history. In honor of the City's Centennial in 2011, trained volunteer speakers are available to give free lectures to local organizations. Simply complete the Speakers Bureau Form to request a presentation. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer speaker, please call (954) 828-4743.
Books on Fort Lauderdale
Much has been written about this magnificent city. The books listed below are available for purchase through the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society. Call (954) 463-4431 for more information.
- Broward Community College
- Businesses that Built Fort Lauderdale
- Dreams My Bartender Taught Me
- Florida’s Big Dig
- Fort Lauderdale in Vintage Postcards
- Fort Lauderdale Memories: A Postcard History
- Greater Fort Lauderdale & Broward County
- Historic Photos of Fort Lauderdale
- Images of America: Fort Lauderdale
- Images of Broward County: Gene Hyde
- My Soul Is a Witness
- Then & Now: Old Fort Lauderdale Celebrates 100 Years
- Venice of America
Former Residents of Fort Lauderdale
Hundreds of thousands of residents have called Fort Lauderdale home through the years. Today, several of the residents that have made a difference in our community have a park named in their honor. Read a description of some of the parks that are named after former residents, including:
- Francis L. Abreu
- James Lynwood Bass
- Annie Beck
- Joseph Cecil Carter
- G. Frank Croissant
- George W. English II
- Richard “Dick” Mills
- Josef Osswald
- Samuel Peart Snyder
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