A bronze statue at the entrance to Bayside Market Place on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami reminds of the Spanish conqueror Ponce de Leon. In 1513 he and his men first clapped eyes on Biscayne Bay and the mouth of the slow flowing river.
What greeted them, apart from the tropical vegetation and countryside, was a settlement of the Tequesta Indians with their villages along the river shore. As excavations of the Miami Circle have shown, the Tequesta have been there since about 800 BC, but after the arrival of the Spaniards and other European who followed, they - unfortunately - didn't last much longer.
The Miami Circle is the only legacy which remains of their culture and it's the Historical Museum of Southern Florida which is in charge of safe guarding the site with a view of integrating it into a park, open to the public.
Some Facts of the Miami River
Miami's main waterway is 5 1/2 miles long and reaches from its mouth on Biscayne Bay to Miami International Airport. The river is fed by the Everglades, although it's not directly connected to them.
Constant dredging keeps the water as clean as possible and the passageway open for river traffic. Container ships, especially from South American countries, leisure craft, the occasional sight seeing boat, houseboats and any imaginable floating object populate the river. Even the odd manatee can be admired.
Docks, repair yards, container terminals, houses and, closer to Biscayne Bay, modern and impressive high rises make for a sight to behold. What's always fascinating to watch is how the tugboats are able to guide the container ships through the rather narrow river without incident.
Ten drawbridges cross over the river and water traffic has absolute precedence over road and pedestrian traffic. Along comes a lone sailing boat with a mast too high to pass under the bridge and the bells starts ringing, the bridge opens and everybody waits patiently until it has haughtily glided past.
Famous Names Connected With the Miami River
Without such pioneers as William Brickell, Julia Tuttle and Henry Flagler, Miami would never have become the thriving metropolis it is today. In 1887 Julia Tuttle started buying up land along the river and it was she who persuaded Henry Flagler to extend his railway to Biscayne Bay. Along with the railway came Flagler's hotel enterprises and one of the first hotels he built in the area was The Royal Palms. In 1870, William Brickell followed suit and established trading posts along the river.
Guided Tour With Historical Musuem of Southern Florida
The museum, located at 101 West Flagler Street in downtown Miami, does not only exhibit and document the long history of Miami, but also arranges guided river tours, which start in Bayside Market Place and use one of the sightseeing boats which during the rest of the week, carry tourists to gawk at the homes of the rich and famous on Fisher Island, Palm Island etc.
For further information, dates and current prices, consult here or call 305 375 1492.
Inka Piegsa-Quischotte - Since two years I am a full time travel and lifestyle writer and blogger. I published several articles and blogs on ...
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