Arch Creek, Florida
Arch Creek Park | |
---|---|
Type | Municipal |
Location | Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States |
Area | 8 acres (32,000 m2) |
Created | 1982 |
Operated by | Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department |
Website | Arch Creek Park |
Arch Creek Historic and Archeological Site | |
Location | Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA |
Nearest city | North Miami, Florida |
Coordinates | 25°54′04″N 80°09′41″W / 25.90111°N 80.16139°W |
NRHP reference No. | 86001700[1] |
Added to NRHP | July 15, 1986 |
Arch Creek was an early settlement in Miami-Dade County, Florida, in present-day metropolitan Miami. Tequesta Indians thrived here before the first Europeans arrived in the early 16th century. The name is derived from the 40 feet (12 m) long natural limestone bridge that spanned the creek until 1973. It is part of the Arch Creek Memorial Park at 1855 Northeast 135th Street, on Biscayne Boulevard. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on July 15, 1986.
History
The Arch Creek area was inhabited by indigenous peoples for centuries prior to European colonization. Among them were the Tequesta people.
During the
The first European-American families to settle the area planted tomatoes and pineapples. A railroad depot was established in 1903. Soon after, a packing plant, a sawmill, a post office and a school were erected as the town began to grow. By 1910, the area was a popular place for tourists and community gatherings. The "shell house" sold souvenirs, postcards and refreshments. On weekends, families from many miles away would attend barbecues with as many as 500 people. "Dad" Wiggins, the self-proclaimed best barbecue chef in Florida, would start slow-cooking large amounts of meat and families would bring baked goods, side dishes and desserts while kids played along the banks of the creek. By 1912, the community included eighteen homes, a church, a general store, a blacksmith shop, and two tomato-packing houses.[2]
By 1920, the population of Arch Creek had grown to 307. The
In 1957, the first of many threats against the future of the natural bridge materialized. The bridge was endangered by a plan to drain low-lying areas as part of a flood prevention program. The
Things remained quiet until the 1970s, when Arch Creek became the property of the
A group of local citizens, who later formed the Arch Creek Trust, went to
The porous oolitic (pronounced oh-a-li-tic) limestone bridge was laced with roots from the oak trees growing on both banks of the creek, and it is likely those roots were holding the rock together. A number of trees near both ends of the bridge had been removed prior to the collapse, thus killing the roots. Then in order to keep vehicular traffic from using the bridge, it was blocked off by boring a row of large holes through the road at both ends of the bridge and standing discarded wooden railroad ties in the holes. When the bridge collapsed it broke along the two rows of "perforations" drilled for the ties.[
Arch Creek Park Museum & Nature Center
In 1978 Dade County leased the land from the State of Florida and began making plans to turn it into a passive recreation facility. Clean-up crews appeared, and construction started on a small museum and nature study center. A nature trail was constructed in the hammock area by the Youth Conservation Corps. In addition, they planted over 500 trees. The Arch Creek Park was formally dedicated on April 25, 1982. Today, Arch Creek is an 8-acre (32,000 m2) site at the junction of N.E. 135th Street and Biscayne Boulevard, and offers many opportunities for botanical, historical and archaeological study. It has a museum/nature center modeled after an early Florida pioneer home, displaying Indian artifacts dug from the grounds, and live animals from the nearby hammock. Remains of the original coontie mill are still visible across the creek, and the Park exists as the only preserved archaeological site in the County.
In 1992, Arch Creek Trust and the Trust for Public Lands worked to acquire an additional 1.5 acres (6,100 m2) at the northern end of the park, bringing the total size of the park to 9.4 acres (38,000 m2). Funding was provided by the Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program. In 1994 the park received a grant to add a Butterfly Garden on this new site, using native butterfly-attracting plants.
There are year-round activities at the park. Guided trail walks are held on the weekends, and many Miami-Dade County students visit on a regular basis.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "City of North Miami - History". City of North Miami. Archived from the original on November 8, 2004.
- ^ "FIU wants to open acsess road through Arch Creek Preserve". Miami Herald.
Bibliography
- Arch Creek Trust members. Arch Creek Trust Historical Notes.
- Peters, Thelma (1981). Biscayne Country.
- Burr, Robert Adams. Burr Family History.
External links
- Arch Creek Trust web site updated May 1, 2011
- Arch Creek Park web site
- University of South Florida Arch Creek Gallery
- Dade County listings at National Register of Historic Places
- Dade County listings at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
- City of North Miami History
- Arch Creek settlers from Elmira, New York