Escape from the frost

Dr. Marvin Dunn goes into detail about how the Great Freeze in the late 19th century affected South Florida’s development.

an indian river orange grove, florida, 1898

“The Great Freeze which struck the southeastern United States in the winter of 1894-1895 propelled ruined farmers and farm workers, white and black, to settle in warmer south Florida. Ultimately, this led to the arrival of the Florida East Coast Railroad at Biscayne bay in 1896 and the founding of the city of Miami in that year.”

Marvin Dunn, Black Miami

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