The Birth of Broadway in Fort Lauderdale
A dive into the history of Fort Lauderdale’s playhouse theater, once an innovative novelty. For those who have lived here for years, the changes at the once-named Parker Playhouse downtown…
Posts by author
John Dolen
113 posts
John Dolen writes for several Fort Lauderdale area publications. Previously, he was an editor and supervisor for 27 years at the Sun-Sentinel newspaper.
The Queen of Yesteryear
A look back at our tourist standby may surprise you. You’re taking a ride with your visiting relatives on the Jungle Queen, an ideal way to showcase our yachting and…
Moments That Shaped a Community
A quiet look at how one community worked to bring dignity and care where they had long been missing. The early years of Fort Lauderdale reflect a time when daily…
An Architect & A Countess
Two of the region’s biggest dreams never took root here, yet they make two of the most fascinating chapters in our history. The story of our region is filled with…
The Mail Must Go Through
How do you deliver it in a 68-mile South Florida stretch with no roads or bridges? If you’re from these parts, it’s likely that on occasion you’ve taken a dreamy…
Rebel Vessels and Pirateers
Freebooters, rebel boats and the war for Cuba. A filibuster today brings to mind U.S. senators stalling legislation. But the filibusters of yesteryear referred to a different sort of disruptor,…
The Salvage Tales
How one author’s vision spun tons of lore from our docks I’m sure many of our readers has seen at least one of the two thrillers called Cape Fear. It’s…
Organized Crime, South Florida Style
From TV and film, you’d think mob activity was limited to places like Chicago or New York. How about 1940s Broward County? Lee Wentworth, former tax assessor for Broward County,…
The Legacy of Elks Rest
From Ray Charles to Reverend Abernathy, the history of Elks Rest runs deep. The historic Elks Lodge has been in the news lately after a years-long legal dispute over the…
Landmark Reimagined
There’s a whole lot of history behind a familiar venue. In 1955, Fort Lauderdale’s third annual boat show was a benefit for underprivileged children. Local dealers provided cabin cruisers and…