Going Underground
We might not give it a second thought today, but when the New River tunnel was proposed, it was one of the great local controversies of its time. Many of…
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John Dolen
107 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 Big Blow
Much has been written about the aftermath of the devastating 1926 hurricane. But what was it like to actually live through it? No real hurricane warnings were possible in the…
War on the River
He’s not as well-remembered as Maj. Lauderdale, but Lt. Levin Powell’s work in South Florida helped change warfare. Not many people would connect the Vietnam War to South Florida circa…
Welcome to Colohatchee
Before Wilton Manors and Oakland Park, a farming community thrived north of Fort Lauderdale. About the same time city pioneer Frank Stranahan was setting up shop at his trading post…
In the Zona
A few “gamblers at heart” helped built a town in a swamp. Then the horses came. More than a hundred years ago, the new county of Broward was forged around…
Becoming Broward
Local politics, a real estate boom and Prohibition all helped create Broward County. It was a long time coming, but not so easy to carve out Broward County. The area’s…
Before the Bloodshed
William Cooley’s name is synonymous with one of the grisliest acts in local history. But there’s more to his story than the massacre. William Cooley settled on the New River…
The Graduate Maker
Clarence Walker fought for black students at a time when they were denied even the right to attend a full four years of high school. When educator Clarence Walker arrived…
The Barefoot Mailmen
Over the water and on the sand, South Florida’s famous early mailmen made sure the mail got to what was then still untamed subtropical frontier. In the early 1880s, if…
Undefeated Sam Jones
A famous Seminole leader with a unique nickname, Sam Jones kept his promise to stay in Florida. “Sam Jones, leader of the Seminoles, fought a crucial battle against Major William…