by Jeff Blakley The reader is excused for thinking that this article is about a man. Almost always referred to as “Miss Frankie Lofton” or “Joe Frankie,” Joe Frank Lofton was a woman, not a man. Then and now, parents, … Continue reading →
By Jeff Blakley The Cedars, South Dade’s earliest farming venture, was named for the Australian pine (casuarina equisetifolia), commonly referred to as a cedar. 1912, Charles T. Simpson wrote this about the tree: “A strange tree is casuarina equisetifolia or … Continue reading →
By Jeff Blakley Some people are gullible and there have always been men and women willing to take advantage of that. South Florida, starting in the early 1890s, became a fertile ground for hucksters to pursue their vocations. Convincing people … Continue reading →
By Jeff Blakley On March 25, 1904, the Miami Metropolis reprinted an essay that was written by an unidentified person for the Fernandina Star, a newspaper published in Fernandina, Nassau County, Florida. Entitled Perrine Land Grant, An Interesting Writeup of … Continue reading →