A Woman to Know: Julia Tuttle
It may seem strange to you, but it is the dream of my life to turn this wilderness into a prosperous country. — Julia
(image via Wikimedia Commons)
Miami, the only major American city to be founded by a woman. And not just any woman -- the forward-thinking, gutsy, entrepreneurial Julia Tuttle.
When Julia moved from Cleveland in 1886, she purchased 600-plus acres of wilderness along the Miami River. She was widowed, raising her daughter and fighting mosquitoes, but she homesteaded her own plot of land, the very beginnings of Miami. Within a few years, she convinced her friends Henry Flagler and John Rockefeller to build railroads around the fledgling city, and soon her own hotel, The Royal Palm, drew tourists and traders to the warm weather destination. And at Julia's death in 1898, Miami was on the map -- not just as a beach town or a tourist attraction, but as a bustling port for North America-South America commerce.
Add to your library list:
More than Petticoats: Remarkable Florida Women (E. Lynn Wright)
Florida's Past: People and Events That Shaped the State (Gene Burnett)
Read more:
Julia Tuttle, the "Mother of Miami" was one awesome lady (The Huffington Post)
Five Woman Leaders in Miami History (The New Tropic)
Honoring Florida Heroines (The Library of Congress)
Statue of Julia Tuttle, "Mother of Miami," now stands near city's port (Orlando Sun-Sentinel)
Julia Tuttle (The National Women's History Museum)
Remembering Julia Tuttle, the Mother of Miami (Ocean Drive)
What's the One Major American City Founded by a Woman? (Community Table)
Miami Fetes 100 Years of Hyperbole (The New York Times)
Listen more:
The Mother of Miami (Biscayne Tales)
** Send your own recommendations for women to know! Reply to this newsletter with your lady and she could be featured in an upcoming edition. You can browse the archive here. **