A Wild Frontier In West Kendall
Southwest 132nd Avenue was on the edge of Miami in 1972, when Marily Reyes and her husband Frank moved into their new home just south of Bird Road. Their view across the narrow avenue was elephant...
View ArticleTransforming Her Pain: Ligia Houben's Story
Ligia Houben left Nicaragua for Miami after her father died. She lost her familiar homeland shortly after losing her parent. As part of her grieving process, she wrote extensively. Her efforts became a...
View ArticleTooling Around Miami As A Teen In The ’60s
This is the story of Joe Arango as told by him. My Miami story began the day my KLM flight touched down from Cuba at Miami International Airport. I was traveling alone in 1961 at the age of 11. I was...
View ArticleT. Willard Fair Was ‘The Muhammad Ali Of Black Dade County
This is the story of T. Willard Fair as told by him. I was born in 1939 in Winston-Salem, N.C. I’m the last of eight children. I was born to John Fair and Mary Lou Fair. People ask me about the name...
View ArticleGoing From Prejudice To Unity In South Florida's Warm Culture
This story, as told by Mark Avila, is part of an oral history series. I was born in the city of San Pedro, California. Our family is very large and of Mexican descent. I was the youngest of four...
View ArticleThe Many Different Smiles That Make Up Miami
This story, as told by Marcos Oliveira, is part of an oral history series. My experience here in Miami has shown me that here you have the opportunity to make relationships with many kinds of people....
View ArticlePolice Chief Recalls Immigrating To Miami
This story, as told by Ian Moffett, is part of an oral history series. I was born in Georgetown, Guyana, which is the only English-speaking country in South America. At the age of 6, my parents...
View ArticleFor 89 Years, A Charmed Life In Miami
Miami Stories is a project by WLRN, the Miami Herald, el Nuevo Herald and HistoryMiami. To share your story, click here . In 1925, my parents and I disembarked in Miami after a three-day train trip...
View ArticleA Miami Story: The Litzes Take Miami
This story, as told by Ronni Litz Julien, is part of an oral history series. Sheila Presser (Bronx-born) and Norman Litz (a Philadelphian) both moved to Florida with their families in 1946. Sheila...
View ArticleMiami Stories: Grandaughter Recounts Day Trips With Abuela
This story, as told by Olga Perez-Cormier, is part of an oral history series. It was always exciting when Abuela would tell me that she needed to go downtown for the day. This meant she had business to...
View ArticleMiamiStories: Up In Smoke
This story, as told by Oscar Fuentes , is part of an oral history series. It was the summer of 2003; I was living in a very old and ugly apartment building between Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 2 nd...
View ArticleMiami Theater Brings A Lifetime Of Inspiration
This story, as told by Veronica Diaz , is part of an oral history series. Let’s set the scene: It’s early 2004, and my mother is taking my younger sister and me to go watch Cats: The Musical at what...
View ArticleWorking At The Airport Becomes Sociology Lesson
This story, as told by Heidi Anthony, is part of an oral history series. I started working at Miami International Airport in 1988. My mind was young and impressionable and clueless. I was a public...
View ArticleAn Artist Spends A Month Absorbing Life In The Everglades
It feels like a high-speed chase west on the ironically named Dolphin Expressway, veering south on what follows as a seamless string of highway on the "Palmetto," the Don Shula Expressway and the...
View ArticleTalented Children’s Dress Designer Makes A Name For Herself
This story, as told by Dr.Richard Epstein and Dr. Gil Epstein, is part of an oral history series. Every mother who wanted to buy her daughter a stunning dress will remember the name Dorissa of Miami....
View ArticleWhat Would You Miss If You Left Miami?
For some South Floridians, living within the boundaries of the 305 means being immersed in a mezcla of culture and an abundance of Central and South American and Caribbean cuisines.
View ArticleA Good Alligator Wrestler Never Hurts The Animal: Rocky Jim Jr. Shares His...
Rocky Jim Jr. has been an alligator wrestler for over 31 years. He learned from his father, Rocky Jim Sr., and comes from a family of alligator wrestlers: his grandfather, Bobby Tiger and his uncles,...
View ArticleThe Lee Boys Play Their Sacred Steel: Alvin Lee Shares His #MiamiStory
Alvin Lee is the leader of the sacred steel ensemble, The Lee Boys . He is a vocalist and guitarist for the band, although he can play a variety of instruments and was originally a bassist. Alvin grew...
View ArticleRene Gueits Feels The Love Year Round. One Salsa Lover Shares His #MiamiStory
Rene Gueits was born and raised in Miami and grew up listening and dancing to salsa music at family parties. Much like his family, he is a gifted dancer. In 1992, when he was 24 years old, Gueits was...
View ArticleThis #MiamiStory is a tribute to the work ethic of African Americans
My Miami story begins in the late 1940s with my birth at Christian Hospital in Overtown. Six years later, my identical twin brothers were born at Mount Sinai Hospital. Things do change. The twins have...
View Article
