Coral Gables Riviera

1921 . CORAL GABLES' STEPPING STONES TO PROGRESS . 1941

1921 Nov. 27—Sale of first lot in Coral Gables. 1922 March—First street cut through. July—First store built. 1925 April 29—CITY INCORPORATED. April 30—First street car arrived in city. Dec. 20—Renuart Arcade completed. 1926 Jan. 15—First Riviera published. Miami Biltmore formally opened. Feb. 6—Tahiti Beach opened. April 1—Coral Gables Arcade finished. Realty Board organized. April 3—Mail Delivery inaugurated. May 10—Rapid transit service begun. May 13—Kiwanis Club organized. June 3—Gables Theatre opened. June 22—Masonic Order formed. July 28—First hospital opened. Aug. 14—Coral Way opened to traffic. Elementary School completed. Oct. 18—University of Miami opened. Nov. 22—First Progress Week. Nov. 24—First National Bank established. 1927 Jan. 1—Lions' Club formed. Retail Merchants organized. Mar. 21—Seaboard Airline enters Gables. May 21—Formal opening of Douglas Entrance. Nov. 8—Library opened. Nov. 9—Cornerstone of City Hall laid. Nov. 10—Coliseum dedicated. 1928 Feb. 24—City Hall opened. April 24—First municipal election. 1929 May 2—New city charter approved. May 17—Ponce de Leon High School given highest academic rating in the state. Sept. 8—Miami Biltmore purchased by Al Smith and associates. Sept. 28—Telephone toll charges dropped. 1930 Feb. 1—Century Club founded. Oct. 24—Booster week observed. 1931 Sept. 12—Miami Biltmore purchased by Col. Henry L. Doherty. Oct. 6—New water supply for Gables. 1932 Jan. 18—Beginning of First Winter Institute at the University of Miami. Mar. 1—First Miami Biltmore $10,000 Open. 1933 Feb. 18—National Horse Show at Tropical Park. June 27—Taxes on unimproved property reduced 40 to 80 per cent. July 23—Ground broken for Methodist Church. Nov. 5—American Legion home acquired. 1934 Nov. 5—Addition to Elementary School started. Nov. 20—Ground broken for Christian Science Church. 1935 Feb. 22—New post office dedicated. Aug. 16—First Masonic home bonds sold. Aug. 26—Coral Gables Country Club organized. Nov. 3—Work begun on Community House and Library. 1936 Jan. 17—City bus lines re-routed to cover more territory. Feb. 4—Preliminary agreement for refunding city's debt reached with bondholders. March 2—Junior Woman's Club sponsors art show at Douglas Entrance. May 29—Realty Board opens central listing bureau. July 24—Dr. Arthur Weiland named president of Miami Biltmore Country Club. Sept. 4—Plans for new bus terminal announced. A. B. Curry named director of public service. Nov. 6—Commission studies plans for new fire and police station. Dec. 23—Special election on bond settlement called. 1937 Jan. 9—New community house and library turned over to city by WPA. Jan. 23—New bond refunding planned passes 566 to 174. Jan. 29—Everhard Building opened at Coral Way and Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Feb. 12—William Fuller completes 10 years of service with Florida Power and Light Co. Graham Building opened at 2218 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables Motor Company moves into new home on Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Feb. 16—Re-zoning ordinance passed opening Gables to hundreds of small homes. March 19—Karl Schmitz named manager of Country Club of Coral Gables. March 20—Jan Garber returns for Pioneer night at Country Club. April 8—Judge Paul D. Barns validates refunding bonds. June 11—Coral Gables Hotel Association formed. July 2—Poinciana campaign launched. July 9—Diamondball field completed. July 30—Refunding bonds validated by state supreme court. Sept. 17—First Festival of Valdes opens. Coral Way Boulevard, with double traffic lanes, opened between Gables and Miami. 1938 Jan. 7—Land dedicated for Merrick Demonstration School. Jan. 8—President Roosevelt approves WPA allotment for fire and police station. Feb. 16—American Legion formally opens remodelled home. Mar. 9—First annual Policeman's Ball held. April 8—James Beusse named graduate manager of athletics at University of Miami. April 22—Thomas Mayes appointed municipal judge. July 25—Cornerstone laid for new fire and police station. Aug. 5—City announces plans to build incinerator. Aug. 26—Firefighters approve incinerator purchase. 1939 March 3—Hundreds attend Chamber of Commerce motorcade. March 17—New fire and police station formally opened. April 28—Federal Art Project opens studio in old police station. May 5—Telephone Company Gables exchange building. May 12—F. H. Crowell buys Gables Market. Aug. 4—Ten cent bus fare inaugurated between Gables and Miami. Aug. 18—Boystown, sponsored by Legion, is launched at meeting. Aug. 25—Group organizes to further development of waterways area. Sept. 1—Civic Round Tables organized. Sept. 8—Rodney Miller and Associates purchase Coliseum. Oct. 2—Police install 2-way radios in squad cars. Oct. 6—City-wide beautification plan inaugurated. Oct. 25—A. B. Curry named city manager. Nov. 10—Call issued for bids on incinerator. Dec. 1—Firemen form Benevolent Association. 1940 Jan. 2—Public Service Bldg. and Chamber of Commerce offices turned over to city by WPA. Store opens on Coral Way. Feb. 2—New Fairchild Tropical Garden dedicated. March 1—George Merrick approved as Miami post master. March 8—New Chevrolet Agency opened on Ponce de Leon Blvd. March 15—Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company leases corner site at Ponce de Leon Blvd. and Coral Way. Colonnade Building is purchased by O'Toole family. Plans for motion picture studio announced. April 26—New home development started in Flagler section. April 29—Gables celebrates 15th Birthday. May 10—E. C. Thrall purchases Arts Center Building at 2901 Ponce de Leon Blvd. for National Fire and Marine Insurance Company offices. June 14—University of Miami announces plans for long range campus project. July 4—Ground broken for Crippled Children's Hospital. July 12—Air corps announces plans to train flying navigators in Coral Gables. Aug. 16—State Boystown convention held in Gables. Oct. 5—Breeding's Drug Store opens in new building at Coral Way and Ponce de Leon Blvd. Nov. 1—Junior Woman's Club dental clinic opens for 2nd year. Nov. 11—Sam Weissel celebrates 10th anniversary in business. Nov. 27—Second Festival of Valdes opens. Dec. 6—N.Y.A. establishes mechanical training project in municipal garage bldg. Embassy Market opens at 2414 1/2 Coral Way. Dec. 29—New Coral Theatre opens at Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Avenue Aragon. 1941 Feb. 14—Army air corps announces plans to train 400 additional cadets here in summer. Feb. 22—Mural by Denman Fink unveiled in Federal Court room. Feb. 28—Howard Johnson opens restaurant on Tamiami Trail. Mar. 7—Pan-American Airways buys Curtiss Aerocar building on Salzedo Street. Papoya Company moves to new home on Salzedo Street. April 2—American Legion Post 98 burns paid-up mortgage on home. City bus franchise granted by Miami for inter-city bus service.