My earliest experiences are centered around the four small villages that today make up
greater Miami, or "Miamuh" as we still pronounce it. They were, counting from the South to
North, Coconut Grove, The area around the mouth of the Miami river, then Lemon City, my birthplace,located at about 61st. and Biscayne Bay. Finally, Little River, centered at about N.W. 79 st. and the bay.
Of course, by the time I made my appearance Miami, as the county seat of government for Dade
County, was sporting what was said to be the tallest bldg. south of the Mason-Dixon line. The Courthouse was pretty small by today's standards however.
My Mom was struggling to keep body and soul together for the four children she had been left with during the depression and we ate tons of fish and wild game to help out.
Fish were plentiful and it was easy to catch very large salt water speckled trout and to bag for the table, all the wading birds. A favorite bird was the Ibis with their long curved bill. Today you often see them in groups of ten or twenty in front lawns running their bills underground looking for grub worms. They were all on the menu, as were cottontail rabbits.
stay tuned for more to come.