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From a Fort to a City on the New River

The Tequesta First Nation People lived along the New River from the dawn of time. The Seminole & Miccosukee Nations migrated south to the Everglades over the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1793 the Spanish explorer Sebastian Verezaluze sailed up the New River on a spy mission for the Governor of St. Augustine. In 1838 Major William Lauderdale arrived and built the first of 3 forts along the New River. In 1896 Henry Flagler’s railroad arrived at the New River in Fort Lauderdale. Explore the stories of South Florida pioneers where the River meets the Railroad at History Fort Lauderdale. This historic village is the largest concentration of historic building remaining in Broward County.

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History Museum
Today’s Museum is housed in Broward County’s oldest hotel – the 1905 New River Inn. Exhibits include Archaeology, Seminole Culture, Fashion & Military history.

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1907 Pioneer House Museum
Constructed of local pine and savaged ship timbers by Ed King, pioneer farmer & builder. Period furnishings, clothing, antique doll and toy collections.

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1899 Schoolhouse Museum
Complete with period wood desks and McGuffey readers. Broward’s first teacher, Miss Ivy Cromartie, might enter at any moment with her 9 students.

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Hoch Research Library
The foremost history center in South Florida which houses a library, newspaper clippings files from 1910-present, 400,000 historic photos, maps, and architectural blueprints. Genealogists, authors, and other professionals work daily at the Hoch Center.

Hoch Library Research Rates
History Fort Lauderdale has extensive archives available for study, including over 400,000 photographs, hundreds of postcards, 5,000 historic architectural drawings, manuscripts, diaries, newspaper clippings files from 1910 – present, and over 2,500 historic maps. Our collection is a valuable source of primary and secondary sources for anyone interested in Broward County history. The images can also be reproduced for private, business, or educational use.

Research requests must be arranged in advance, and are by appointment only.
Phone 954-463-4431 x 106 to make an appointment. Appointments are available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am – 2pm.
Email with a research request. Staff will make every effort to respond to your request within 72 hours.

The Society is a nonprofit agency supported only by membership, grants and charitable contributions. Access to the research library is free for members of the Historical Society and $25/hour if staff assistance is required. The fee is $35/hour for non-members. Memberships may be purchased at your appointment. If you are unable to visit the Historical Society in person or if time is of the essence, staff can conduct research, write a report, or copy materials, for a fee of $35/hour. There is a 50% discount on hourly rates for students with a valid ID.

Photocopying is available $1.00 per page.

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