Latest news with #MiamiHistory
CBS News
19-07-2025
- CBS News
Renovations at Miami's Freedom Tower finishing up ahead of its 100th anniversary celebration
Still standing tall against the massive urbanization that is 21st Century Miami, the building known today as the Freedom Tower has been a big part of Miami's history. Built to impress in the Mediterranean style, 100 years ago it was home to the Miami Daily News and the headquarters for the Cox newspaper chain. This week workers scrambled to finish a massive $25 million renovation to mark the building's centennial anniversary. Madeline Pumariega, the president of Miami Dade College. She recently gave CBS News Miami a tour of the facility, noting the planned innovations. "This hallway is intended to depict a journey, a journey to freedom so many that have come in search of hope and opportunity," she said. Pumariega is referring to the hundreds of thousands of Cuban refugees who passed the historic building from 1962 through 1974. The Federal Cuban Assistance Program provided Cuban exiles and refugees with financial aid, food, medical care and guidance on setting up life in America. Carman Valdivia remembers visiting the Freedom Tower in her childhood. "They would take us there for the doctors and dentists and things like that," she said. Cuban exile doctors were allowed to practice inside the Freedom Tower, while new arrivals learned English there. When the federal refugee funding ran out, the building fell into hard times and was in disrepair. It changed hands several times and was eventually rescued by the family of the late Jorge Mas Canosa. In 2003, the building gained attention again thanks to a massive memorial to "The Queen of Salsa" Celia Cruz. Miami Dade College later acquired the Freedom Tower and is now spearheading the renovations which include digital displays and exhibits, like the stacks of suitcases. The Castro regime would only allow exiles three changes of clothes and not much else when they exited the island. The exiles came to America with all they had packed in one suitcase. They often kept their suitcases along with the airline tickets that flew them to freedom. Pumariega said the stacks of 1960s luggage is a powerful reminder for many of where they come from. There is plenty of Miami history in this iconic building which will re-open to the public later this summer or early fall.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What's the story behind that little old white house in the middle of Brickell?
A small wooden house stands under the shade of the skyscrapers of Brickell. The first thing one wonders when upon seeing it —pristine white with a garden surrounding it and an inviting front porch — is how has it resisted the advance of developers amid the quest for more land to develop in Miami? The latest episode of Miami Oculto (Hidden Miami) focuses on this house and its original owner. The Herald podcast takes you on a journey through the story of Miami's first doctor, who arrived in the city in 1896, when mosquitoes and epidemics were the great scourge, Dr. James Jackson. Jackson Memorial Hospital is named after him. Who was Miami's first doctor? That house was Dr. James Jackson's office. To learn the history of the home and its distinguished owner, we spoke with Lucía Meneses, head of educational programs for Dade Heritage Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Miami's historic buildings and natural spaces through education. Its headquarters are located in this timeless Brickell house. But where did Dr. Jackson, who was not born in Miami, come from? Where did he study and learn to treat patients? What was the doctor's strange habit, which always left a mark on his patients' homes, and which would ultimately lead to his death? Where was the house before, and why did they move it? What is so mysterious about the medical instruments you can see today during a visit to the doctor's office? We discuss all this in the podcast. Dr. James Jackson (1866-1924) was a man ahead of his time and a warrior against germs. Looking around his office, you can learn not only what patient care looked like back then, but also how the city was changing. Not far from there, on what was called Millionaire Row in Brickell, stood the house Jackson had built for his family. One of the most important things about Jackson, who was the founder and president of most of the medical-related organizations in Florida, is that he treated all his patients with kindness and dignity. Meneses explains why the layout of his office indicates that the doctor treated everyone. And if his life was interesting, his grave in the city's oldest cemetery, Miami City Cemetery, is also fascinating. Hidden Miami dedicated a podcast to this cemetery. You can watch all episodes of the Hidden Miami podcast on YouTube or on el Nuevo Herald website. Find all episodes of the Hidden Miami podcast on your favorite audio platform: Spotify Podcast, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, and Amazon Music. The wooden cottage in the Brickell neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. An old picture on display at the office and surgical center of Dr. James M. Jackson, the first resident physician of Miami. Now the headquarters of the Dade Heritage Trust is Miami-Dade County's largest historic preservation organization, located at 190 SE 12th Terrace, in Miami, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. A cigarette case owned by Dr. James M. Jackson on display at his office and surgical center. He was the first resident physician of Miami. Now the headquarters of the Dade Heritage Trust is Miami-Dade County's largest historic preservation organization, located at 190 SE 12th Terrace, in Miami, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
