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Exactly,100 years before Jeff Bezos made the announcement about relocating to an exclusive island enclave just outside Miami's city limits, a land rush in Florida had already commenced during the exhilarating Roaring '20s.
Pioneering this movement was the "Father of Miami," Henry Flagler, a New York native and co-founder of Standard Oil. Flagler's completion of the Florida East Coast Railway in 1896 facilitated the influx of tourists into southeast Florida, marking the region's emergence as a tourist destination.
With the outbreak of World War I, affluent Americans accustomed to vacationing in the French Riviera shifted their attention to the burgeoning resort communities in Miami and Palm Beach, effectively establishing the American Riviera.
During this era of expansion, developers embarked on the construction of islands in Biscayne Bay, connecting them through a network of bridges known as the "Venetian Causeway," as recounted by historian Seth Bramson, author of "33154: The Story of Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Indian Creek Village, and Surfside."
Simultaneously, the Shoreland Co. initiated efforts north of the Venetian Causeway to create one of the largest man-made islands from a mangrove swamp, culminating in the ambitious 600-acre Miami Shores Island project.
“They felt that they could do very well making money with a recreation island, which they would call Miami Shores Island,” says Barry University professor Bramson. “They would have tennis courts. They would have golf, they would have recreation that people would pay and so they would make money.”
However, a year into the initiative, the devastating Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 dealt a severe blow to the Shoreland Co., forcing the company into bankruptcy.
Despite this setback, nearly 300 acres of the swamp had already been transformed into a barrier island by that point. Subsequently, in 1928, a consortium of wealthy individuals from the Midwest acquired the island from the government. The following year witnessed the inauguration of a golf course and a striking red-tiled Mediterranean-style club. The island was linked to the mainland by a two-lane bridge passing through the Town of Surfside.
Despite the challenges posed by the Great Depression, several affluent Americans constructed lavish mansions in close proximity to the club, as detailed by Bramson.
In 1939, upon learning that the Town of Surfside was contemplating the prospect of annexing the island during its council meetings, the island's residents capitalized on a now-defunct state law, which allowed any group of 25 or more individuals residing in relatively contiguous areas to establish a municipality, Bramson notes.
Consequently, the island was officially incorporated as Indian Village Creek on May 19, 1939.
Presently, the village, housing approximately 85 residents, operates under a mayor-council system of governance and maintains its own police department.
“It is a beautifully kept place, the homes, the public streets, everything is picture perfect. And that's what they want. That's what they're entitled to,” Bramson added
Reportedly, Bezos owns two residences on the island, including one acquired in October for $79 million and an adjacent estate purchased for $68 million, as disclosed by Bloomberg News.
Joining Bezos in this renowned "Billionaire Bunker" are a host of other prominent personalities, such as NFL icon Tom Brady, vocalist Julio Iglesias, investor Carl Icahn, and Ivanka Trump along with Jared Kushner.
The privately-owned, secluded residential area comprises 41 designated waterfront residential plots, currently owned by 36 property holders, with 29 grand estate homes as of December 31, 2017, as detailed on the village's official website.
“It appeals to people who want complete privacy because even the road leading to the island is completely private,” real estate agent Lourdes Alatreste, who specialises in luxury properties, said.
Pioneering this movement was the "Father of Miami," Henry Flagler, a New York native and co-founder of Standard Oil. Flagler's completion of the Florida East Coast Railway in 1896 facilitated the influx of tourists into southeast Florida, marking the region's emergence as a tourist destination.
With the outbreak of World War I, affluent Americans accustomed to vacationing in the French Riviera shifted their attention to the burgeoning resort communities in Miami and Palm Beach, effectively establishing the American Riviera.
During this era of expansion, developers embarked on the construction of islands in Biscayne Bay, connecting them through a network of bridges known as the "Venetian Causeway," as recounted by historian Seth Bramson, author of "33154: The Story of Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Indian Creek Village, and Surfside."
Simultaneously, the Shoreland Co. initiated efforts north of the Venetian Causeway to create one of the largest man-made islands from a mangrove swamp, culminating in the ambitious 600-acre Miami Shores Island project.
“They felt that they could do very well making money with a recreation island, which they would call Miami Shores Island,” says Barry University professor Bramson. “They would have tennis courts. They would have golf, they would have recreation that people would pay and so they would make money.”
However, a year into the initiative, the devastating Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 dealt a severe blow to the Shoreland Co., forcing the company into bankruptcy.
Despite this setback, nearly 300 acres of the swamp had already been transformed into a barrier island by that point. Subsequently, in 1928, a consortium of wealthy individuals from the Midwest acquired the island from the government. The following year witnessed the inauguration of a golf course and a striking red-tiled Mediterranean-style club. The island was linked to the mainland by a two-lane bridge passing through the Town of Surfside.
Despite the challenges posed by the Great Depression, several affluent Americans constructed lavish mansions in close proximity to the club, as detailed by Bramson.
In 1939, upon learning that the Town of Surfside was contemplating the prospect of annexing the island during its council meetings, the island's residents capitalized on a now-defunct state law, which allowed any group of 25 or more individuals residing in relatively contiguous areas to establish a municipality, Bramson notes.
Consequently, the island was officially incorporated as Indian Village Creek on May 19, 1939.
Presently, the village, housing approximately 85 residents, operates under a mayor-council system of governance and maintains its own police department.
“It is a beautifully kept place, the homes, the public streets, everything is picture perfect. And that's what they want. That's what they're entitled to,” Bramson added
Reportedly, Bezos owns two residences on the island, including one acquired in October for $79 million and an adjacent estate purchased for $68 million, as disclosed by Bloomberg News.
Joining Bezos in this renowned "Billionaire Bunker" are a host of other prominent personalities, such as NFL icon Tom Brady, vocalist Julio Iglesias, investor Carl Icahn, and Ivanka Trump along with Jared Kushner.
The privately-owned, secluded residential area comprises 41 designated waterfront residential plots, currently owned by 36 property holders, with 29 grand estate homes as of December 31, 2017, as detailed on the village's official website.
“It appeals to people who want complete privacy because even the road leading to the island is completely private,” real estate agent Lourdes Alatreste, who specialises in luxury properties, said.
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