Legendary Locals of Fort Lauderdale

From the first settlers, the Lewis family in the 1790s, to the New River Settlement led by William Cooley in the 1830s, to the arrival of Frank Stranahan in 1893, Fort Lauderdale is an old young town. Named for the Second Seminole War fort commanded by Major Lauderdale, the town incorporated in 1911. The land boom of the 1910s—1920s brought an influx of people including publicist Commodore Brook, architect Francis Abreu, developer Charles Rodes, and businessmen Moe and Mack Katz. Following ...