A Guide to the George Merrick Papers
Contents
Overview
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| Creator: |
Merrick, George Edgar, 1886-1942. |
| Title: |
Guide to the George Merrick Papers, |
| Dates: |
1920-1955 (bulk 1930-1942) |
| Quantity: |
5.5 cubic ft. |
| Abstract: |
George Merrick founded and developed the city of Coral Gables during the 1920s. These papers, however, mainly relate to his later career during the Depression, including his management of Caribee Colony resort in Islamorada, service on the Dade County Planning Board and as a postmaster for Miami. Posthumous materials collected by his widow, Eunice Peacock Merrick, summarize and eulogize his life. |
| Identification: |
1958-003 |
Biographical Note
Real estate developer Merrick founded Coral Gables, one of the United States' first planned cities. He was a charter member and first president of the Historical Association of Southern Florida; a founder of the University of Miami; director of Fairchild Tropical Garden; and trustee of Plymouth Congregational Church.
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| 1886 June 3 |
Born at Springdale, Pennsylvania, the oldest child of his family.
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| 1899 |
Moved with his family from Cape Cod to Florida. They started a 160 acre citrus grove and farm in what is now the heart of Coral Gables, and which they called Coral Gables Plantation.
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| 1907-1910 |
Merrick went to Rollins College, and then to New York for law school, intending to become a writer.
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| 1910-1912 |
Merrick's father died. Merrick quit law school and moved back to Miami to help his family and their business.
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| 1914-1916 |
Merrick served as a Dade County Commissioner. At this time, he began to plan Coral Gables.
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| 1916 |
Merrick married Eunice Peacock.
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| 1921 November 27 |
Merrick sold his first lot in Coral Gables.
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| 1925 June |
Merrick founded The University of Miami with a gift of $5,000,000 and 160 acres.
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| 1926 |
Dade County's real estate boom ends, and the region enters the Depression. As a result, Merrick went into debt.
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| 1927-1935 |
Merrick tried to rebuild his career and pay off his debts. He unsuccessfully tried to develop a series of estates similar to the Deering Estate, from Tahiti Beach to Chapman Field.
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| 1930-1935 |
Merrick manages Caribbee Colony, a fishing camp on Matecumbe Key established on land inherited from his father-in-law in 1930. The resort was destroyed by the 1935 hurricane.
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| 1934 |
He re-entered real estate as President of George E. Merrick Inc.
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| 1935-1938 |
Chairman of the Dade County Planning Board.
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| 1937-1938 |
Chairman of the Dade County Zoning Commission and Dade County Planning Council.
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| 1940 |
Merrick resigns as president of his real estate firm to become Miami's Postmaster. He was Postmaster until his death. He continued to pay off the debts, little by little from his Postmaster's salary, since he would not declare bankruptcy.
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| 1942 March 26 |
Merrick died of a heart attack at the age of 56.
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Scope and Content
The papers are roughly arranged into the following series: Real estate, 1920s; Real estate, 1930s; City planning and zoning, 1930s; Civic activities; General correspondence, 1940-1942; Personal papers, 1942-1945; Oversize papers.
Index Terms
Caribee Colony (Islamorada, Fla.)
City planning--Florida--Dade County
Merrick, George Edgar, 1886-1942
Postal service--Florida--Miami
Real estate business--Florida--Miami
University of Miami
Zoning--Florida--Miami
Administrative Information
Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Related Material
Three maps have been removed and placed in the museum's maps collection.
Citation
Cite as George Merrick papers, Historical Museum of Southern Florida.
Provenance
Gift of his widow, Eunice Peacock Merrick.
Bibliography
Merrick, George E. Songs of the Wind on a Southern Shore : and Other Poems of Florida. -- Boston: Four Seas, 1920.
Parks, Arva Moore. George Merrick's Coral Gables : where your 'Castles in Spain' are Made Real. Miami, Fla.: Centennial Press, c2006.
Container List
Series 1: Real estate, 1920s
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| Box |
Folder |
Contents |
| 1 |
1 |
Coral Gables Plantation |
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2-4 |
Correspondence, 1920s |
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5 |
Miscellaneous, 1920s |
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6 |
Newspaper articles, 1920s |
Series 2: Real estate, 1930s
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| Box |
Folder |
Contents |
| 1 |
7 |
Caribee Colony, Matecumbe |
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8 |
Directory of North East Section of Properties and Owners |
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9 |
Expense vouchers |
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10-12 |
Florida Keys |
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13-16 |
George E. Merrick Incorporated |
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17 |
Homestead exemption |
| 2 |
1-13 |
Individual prospects |
| 3 |
1-11 |
Individual prospects |
| 4 |
1 |
Miami Pioneers honor |
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2 |
Miami Realty Board speech, 1937 |
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3 |
Newspaper ads |
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4 |
Newspaper ads-Daino homes |
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5-7 |
Newspaper advertising orders and invoices |
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8-9 |
Newspaper advertising rates |
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10-11 |
Newspaper advertising--Linder Agency |
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12 |
New York Herald Tribune |
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13-15 |
Property listings |
| 15 |
7-10 |
Property listings, (legal size folders) 1930s |
| 5 |
1-2 |
Property listings |
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3-6 |
Radio advertising |
| 15 |
11-13 |
Radio advertising (legal size folders) |
| 5 |
7 |
Radio advertising--correspondence |
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8-9 |
Radio advertising--drafts |
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10-12 |
The Shadow Voice radio program |
Series 3: City planning and zoning, 1930s
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| Box |
Folder |
Contents |
| 6 |
1 |
American Society of Planning Officials |
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2 |
Applications |
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3 |
Biltmore Hotel--Southeastern Planning Conference meeting |
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4-5 |
Blacks in Dade County |
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6-7 |
Civic and political activities |
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8 |
Combs, W. H., Sr. Dade County Planning Board |
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9 |
Coral Way |
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10-12 |
Correspondence handled and answered |
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13-14 |
Correspondence handled and not answered |
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15 |
County Causeway beautification plan |
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16-18 |
Dade County Planning Board |
| 7 |
1-5 |
Dade County Planning Board |
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6 |
Dade County Planning Board--designs |
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7-8 |
Dade County Planning Board--resolutions |
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9-11 |
Dade County Planning Council |
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12-14 |
Dade County Zoning Commission, 1937 |
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15-17 |
Dade County Zoning Commission, 1938 |
| 8 |
1-3 |
Dade County Zoning Commission, 1938 |
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4 |
Dade County Zoning Commission, 1939 1939 |
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8-9 |
Florida State Planning Board |
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10 |
Hurricane shelter policy |
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11 |
King, Elisha A., Dr. Dade County Planning Board |
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12-17 |
Minutes of meetings. Dade County Planning Board |
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18 |
Minutes of meetings. Dade County Planning Council |
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19 |
Minutes of meetings. Dade County Zoning Commission |
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20 |
Miscellaneous |
| 9 |
1-3 |
Montgomery, M.L. Florida State Planning Board |
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4 |
Newspaper articles re: planning |
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5 |
Newspaper articles re: zoning |
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6-7 |
Notice of meetings |
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8 |
Planning, 1940-1941 |
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9 |
Projects approved |
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10 |
Projects file |
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11 |
Projects requested |
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12-13 |
Public correspondence re: zoning and development |
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14 |
Redd, J. D. Dade County Planning Board |
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15 |
Regional Planning Association |
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16 |
Resignations |
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17 |
Stevens, T. T. Dade County Planning Board |
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18 |
Turner, Cecil A. Dade County Planning Board |
| 14 |
9 |
Dade County Planning Board |
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10-13 |
Dade County Zoning Commission |
| 15 |
1 |
Dade County Zoning Commission Zoning Regulations, 1938 |
Series 4: Civic activities
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| Box |
Folder |
Contents |
| 8 |
5 |
Everglades National Park Project |
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6 |
Florida East Coast Railway depot |
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7 |
Florida Historical Society |
| 11 |
5 |
Fairchild Tropical Garden, 1940-1942 |
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8 |
Miami Chamber of Commerce, 1940-1942 |
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9 |
Miami Pioneers, Inc. , 1940-1942 1940-1942 |
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11 |
Pan American Airways, 1940-1942 1940-1942 |
| 12 |
12 |
Traveler's Aid Society, 1940-1942 |
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13 |
University of Miami, 1940-1942 |
| 15 |
16 |
University of Miami (legal size folder) |
| 9 |
19 |
University of Miami resolutions, 1930s |
| 12 |
14 |
University notebook of poetry, 1940-1942 |
| 9 |
20-21 |
Works Progress Administration, 1930s |
Series 5: General correspondence, 1940-1942
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| Box |
Folder |
Contents |
| 10 |
1 |
Correspondence: A |
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2 |
Correspondence: B |
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3 |
Correspondence: C |
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4 |
Correspondence: D-E |
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5 |
Correspondence: F |
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6 |
Correspondence: G |
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7 |
Correspondence: H |
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8 |
Correspondence: J-K |
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9 |
Correspondence: L |
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10-11 |
Correspondence: M |
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12 |
Correspondence: N |
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13 |
Correspondence: 0 |
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14 |
Correspondence: P-Q |
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15 |
Correspondence: R |
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16 |
Correspondence: S |
| 11 |
1 |
Correspondence: T |
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2 |
Correspondence: U-V |
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3 |
Correspondence: W |
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4 |
Correspondence: Y-Z |
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6 |
Knowles, Evelyn, 1940-1942 |
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7 |
Kuhn, Donald, 1940-1942 |
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10 |
Newspaper articles, 1940-1942 |
| 12 |
9-10 |
Southern Drainage District, 1940-1942 |
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11 |
Trantham, R.S. , 1940-1942 |
Series 6: Postmaster, 1940-1942
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| Box |
Folder |
Contents |
| 11 |
12-18 |
Post Master appointment |
| 12 |
1-5 |
Post Master appointment |
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6-7 |
Post Master period |
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8 |
Post Office Talks |
| 15 |
6 |
Post Master (legal size folder) |
Series 7: Papers collected by Eunice Peacock Merrick, 1942-1945
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| Box |
Folder |
Contents |
| 13 |
1 |
Coral Gables |
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2 |
George Merrick Day and marker |
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3 |
Newspaper articles |
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4 |
Society of University of Miami Founders |
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5 |
Cards, letterheads, etc. |
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6 |
Funeral Service Registrar and letters of condolence |
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7-8 |
Merrick, Eunice Peacock |
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9 |
Merrick, Eunice Peacock (newspaper articles re:) |
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10 |
Merrick, George Edgar |
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11 |
Miscellaneous |
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12-13 |
Obituaries and remembrances |
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14-15 |
Peacock, Mrs. Alfred, collection of |
Series 8: Oversize papers
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| Box |
Folder |
Contents |
| 14 |
1 |
Personal items (legal size folder) |
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2-3 |
Poems, speeches, etc. |
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4 |
Photographic prints |
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5 |
Advertising |
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6-8 |
Automobile tours |
| 15 |
2 |
Development plans |
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3 |
Individual prospects |
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4 |
Miami Pioneers Memorial Membership Certificate (legal size folder) |
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5 |
Miscellaneous |
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14 |
Southern Drainage District |
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15 |
Travel and Sport in Many Lands |
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17 |
Warranty deeds |
| 16 |
1 |
Coral Gables 25th Anniversary, 1950 |
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2-3 |
Newspaper ads, 1921-1922 |
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4 |
Newspaper ads, 1936 |
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5 |
Newspaper ads for Daino homes, 1937 |
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6 |
Parmelee, E. Dean, architect. Design for Brickell Key-Key Biscayne bridge |
Separated maps
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| Drawer |
Item |
| R99B |
Highway guide and map of Florida. -- Miami Daily News. |
| R100D |
Map of the city of Miami. -- Miami Herald. |
| R100F |
Map showing completed canal in Southern Drainage District, 1939 June 1 |
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