League of United Latin American Citizens, Council 60 TX6437

On February 17, 1929, representatives from three organizations met in Corpus Christi to merge and form the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The new group sought to unify statewide efforts to challenge racism and inequities toward Texas' Hispanic residents, while also promoting patriotism, education and equality. Although needing only ten members to charter a new council, more than 20 Houston men met in 1934 at a filling station and bookstore at 74th and Navigation to form LULAC Council 60, of Magnolia Park. The group immediately set out to eradicate local prejudice and discrimination, and adopted the national organization's primary goals: improving education, employment and civil rights. Many of their early efforts were combined with the Latin American Club of Harris County, with which they merged in 1939 to become simply LULAC Council 60 of Houston. Local work included securing jobs for Mexican Americans in wartime industries; similar efforts later opened the door to Mexican Americans in the city's police and fire departments. The initially all-male Council 60 organized the LULAC Women Council 22 in 1948 and the Junior LULAC Council in 1949. Throughout the 1940s and 1950a, LULAC, at the state level, was involved with the American G.I. Forum in bringing cases before Texas courts, with one, Pete Hernandez v. State of Texas, going before the U.S. Supreme Court. The cases resulted in anti-discriminatory decisions, including school desegregation and jury selection. In 1955, LULAC 60 moved to a two-story stuco clubhouse at 3004 Bagby. From these headquarters, Council 60 began several important programs, including the "Little School of the 400," considered to be a model for Project Head Start, and SER, which became Operation SER/Jobs For Progress. The group continues to provide leadership for the national organization.

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Abilene Woman's Club Building TX4070

Founded in 1928, the Abilene Woman's Club had several club homes before hiring noted architect David S. Castle to design a clubhouse at this site, then on the edge of town. Contractor Oscar Rose completed the structure in 1955, and the building's construction and subsequent use influenced further development of south Abilene. With numerous meeting spaces and a great hall, the clubhouse serves many cultural and civic organizations and programs. The building's architecture is an example of post-World War II Colonial Revival design.

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Sarasota Woman's Club FL489

In 1903, what later became the Sarasota Woman's Club, was founded as the (Sarasota) Town Improvement Society. Members were active Sarasota Women who successfully lobbied town leaders to install streetlights and sidewalks, and undertook horticultural projects to beautify the area. In 1913, they began raising funds to build a clubhouse to accommodate the club's social activities and to serve as the town's first library, which remained there until 1941. In 1914, this site was purchased for $2,000 and members and the community raised the funds to begin constructing a clubhouse. In April 1915, the handsome Jacobethan Revival-style clubhouse, designed by local architect H.N. Hall and built by local contractor George Lysat, was completed. For 61 years, the clubhouse was a focal point for the group's varied activities and was the scene of numerous social, literary and entertainment gatherings. In 1976, the Sarasota Woman's Club moved to new quarters. Nevertheless, the former clubhouse continued its use as a center of Sarasota culture and entertainment for many more years until 1977, when it was placed in use as the home of Florida Studio Theatre, a non-profit, professional, regional theater company.

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The Coral Gables Golf and Country Club FL488

The Coral Gables Golf and Country Club and the Granada Golf Course, once the Merrick family's vegetable field, were part of the original 1921 city plan by George Merrick and landscape architect, Frank Button. The golf course, designed by the nationally known team of Langford & Moreau, opened on January 15, 1923. Three months later, the clubhouse, designed by Hampton & Reimert, became Coral Gable's first public building. The six original coral rock arches seen behind this marker reflect the Coral Gables Mediterranean style that helped set the tone for the City's architecture. The Coral Gables Golf and Country Club quickly became the epicenter of the new community and played an important role in its development. Salesmen, including Merrick himself, entertained prospective buyers there and showed them home sites from its distinctive tower. Crowds flocked to the Club's palm patio and danced to the nationally broadcast music of renowned bandleaders Jan Garber and Paul Whiteman. The Country Club of Coral Gables, as it is known today, received its charter on October 9, 1935. A devastating fire destroyed much of the building on July 11, 1983.

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Museum of Coral Springs History FL482

Coral Ridge Properties built the City's first real estate office in 1964 at the intersection of Route 441 and Wiles Road, just outside the City limits. This 30-by-20 foot single-room wooden structure displayed maps and plats of subdivisions, none of which had been built in 1964. In 1966 Coral Ridge Properites built a large administration building at 9551 Sample Road and offered the real estate office to the City, provided they move it. It was moved to 4500 Woodside Drive and became Coral Springs' first administration building. In 1968 it became the first police station. When the police moved to a larger facility in 1972, it became the Jaycee's clubhouse. By 1976 the building was considered obsolete and moved to the City dump, to be used as a fire department training facility for smoke drills. When it was accidentally set on fire, a group of concerned citizens formed the Landmark Restoration Committee with the intent of rescuing the building and restoring it for use as a museum. In 1977, the building was moved again but this time with an accompanying parade as a flat bed truck moved it to its permanent home in Mullins Park. On March 4, 1978, it was fully restored and opened as the Mini Museum.

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Mayfair Country Club FL464

The Mayfair Country Club is a portion of a 20,000 acre tract of land purchased in 1848 for $40.00 by General Joseph Finegan, who later became the commander of the Confederate forces in their victory at Olustee, Florida. In 1870 Henry Sanford purchased the tract and in 1878 sold a portion to Charles Amory. Amory, a retired sea captain, cleared much of the land, planted citrus trees and the double row of oak trees that still line the main entrance. He built a ship-shaped house, a part of which is the Mayfair clubhouse.

The City of Sanford bought 152 acres in 1922 and hired noted golf architect Donald Ross to design an 18 hole municipal golf course, which opened in October 1922 as the Sanford Country Club, with only 4 holes completed. In September 1924 the entire course was opened with greens fees of $1.00 a day for visitors, $.50 for city resident, and 30 daily tickets for $10.00. Due to financial hardships the city leased the course from 1928 until 1932, when it resumed control with financial pledges from local businessmen. Resident managers during that period included Ed Levy, Andy Carraway, Tom Bolt, and Ray Lundquist.

After World War II the city leased the club to local businessman Hugh Whelchel. The New York Giants baseball club, which had its spring training headquarters in Sanford from 1948 to 1959, bought the lease in 1953 and renamed the course Mayfair County Club. From 1958 through 1961 the course was on the professional golf tour and played to many noted golfers including Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, Julius Boros, Sam Snead, Babe Zaharias and Arnold Palmer.

When the Gaints left in 1965 the lease reverted to Mike Whelchel, son of the original lessee, who in 1972 subleased it to the trio of John Pierce, Howard McNulty & George Billups, until Jack Daniels assumed control 1981.

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Nathaniel Dean, Dean House WI387
As an early Regent of the University of Wisconsin, State Assemblyman and Madison area landowner and businessman, Nathaniel Dean was influential in campus, Capitol and city construction activities. He was also instrumental in the town of Blooming Grove's growth and donated land for the original Town Hall and the Commonwealth Cemetery. Nathaniel and Harriet Dean built this Madison Landmark and National Register listed farm house in 1856 on their country estate of 508 acres, which produced grain crops and livestock.
DEAN HOUSE
This simple flat-roofed cream brick structure with wood cornice and dentils was built by the Dean family as their country home. After 1871, the house was used by tenant farmers and in the 1920's as the Monona Golf Course clubhouse, serving in this capacity for 50 years. The Historic Blooming Grove Historical Society began restoration of the Dean House in 1972. The house serves as a center for cultural events and local history study and as a living testament to the pioneer spirit.

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Circulo Cubano (Cuban Club) FL62

Late 19th and early 20th century Cuban immigration to the United States was impressive for the craft talents brought to the country. Along with their Spanish counterparts, skilled Cuban cigar makers made Tampas hand-rolled cigars world famous. As early as 1899 Cuban immigrants formed recreational societies with varying degrees of success, and in 1902, Cuban workers founded El Circulo Cubano as a mutual aid society to bind all Cuban residents of Tampa into a fraternal group, to offer assistance and help to the sick. When fire destroyed the first clubhouse in 1916, members immediately initiated plans for its replacement. The present four-story, yellow brick building with Neo-Classical design elements sits on the original site at 14th Street and 10th Avenue. Constructed in 1917, the building contained a theater, pharmacy, library, ballroom, and cantina. Imported tile, stained glass windows and elaborately carved scraffito spandrels decorated the structure. The ballroom ceiling displayed elaborate murals. The clubhouse provided an elegant gathering place for members and served as a unifying force in the Cuban community. The National Register of Historic Places listed El Circulo Cubano in 1972.

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City Of Vero Beach FL68

The pattern of community development which occurred in Vero Beach provides insight into some important aspects of Florida's history. Although the coastal waters in the region attracted fishermen, settlement of this area did not occur until the 1880's. During that decade, the problem of lack of transportation which had deterred settlers was solved by railroad construction. In 1891, a post office named Vero was established at the home of Henry Gifford who had settled on the site in 1888. When the railroad was extended south to Lake Worth in 1894, a depot was built at Vero. With the railroad came tourism and a growing interest in the area. At that time, large scale drainage of swamp land such as that which surrounded Vero was being undertaken in Florida. An example of the way in which investors took advantage of the newly recognized potential of swampy areas may be found in the creation of the Indian River Farms Company. In 1909, Herman T. Zeuch of Davenport, Iowa visited the Vero area. He saw land that could be drained and sold to citrus farmers and cattle raisers. A corporation, the Indian River Farms Company, was chartered in 1912 with stockholders who were chiefly residents of Zeuch's home town. In 1913, the town of Vero was platted at the Company's direction. In 1915, the Vero Woman's Club was founded, an act which signified the vitality of the new community. A clubhouse, located near this marker, was built the next year on land donated by the Indian River Farms Company. The planned drainage program was completed in 1917. In that year, maintenance and extension of the drainage area was given over to the State of Florida. The name of the community was changed to Vero Beach in 1925, when the town became the county seat of newly created Indian River County. The Indian River Farms Company was dissolved in 1936. Vero Beach has remained the center of this productive citrus growing region.

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The North Channel Shooting Club MI2
The North Channel Shooting Club was organized in 1869. Detroit sportsmen arrived at the club by ferryboat, interurban railroad and private yachts. After the 1920s automobiles increasingly allowed Detroiters to spend leisure time farther from the city. This trend, as well as the Depression and Prohibition, caused club membership to decline. The Chrysler Yacht Club purchased the property in 1967 and restored the decaying 1869 clubhouse. In 1981 the name of was changed to the North Channel Yacht Club.

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