The Landings & Bay Colony

32

News, Updates & Events continued

In 1915, the house

was renovated to

include an interior

staircase, electric

wiring and

plumbing. 

While Ivy was

educating Seminole

children and taking

charge of the

settlement’s civic

and social life,

Frank’s retail outlet

grew. He was not

only a businessman,
but he also became

the settlement’s first postmaster, president of the first bank
and one of the largest landowners. When Fort Lauderdale
became an official city in 1911, Frank donated land for
public buildings such as the Woman’s Club Building, the
first hospital, the first baseball park and more. He also

avidly invested in companies to support the local economy,
was named treasurer of the Board of Trade and served
nine terms on the City Council (four of which he acted as
president).

Beginning in 1926, Florida’s land market crashed and two
hurricanes devastated South Florida one right after the
other. The economy Frank helped build collapsed and the
people who invested with him were financially shattered,
which took a very heavy toll on him. His health
deteriorated and he suffered from severe depression,
causing him to take his own life in 1929. Frank was never
able to see how his little river settlement regained its
strength and blossomed into a booming and thriving
metropolis. 

This Father’s Day we would like to commemorate Frank
Stranahan and his monumental contributions to Fort
Lauderdale, which would not be the bustling and
prosperous city it is today if it weren’t for him. So to the
founding father of Fort Lauderdale, we say a very Happy
Father’s Day.

For more information about the Historic Stranhan House
Museum, visit www.stranahanhouse.org or join us for a
tour Monday through Friday at 1, 2, or 3 p.m. The
Stranahan House is located at 335 Southeast 6th Avenue
in Fort Lauderdale.

I

ROTARY NEW RIVER RAFT RACE

Presented by Promedica Health Care Systems

The Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale is happy to announce
that we will be hosting the fourth annual New River Raft
Race at Esplanade Park on the New River Saturday June
13, 2015 from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The race will start
and finish on the river in front of Esplanade Park which is
located next to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts
and across from the Museum of Discovery and Science.
The race theme is “Pirates of the River”, so decorate your
raft and crew. The race is more of a parade than a speed
event as all rafts must be human powered only. Participants
and spectators are encouraged to bring water guns and
squirt rafts and spectators as they paddle or float by but
they should beware as others will be shooting back!

Rafts will be judged on a several categories including first
to finish (ok, it’s kind of a race), best design, most spirit
and most pirate like crew, among others. The fleet will