We have 4 public parks in our beautiful neighborhood. Go out and enjoy them!
Francis L. Abreu Place
899 N. Rio Vista Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Francis L. Abreu
Born in 1896 Francis L. Abreu grew up in New York but would often spend time in Cuba where his parents owned a sugar plantation. Abreu graduated from the Cornell University of Architecture and soon after moved to Fort Lauderdale which was experiencing a sudden real estate boom. As a young architect and embracing his love of architecture he opened up an office in Fort Lauderdale. His grandpa asked him to build him a house to show off his work. Abreu’s style was known as Mediterranean Revival blended with Cuban impact. He then had the busiest years of his life from 1923 to 1928 designing many well known buildings in Fort Lauderdale such as St. Anthony's School, Riverside Hotel and Westside Firehouse. You can find a plaque honoring Mr. Abreu in the front of Abreu Place.
Source: May P. & Francis L. Abreu Charitable Trust. May P. & Francis L. Abreu Charitable Trust, abreufoundation.org/history/.
Virginia Young Park
1000 SE 9th Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Virginia Shuman Young
Born in 1917 in Virginia, Mrs. Young moved to Fort Lauderdale when she was nine years old with her parents Irving G. Shuman and Myrtle Tenbrook. She married George Fenwick Young who had become successful with his construction business. She ran for a position on the Broward School Board and earned a spot, serving on the Board for 8 years but was not re-elected. She decided to run for State Legislator and Supervisor of the Board of Elections but failed. She then ran for a spot on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission and succeeded, her hardwork paying off and was chosen to be Vice Mayor of Fort Lauderdale. After the existing mayor resigned she was promoted to Mayor becoming the first and only woman mayor of Fort Lauderdale. She was also chosen as President of the Florida League of Cities. Mrs. Young impacted many women's lives and changed our county for the better. She served two terms and strongly promoted women's careers and now has an elementary school named after her and as well as a park in Rio Vista.
Source: “Virginia S. Young.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Jan. 2020, wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_S._Young.
Hector Park
1001 SE 11 Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
CJ Hector
Born in 1887, CJ Hector was a homesteader in Iowa who decided to purchase land in Florida to develop homes following the land boom in the 20’s, providing land and residence to eager travelers who were wanting to move to Fort Lauderdale. A prominent strip of land now known as Rio Vista which directly translates into “River View” was purchased by CJ Hector in 1923 with the idea of building homes for those travelers. Now there are nearly 1,000 homes in Rio Vista with their unique styles and various affluent residents.
Source: “Rio Vista Neighborhood - Fort Lauderdale - RWE Real Estate.” RWE Real Estate Services, 31 Jan. 2017, rwerealestate.com/fort-lauderdale-neighborhoods/rio-vista.
Source: “C J Hector in the 1940 Census: Ancestry®.” Ancestry.com, www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Iowa/C-J-Hector_4dx2zn.
Stranahan Landing Park
499 S. Federal Highway
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Frank and Ivy Stranahan
Born in 1864, Mr. Stranahan grew up in Ohio where he had an unfortunate steel mill lung impairment where he worked in Youngstown, Ohio. He decided to move to Florida in search of a healthy outdoor environment and decided to work with his cousin in the New River Camp in Fort Lauderdale. He lived an isolated life due to a lack of people there. In charge of a camp and a US Post Office, he decided to create a trading post to trade with Indians. This turned out to be successful and he was able to gain respect and friendship from the Seminole Indians. In 1899 a woman named Ivy Cromartie decided to move to Fort Lauderdale hoping to pursue teaching to the many people moving to Fort Lauderdale. She started out small in a one room schoolhouse for the local kids. Mr. Stranahan and Mrs. Cromartie got married in 1900. Mr. Stranahan designed and built his own house still standing today, built the first bank, bought land, and had a political office in the first years of their marriage. Mr. Stranahan cared for the blooming city and was in almost all expansions of the new city. Mr. Stranahan passed in 1929 by suicide after a long period of unfortunate occurrences but Mrs.Stranahan continued on and led a successful life devoted to helping others and ever growing admiration for Fort Lauderdale. You can find Stranahan Landing at the end of North Rio Vista Boulevard on top of the tunnel across from The Stranahan House. Mr. and Mrs. Stranahan were large figures in the development of Fort Lauderdale and passed on a legacy that shall not be forgotten.
Source: https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/8bbda9ad-2c71-42e9-b3d9-b73150ce8d28
Source: “Frank & Ivy Stranahan – Founders of Fort Lauderdale.” Florida Irish Heritage Center, 22 Feb. 2011, floridairishheritagecenter.wordpress.com/2010/05/23/frank-ivy-stranahan-founders-of-fort-lauderdale/.
