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State FLORIDA COCONUT GROVE (regional info) GROVE ISLE CLUB AND RESORT Mutiny Hotel (The) Residence Inn By Marriott Coconut Grove The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove The earliest settlers of Coconut Grove were the Pent and Frow families. In the 1830's both families were lighthouse keepers at Cape Florida and homesteaders in what is now Coconut Grove. Another settler of that era was Edmund D. Beasley who homesteaded 160 acres bay front property. In 1873, after Beasley's death, his widow rented their home to Dr. Horace P. Porter. He lived there for only a year but during that time established a post office that he named "Cocoanut Grove." When Porter left the area, the post office was closed, but years later it was reopened using the same name. Another pioneer was "Jolly Jack" Peacock, an Englishman who settled in the south part of the Grove. He persuaded his brother Charles, then owner of a wholesale meat business in London, to join him. Charles Peacock, his wife Isabella and their three sons eventually settled in Coconut Grove and in 1882 opened the Bay View House, later called the Peacock Inn, the first hotel in the area. Black workers came from the Bahamas to work at the Inn and established the first Black community in Miami, along Charles Avenue. The Peacock Inn attracted all kinds of visitors including scientists, authors, and nobility, many of whom remained to make Coconut Grove their permanent home. Among the settlers were yacht designer and wrecker Ralph Munroe whose home, The Barnacle, is now a state historic site; homesteader Flora McFarlane, Coconut Grove's first schoolteacher and founder of the Housekeeper's Club (now The Woman's Club of Coconut Grove); and author Kirk Munroe. The fledgling community grew and prospered, and by the early years of the 20th century, a school, library, Sunday school, chapel, and yacht club were built. Attracted by the climate, wealthy Northerners, such as James and William Deering and William Jennings Bryan made Coconut Grove their winter home. In 1925, the City of Miami annexed Coconut Grove, but it continued to retain its own identity. After World War II, as the population of South Florida mushroomed, Coconut Grove continued to grow, and artists were an important influence. OTHER POPULAR DESTINATIONS IN FLORIDAAlachua Altamonte Springs Boca Raton Bonita Springs Boynton Beach Bradenton Brandon Clearwater Clermont Cocoa Coconut Grove Coral Gables Coral Springs Crestview Crystal River Davenport Daytona Beach Deland Deerfield Beach Defuniak Springs Delray Beach Destin Ellenton Florida City Fort Lauderdale Fort Myers Fort Pierce Fort Walton Gainesville Hollywood Islamorada Jacksonville Key Largo Key West Kissimmee Lake Buena Vista Lake City Lake Mary Lakeland Leesburg Marco Island Marianna Melbourne Miami Naples New Port Richey Ocala Orlando Ormond Beach Palm Beach Panama City Pensacola Plantation Pompano Beach Port St. Lucie Sanford Sanibel Sarasota Silver Springs Singer Island St. Augustine St. Cloud St. Petersburg Tallahassee Tampa Treasure Island Venice Vero Beach Wesley Chapel West Palm Beach Winter Haven |
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