“A park named after real estate developers? Sounds boring!” a woman’s voice cut through the gentle hum of conversation. We’re standing right here at Tatum Park, and I bet many of you share her sentiment. But trust me, the story of the Tatum brothers, for whom this park is named, is anything but dull. Now, the Tatums, Smiley, Johnson, and Bethel, weren’t your typical Miami developers. These brothers hailed from Georgia, arriving in the early 1900s with ambition hotter than a bowl of their mama’s chili. See, Miami back then was a blank canvas, and the Tatums were eager to paint their dreams on it. They established a sprawling network of companies, from real estate to railroads, even dabbling in newspapers and headache cures. These guys were everywhere! They built grand estates, rubbed shoulders with millionaires, and became pillars of Miami society, joining every club from the Rotary to the Anglers. The brothers’ legacy, though faded with time, lives on in Tatum Park. It’s a reminder that behind every patch of green space in a city, there’s a story waiting to be unearthed.
Glenn Hubert Library
What secrets lie hidden within the walls of a university library? Right here in North Miami, the Glenn Hubert Library