Visiting old Coconut Grove

I was at HistoryMiami recently to see that 305 Street Art exhibit, the one that features The King Mango Strut and AC Icees, I wrote about the opening here. And I was amazed at all the old Coconut Grove items on display as part of their ongoing exhibit. It's nice to see the City is saving our history, even if we aren't. It's hard to believe that we don't have a little museum or something right here in the Grove.

Above is an old photo you may have seen before, but in the museum, it's on a wall - it's a huge mural and it's crystal clear! Here are Ralph Munroe and his mother above him, also Kirk Munroe and Count Jean D'Hedouville and Miss Brown and Flora McFarlane and so many of our Coconut Grove Pioneers. These folks are life size, right in front of you.

This group photo is on front of Kirk and Mary Barr Munroe's house. An expedition group stopped by to visit in the late 1880s. They were exploring South Florida from Miami up to Lake Worth. Kirk was not pleased to learn of the expedition, he new it would lead to development of South Florida and efforts to drain the Everglades. I wonder what he would have thought of his beloved Coconut Grove today.

This is the Peacock Inn at Peacock Park.

And here are a bunch of pioneers in front of the boathouse at The Barnacle.

It's such a great exhibit that explains early Miami and Coconut Grove - it's right near the exhibit of all the finds from the Miami Circle.

Here is a large mural with a reconstructed building next to it. You can really immerse yourself there. It would be very special if we had something right here like this in the village.

Ralph Munroe and Mrs. EP Brown.

Kirk Munroe moved to the Grove in 1886, he was a world traveler but loved Coconut Grove. He wrote adventure books for boys, founded the Bisicayne Bay Yacht Club and founded the Coconut Grove library, which is in its original spot today. He worked for the New York Sun newspaper at one time.

Thomas A. Hine, Count James L. Nugent and Mr. EP Brown.