Location
| 3000 BCE | Native Americans were known to inhabit the area along the North Fork of the New River. The New River was a source of food and transportation for its inhabitants. |
| 1513 | Spaniards known to be in the Fort Lauderdale area |
| 1763 | Spaniards deeded Florida to the British. Tequesta Indians fled the area. Seminole Indians started moving in from north of Florida. |
| 1819 | Spain gives the United States title to East and West Florida and its rights in the Pacific Northwest. In exchange, the United States gives up its claims to Texas |
| 1824 | First white settlement along the New River |
| 1838 | Fort Lauderdale built |
| 1836 | Settlement abandoned due to conflicts with Seminole Indians |
| 1845 | Florida became a state |
| 1893 | Stranahan Trading Post established West of the North Fork were the Everglades, marsh and mangroves |
| 1895-1896 | Blacks worked on the construction of Henry Flagler’s East Coast Railway. Some stayed and settled in the Fort Lauderdale area. |
| 1896 | Fort Lauderdale had 53 residents of whom 7 were black |
| 1900 Census | There were 22 black residents Many homes were built of cypress and palmettos. Many people lived off of the land growing their own vegetables and fruit and taking advantage of the abundant wildlife and fish of the New River |
| 1910 | Fort Lauderdale was a major center for shipping winter fruits and vegetables. The population had grown to 6000 of which approximately 800 were black. |
| 1927 | Fort Lauderdale finalized its city planning model into a quadrant / gridiron model. The boundaries of the African American community were designated as north of Broward Boulevard and west of Andrews Avenue. The North Fork of the New River was a recreational area for the black community. The river was abundant with wildlife and numerous species' of fish which provided a source of food for many in the community |
| 1947 | Much of the area west of the North Fork of the New River was Everglades and natural habitat. |
| 1948 | Broward Blvd. bridge constructed as part of the Central and Southern Flood control Project. This construction contributed to cutting off the natural flow in the North Fork of fresh water from the Everglades and salt water up the mouth of the New River. This bridge had a 4 foot clearance at high tide which effectively negated the access of any traffic of large ocean going vessels into the North Fork. As a result, there was little pressure to “develop” the area and the natural habitat was maintained. |
| The North Fork of the New River Begins to Deteriorate | |
| Early 1960’s | The North Fork was home to many forms of wild life including river otters a species known to prefer clean water |
| 1962 – 1986 |
A wastewater treatment plant was in operation in Fort Lauderdale that dumped 5 million gallons of treated sewage a day into the North Fork of the New River This plant was removed, and there are no longer any surface water discharges of treated sewage anywhere in the City. |
| Mid-1960’s | I-95 was constructed. Much of the waste materials from the construction were dumped into the North Fork. |
| Mid 1960’s – 1990’s | The Swap Shop and the Circus were located at the corner of Sunrise Blvd and NW 31st Avenue (Martin Luther King Blvd). Debris and litter from the Swap Shop found their way into the North Fork; and, dung from the circus elephants was regularly dumped into the North Fork. |
| 1972 | Federal Clean Water Act passed |
| North Fork Revitalization Begins | |
| 1991 | New River water quality evaluation initiated |
| 1993 -- ongoing | New River restoration plan initiated to improve water quality, enhance the river system’s biological diversity and create an overall more pristine condition
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| 2000-2006 | Neighborhood/community river clean ups initiated and now occur on a regular basis. New website created to support revitalization efforts and to educate the community. |
Provided by the Kids Ecology Corps