Requiem for a Dreamer: George Merricks Last and Greatest Dream. “Something has spoken to me in the night...and told me that I shall die, I know not where. Saying: to lose the earth you know for greater knowing; to lose the life you have, for greater life; to leave the friends you loved, for greater loving; to find a land more kind than home, more large than earth.” ― Thomas Wolfe, You Cant Go Home Again On December 6, 1925, the people of Miami opened up their daily News to see a striking sequence of four full- page advertisements, that even a glance revealed could only be the work of that George Merrick, and his Coral Gables outfit. The ads trumpeted the glorious and destined arrival of the Biscayne Bay Section of Coral Gables, which would have been the completion of Merricks completed vision of the municipality. The eyes of even the most cynical opened wide for a moment, and were then helplessly drawn down into the pages! Its been a lot of water under the bridge since that Sunday afternoon, and they arent exactly news anymore, if one is predisposed toward the persnickety. Nevertheless, I felt the time exactly right to share them with you, for a number of reasons but mainly because the World can always benefit from consideration of a Great Dream. If youre inclined to just look at the pictures, thats perfectly fine, because part of the genius of that stable of creative talent that Merrick so skilfully assembled, if you think about it, was that any verbal messsage, admonishment, etc., was always accompanied by images, repeating or emphasizing the verbal message, usually to more powerful effect. Coral Gables is almost certainly the most *illustrated* city that has ever taken shape, anywhere. (Which must be part of the reason I have always loved the place so.) Why, of course some of the prospective buyers that the Corporation brought in on their fleet of Coral Gables buses, from Knoxville and Tuscaloosa, stayed and bought: the place and its dramatic vistas already appeared familiar, so they felt right at home even as theyd stepped down off the bus. The only difference was, they were now part of the picture. And that pleased them, because it was a fairly safe bet that wherever it was theyd come from, had been no match for this fantastical grouping of ancient coral rock homes and buildings of forgotten ceremonial purpose (or wait-- was it a hardware, or drug store?), graceful fountains, and archways now slumbering under Floridas big blue sky like their own sweet dream, framed by gentle palm and stately pine. Please take just a moment, if you havent already, to consider even briefly the fantastical renderings of an imagined fusion architecture, blending (somehow!) design elements and influences of the South Seas, Asian roof lines, graceful thatched roof of the Florida Seminole, and the Japanese Garden effect of its delicate bridges and open platforms, all set off with (no doubt) brightly colorful, oversized umbrellas. Our reaction to the scene might be in some ways mirror that likely of its original audience: Wait, THIS is not Coral Gables! And yet it was, and the difference between us, and them, was that the city, its wonderful pool, manicured grounds and numerous buildings delivered to us complete and well loved, but those before us had heard George Merrick speak, looked around at the open green fields of pine and palmetto, and nervously scratched their heads. Yet in no time at all, they had seen everything he described come to pass! Its always easier for those who have seen, as opposed to those who must accept on faith. So when they read in the advertisement, Here-- in the most alluring part of Tropical Florida -- with far more lavish hand than Coral Gables has builded in older sections--will be created an American Riviera of unrivalled beauty, which will as far exceed the beauty of other bay and beach properties as Coral Gables surpasses other suburban developments, the message was coming from someone with a track record. And not just any someone! The earliest visitors had probably not had any idea what he was going on about then, either! And yet it had come to pass, even better and more beautiful than described. What may be important to understand about George Merrick, with regard to the Biscayne Bay section that was the culmination of his greatest and most cherished vision, was that (most unusually for a dreamer on such a scale) he tended towards laser focus on goals, and was absolutely methodical in their attainment. That is how he had known exactly which outstandingly talented individual to approach, to serve in whichever capacity was needed at the moment. Here was Georges life, in a nutshell: he had known since boyhood that he was to establish a township of outstanding beauty that bespoke inspiration, comfort, and harmony. He was in search of a utopian ideal. So he had befriended the black Bahamians and accepted with gratitude the knowledge they passed along to him on how to successfully work the areas rocky soil, and how to build walls of the local rock without cement, using only native limestone, that withstood easily even the most brutal hurricane winds. Forced to take over the Merrick Groves and his mid-20s after his father took ill and finally died, he had hired the help, worked the land, and created both a place of beauty and a highly productive grove and garden. (Just imagine the sight: for many years, the road known today as Coral Way, unpaved and covered only with white crushed stone, meandered through the lush and open fruit groves thriving on either side.) After Henry Flaglers Royal Palm Hotel had opened in 1897, young gentleman farmer George had an important and reliable client. But he also had a problem. When his father Solomon had first corresponded with the local Rev. Bolton as to the possible availability of any land for sale, he had been duly warned that the available Homestead was out in the backwoods. As modern folk, we tend to scoff at the notion. But if we were able to ask George, he no doubt clarify our misapprehension on that point. There were no proper roads between the family farm and the city itself, much less the grand Hotel done up in Flagler yellow across the river. Merrick found moving produce of any quantity from its source to its destination an absolutely exhausting task. A single trip back and forth made for an extremely full and exhausting day. The lessons were not lost on George Merrick. He subsequently served as a Dade County Commissioner from 1914-16, and one of his consistent governmental priorities involved laying down new and better roads, and generally enhancing peoples experience with transportation. He was an early and enthusiastic advocate of the Tamiami Trail, and strongly supportive of building a proper causeway out to Miami Beach, across the bay. He was also influential in persuading the owners of the Seaboard R S2 of the benefits of extending their line to Miami. Though rarely then speaking of it, Merrick kept his mission always firmly in mind. Immediately following the conclusion of his term as Commissioner, he lost no time in becoming affiliated with some of the leading developers/realtors of the day will, in order to receive a hands-on education on real estate development and sales. He paid careful attention every step of the way, as he played a direct role in developing and helping market a number of early subdivisions, including (among others) North Miami Estates, Riverside Farms, Kirk land Heights, Grapeland Heights, Coconut Grove subdivision, Goulds, Acadia, Aqua Vista, and others. An article about George Merrick run shortly after his death in a 1942 issue of the Tequesta Journal, published by the South Florida Historical Association (which he helped found, and had served as first president) describes the Gables beginnings as follows: The streets were first laid out in the spring of 1921. Between the spring of 1920 and the fall of 1923, over $50 million was expended under his direction, on permanent improvements and buildings. During the same period, nearly $150 million was received in the sale of Coral Gables property throughout the entire nation. Eighty-six large Coral Gables buses brought people from the states east of the Mississippi, and many of them purchased home sites and today are residents of Coral Gables. Over $3 million was expended in advertising. Beyond providing a sense of the man at the root of an ever-growing mythology, I found the background exploration of the mans nature, temperament, and personality, as tending to bear on his absolute seriousness of purpose in proceeding with the Coral Gables/ Biscayne Bay Section, as consistently with his description as may be consistent with grudging reality! Considering what he and his talent accomplished together and creating Coral Gables as we know it, it seems a shame that the course of events to follow left George Merricks exquisite dreams only as elegant inscriptions on paper. One cannot doubt that, whatever exactly it would have looked like, it would have been magnificent. And its a sure bet that no number of people, with whatever budget, could create anything that might be mistaken for genuine vintage and classic Coral Gables. George Merrick, thank you for dreaming big, and stick to your dreams. We now sign out and leave you and your beloved Eunice to your peace. Sweet dreams to you both.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 04:07:31 +0000
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