History of Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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Fort Lauderdale, Florida has a long history that goes back thousands of years. The first inhabitants arrived about 4,000 years ago, and the Tequesta lived in the area for more than a thousand years after them. Europeans came later, bringing diseases and conflict that helped push the native peoples out. The area changed hands between Spain and Britain and eventually became part of the United States.

In the 1800s, a small settlement grew near the New River. A fort built in 1838 during the Second Seminole War was named Fort Lauderdale, but it was abandoned in 1842 and the area remained sparsely populated. The settlement was known as the New River Settlement. A few pioneers lived there, and real growth began only after the Florida East Coast Railway reached the area in the mid-1890s.

Fort Lauderdale was incorporated as a city in 1911 and became the county seat of Broward County in 1915. The 1920s brought rapid growth with canal building and a real estate boom, followed by a sharp decline when the boom burst. The 1926 Miami Hurricane caused extensive damage, and the 1928 opening of Port Everglades helped with recovery.

World War II brought a strong military presence. Fort Lauderdale hosted Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale and other bases, training thousands of Navy personnel. After the war, the population exploded. A notable event was the disappearance of Flight 19 in December 1945, which fed Bermuda Triangle legends. The Navy left the area in 1946-47, and a major hurricane struck in 1947, causing heavy flooding.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Fort Lauderdale became a famous spring-break destination. The city also faced a long civil rights fight to desegregate its beaches. After wade-ins by African Americans in 1961-62, a court ruling in 1962 led to desegregation.

From the 1970s onward, growth shifted to nearby suburbs, while downtown redevelopment began. The 1980s saw the Riverwalk project, linking the arts and entertainment district with the waterfront. Museums like the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale (1986) and the Museum of Discovery and Science (1992) helped revitalize the city. High-rise housing and new shops and restaurants along the river and Las Olas Boulevard followed, turning Fort Lauderdale into a major yachting hub and popular tourist destination in a metro area of about 1.8 million people.

Today Fort Lauderdale is known for its beaches, culture, and boats. It has also faced notable events, including a deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in 2017.