How We Got Here by Mike Smith A brisk breeze threatened to blow off the hats of Joe McDonald and Frank Stoneman as they snipped the ribbon on the 2,800 foot Card Sound bridge opening the first road access to the Keys from the South Florida mainland. It was January 25, 1928. The bridge was made of wood and employed a mechanical section in the middle that swung to the side to allow for boat traffic. Stoneman, the first editor of the Miami Herald, whose daughter was Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and McDonald, who was Henry Flagler’s right hand man, were original members of the Miami Club, a group of businessmen whose purpose was to promote Miami as a business location and also as a tourist destination. The bridge would give access to fertile fishing and recreational areas and further the desirability of living in South Florida. (Effectively, they were a modern Chamber of Commerce). Prior to this bridge, automotive access was primarily by ferry. This bridge was not the first attempt, however, because the original bridge was started in 1920 and when it was very nearly completed in 1926, a major hurricane called ‘The Great Miami Hurricane’ seriously damaged the … Continue reading How We Got Here pt. 10