17 Facts About Julia Tuttle

Julia DeForest Tuttle was an American businesswoman who owned the property upon which Miami, Florida, was built.

Julia Tuttle married Frederick Leonard Tuttle on January 22,1867.

Julia Tuttle first visited the Biscayne Bay region of southern Florida in 1875 with her husband, visiting a 40-acre orange grove her father had purchased.

Julia Tuttle loved the experience, but returned to Cleveland, Ohio, with her family.

Julia Tuttle came to Fort Dallas, Florida, from Cleveland, Ohio, on a steamship after her father and mother had moved to South Florida.

Julia Tuttle used the money from her parents' estate to purchase the James Egan grant of 640 acres, where the city of Miami is located, on the north side of the river, including the old Fort Dallas stone buildings, and the two-story rock house built by Richard Fitzpatrick's enslaved workers some 50 years earlier.

Julia Tuttle repaired and converted the home into one of the show places in the area with a sweeping view of the river and Biscayne Bay.

Julia Tuttle immediately decided to take a leading role in the movement to start a new city on the Miami River, but knew that decent transportation was necessary to attract development.

Julia Tuttle tried to induce Henry Flagler to extend his railroad to Fort Dallas, and offered to divide her large real estate holdings if he would do this.

Julia Tuttle wanted to extend it to that place because she wanted to make it easier to get around.

Julia Tuttle's efforts were of no avail at that time; however, providence favored Tuttle.

Under an agreement between the two, Julia Tuttle supplied Flagler with the land for a hotel and a railroad station for free, and they split the remainder of her 640 acres north of the Miami River in alternating sections.

Julia Tuttle died on September 14,1898, at age 49.

Julia Tuttle's funeral took place at her Fort Dallas home, and she was buried in a place of honor at the City of Miami Cemetery.

Julia Tuttle died leaving a large amount of debt, partly the result of her altruistic land grants to Flagler.

Julia Tuttle's children sold her remaining land to pay off the debt.

Just as Julia Tuttle is called the Mother of Miami, Flagler became known as the Father of Miami.