Julia Tuttle Unveiled!

A follow-up of an earlier post in the Babes with Brains column.

Julia Tuttle can finally stand proud in the shadow of city she founded on July 28, 1896.

She's finally here in all her 10 foot bronze glory! The Julia Tuttle statue unveiling took place this very hot and sweaty morning behind the playground at Bayfront Park. Nearly 200 people crammed into an air-conditioned tent where movers and shakers -- from Mayor Tomas Regalado to historian Arva Moore Parks -- spoke on the subject of Miami's founder.

The statue is beautiful, thanks to the handiwork of Daub and Firmin studios. In a graceful gesture, Tuttle's palm extends upward holding the famous orange blossoms that convinced Henry Flagler to bring his railroad to the shores of the Miami river. That offering summarizes the story: "I gave orange blossoms and a city was born."

But Tuttle's skirt tells more. Bas relief displays scenes from Miami's frontier down days. The style is deliberate: Arva Moore Parks encouraged everyone to visit the statue and "touch Miami."

Tuttle wants you to touch her; it's supposed to be a tactile experience. She doesn't create distance. Those scenes may be from the past, but history is here and now. It's all around you. You're standing on it. You're looking at it. In a city that tends to ignore history, Tuttle's statue is a fixed reminder that history is always there, if you're willing to look for it, touch it and feel it in your heart.

There's something feminine and maternal about the work, yet also something strong and powerful. Her head is slightly tilted, looking to the side, so she doesn't feel like a statue, but rather an organic creature, who might have ironed her blouse just before posing. Her face is serene as if she was just about to ask you to join her for a cup of tea, yet she stands determined.

I simply love the immediacy of this statue. Yes, she's imposing, but she's also very real.

Most moving are the visionary words carved into her skirt, written just before her death:

"It may seem strange, but it is the dream of my life to see this wilderness turned into a prosperous country ... as surely as the sun rises and sets all of this will come true."

At the age of 42, Tuttle helped build this city with pure tenacity and grit. Sadly, she died at age 49 never to see her dream come true, so think of what it means to see her face framed by towering high-rises in the photo above.

R and B songstress Betty Wright belted out "I Am Woman" just after the statue was unveiled. Enjoy!




More pictures of the statue on Flickr.

Babes with Brains: Miami Mama Julia Tuttle Finally Gets Her Due

Babes with Brains takes a look at South Florida's entrepreneurial women. This is the first of a series.

Move over South Beach bimbos! The Kardashian sisters weren't the first to start business here. Hey, you gotta look back ... WAY back to the late 19th century when tough cookie Julia Tuttle pulled a Lebron James, packed her shit from Cleveland but instead of playing hoops, she built a homestead sans husband all on her own on the banks of the Miami river. Can you imagine dealing with mosquitoes and humidity in those heavy, frumpy frocks? This woman really had balls!

Julia Tuttle had plans for all the property she owned, as in big development plans, though it would be almost a century before high-rises would sprout out of the downtown limestone. Besides, she probably wanted more neighbors than the Brickells, who were trading with Seminoles on the south banks of the river.

With a gift of orange blossoms, she convinced railroad magnate Henry Flagler to bring the tracks down to what was then called Fort Dallas and soon enough, a city was born. Julia Tuttle is the only babe to have ever founded a major US city. Come on Miamians! And you thought Lebron James was the best Ohio export? Here's something you can really be proud of.

Thanks to hard work by some folks as dogged and determined as Tuttle herself, this pioneer in a pinafore finally gets more than a namesake causeway to Miami Beach. On Thursday, July 28 at 9:30 a statue in her honor will be unveiled at Bayfront Park.

The statue is a 10-foot bronze, and the skirt depicts in astonishing detail the scenes typical of Miami around the time of its incorporation. In her right hand, Julia is holding the famous orange blossoms that she sent to Henry Flagler to convince him to extend his railroad to Miami.

An Oversight Committee of experts and members of the two women’s commissions [The Miami-Dade County Commission for Women and the City of Miami Commission on the Status of Women] supervised the entire process and raised over $200,000 for the statue. Arva Moore Parks, noted Miami historian and member of the Oversight Committee, provided the historical research for the accuracy of the scenes depicted on the skirt. The statue was created by Daub & Firmin Studios, a noted sculpture firm with extensive experience in monumental sculpture and the creation of art for public spaces.

The statue has been a long time coming. Fundraising started in 1996, the year of the Miami Centennial. It's fitting that July 28 is also the 114th anniversary of the City of Miami's incorporation. Julia will finally get to look over the city she helped build -- if she can see through all the condos.

To attend, please RSVP to the Miami Downtown Development Authority at (305) 579-6675 or email info [at] miamidda [dot] com.