History Of Our Fort Lauderdale Location
In the wake of World War I, the 1920s dawned with promise, witnessing a burgeoning “land boom” in South Florida. Among the hopeful seekers of fortune was college professor Ray Whyte, who ventured from Indiana to Fort Lauderdale in the mid-1920s, establishing the Tarpon Lumber Company. His path intertwined with Jane Moxley, a Red Cross worker aiding in the aftermath of the devastating Great Hurricane of ’26. They married in 1929 and moved to the charming home made of sturdy Dade County pine at 1625 East Las Olas Boulevard.
Years later, amidst the shifting tides of fortune, a surveyor named John Charlton proposed a deal to settle a debt owed to the Tarpon Lumber Company, presenting Ray with an opportunity to acquire a parcel of land at what is now A1A and 30th Street. Reluctant at first, Ray eventually seized the chance, expanding his real estate portfolio to include additional lots for a grander home. Despite the twists of fate that saw the Tarpon Lumber Company’s bankruptcy and Ray’s retirement towards the end of World War II, his former residence endured various transformations, from a rental property to a dental office under Dr. Richard Currier, before finding new life as Dr. Daniel Mccawley’s practice site in November 1981. Ray Whyte’s legacy lives on, embodying the unforeseen metamorphosis of Fort Lauderdale into a bustling metropolis, with his former home standing as a cherished landmark along East Las Olas Boulevard.
