bahamians figured heavily in the development of south florida which began in earnest in the construction of railroads in the early 19th and 20th century by this guy, henry morrison flagler, the industrialist and tycoon largely credited with being the father of modern florida. flagler's dream was the florida east coast railway, which would run from jacksonville to key west, connecting the ports of miami to the rail system of the rest of the united states. creating along its rue new towns, new cities, new edense where america's rising middle class could frolic and play. he also agreed to late foundation for a city on both sides of the miami river. as more and more whites moved in, segregation took hold and much of the bahamian community was forced into black neighborhoods like overtown and liberty city, so if you're looking for old miami, original miami, you're looking to a great