Hi, I m Coral the Cat, and I m here to talk to you about the building of Coral Springs.

Transcription

1 Building

2 Hi, I m Coral the Cat, and I m here to talk to you about the building of Coral Springs. James Hunt was president of Coral Ridge Properties. In 1963, he planned a wonderful city with beautiful buildings, big parks and wide roads with flowers in the middle called boulevards. But first, the city needed a name.

3 First choice: Curran Village and the idea to attract retired people. But what if other people became interested? Second choice: Quartermore because it only took a quarter of an hour to travel from Fort Lauderdale. But what if people came from other places?

4 Third choice: Pompano Springs because the city was next to Pompano Beach. But Mr. Hunt said, I don t want my beautiful city to be named after a FISH!!! Fourth and final choice: What would you name your city?

5 Coral Springs has always been under construction. When the City was planned on paper, there was nothing here except some cows, green bean plants, alligators, rattle snakes, foxes and panthers without skates.

6 So how DO you build a city from scratch? There was no electricity to power construction tools or provide light at night. There were no roads so it took all day to drive from Wiles Road to where Royal Palm Boulevard is now. There were no canals or catch basins so when it rained everything was flooded. What was the FIRST thing they had to do?

7 Build roads! They needed to bring heavy equipment into the City to clear the roads, dig canals and install electric lines.

8 To build the roads they used: Bulldozers Graders Trenchers Eventually, 340 miles of roads were built!

9 Then they had to control the water. The land was as flat as a plate so water would cover everything when it rained because it had nowhere to go. Forty miles of canals were dug, and catch basins were built along every road. They used: Backhoes Dump trucks Cranes

10 Electricity was first installed along Sample Road. Utility poles were put up, then the power lines were strung. Can you string the power lines? Connect the dots below and then string the power lines between the poles

11 A few days later, someone who didn t know the utility poles had been installed flew his plane down Coral Hills Drive. He suddenly saw the lines and crashed his plane to avoid them. It was a total wreck, but no one was hurt. GULF That was the last plane to land at Coral Springs airport.

12 What makes one city different from another? Sometimes it s a landmark, such as a natural attraction like a waterfall... or a special object, like a bell. Coral Springs has a Covered Bridge, the only one in Florida on a public street. What would your landmark be?

13 The City had a name, roads, canals, electricity and a landmark. The only thing missing was houses. Many people went to the first real estate sales office to see maps and pictures of the houses that they could build. That real estate office is now a museum in Mullins Park with maps, pictures and miniatures of buildings.

14 Eventually, model homes were built so people could see what their houses would look like. But they all had to be painted a light color, like yellow, white, pink or peach. And they all had to have trees. Can you draw more houses? Don t forget the trees!

15 They needed a place to get a haircut, go out to dinner, buy groceries and medicine. The first shopping mall was on the northeast corner of University Drive and Sample Road. They needed a school. The first school was portable, where Coral Springs Medical Center is now. Did you ever go to school in a portable building?

16 And a park.

17 And a gas station where the only fire truck was parked (and they used to land planes).

18 And a swimming pool that is still in Mullins Park.

19 Is there anything missing? Now is the time to build your city. On the next few pages, you will find items you can color, cut out and paste on the city grid after the crossword puzzle. Or you can draw your own landmarks and buildings on the blank spaces.

20 Landmark and Landscape Ideas: Statue Covered Bridge Fountain Aquarium Stadium Amusement Park Trees Trees Trees Your Idea Your Idea Your Idea

21 Building Ideas: House House Apartments Store Store Store School Police or Fire Station City Hall Your Idea Your Idea Your Idea

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23 crossword puzzle Across down 1. Early name for Coral Springs 1. City landmark 6. Heavy equipment 2. First thing to build 8. Sample houses 3. City attraction 11. Places to play 4. Heavy equipment 12. Cut at an opening ceremony 5. Heavy equipment 14. Fuel stop 7. Heavy equipment 16. Renovate 9. Place for books 17. A strip of stores 10. Landscaping 18. Former real estate office 11. Early name for Coral Springs 19. Part of drainage system 13. Places to live 15. Places to learn

24 Welcome to the City of

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26 Word Search B C I T Y T E L E P H O N E D A S Z E L E C T R I C I T Y U C C R O A D H O S P I T A L M K H Q T R Y S T O R E I Q P P H O D R A I N A G E R V O I T O O G A S S T A T I O N S P R E L W Z K C B C X K P O V E U C R A N E U U M A N H O L E C C F I R E L L Z P O L I C E K A X P S W V L B R I D G E P H N N O Y L E D D R E D G E R O A M A L L R O M E D I C A L U L S U Q W T Z P A R K J C Y S L O A D E R E L I B R A R Y E G R A D E R R T R E N C H E R BACKHOE BRIDGE BULLDOZER CANAL CITY CRANE CULVERT DRAINAGE DREDGER DUMP TRUCK ELECTRICITY FIRE GAS STATIONS GRADER HOSPITAL HOUSE LIBRARY LOADER MALL MANHOLE MEDICAL PARK PIPE POLICE ROAD SCHOOL STORE TELEPHONE TRENCHER

27 acknowledgements We would like to give recognition to the volunteers of the City of Coral Springs Historical Advisory Committee for their wonderful ideas and edits, especially Janis Humpage, Steve Scali, Rachel Galvin, Barbara Wolf, Al Nigro and Commissioner Roy Gold. More thanks to Janis Humpage for her research and word search puzzle and to her cat Miki, model for Coral the Cat. Appreciation to the Communications and Marketing Department and to Raymond Arrastia and Shannon Campbell for their delightful drawings that tempt everyone to pick up a crayon. Written by: Wendy Wangberg

28 This activity book belongs to: City of Coral Springs 9551 West Sample Road Coral Springs, Florida coralsprings.org/history