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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> 1940 to 1949 Miami Area Historical Photos Gallery - click on image to view > 1940 - Dr. John G. DuPuis' White Belt Dairy Farms
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1940 Courtesy of Alvin Lederer

1940 - Dr. John G. DuPuis' White Belt Dairy Farms

Miami, Florida


Thank you to Alvin Lederer for contributing this old postcard image of part of the White Belt Daily Farms. Alvin says: "Before Dr. Jackson of Jackson Hospital fame, there was Dr. John G DuPuis. Dr. DuPuis delivered over 5,000 babies in Ft. Dallas and early Miami and had a Dairy called White Belt Dairy. He had a formula he called "Special Milk" just for babies to make them healthy."

Dr. DuPuis moved to Dade County in 1898 and established his medical practice in Lemon City. He treated Miamians during the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1899 and was one of the few white doctors trusted by the Seminole Indians. He built his new concrete office and drug store on N. E. 2nd Avenue and 61st Street in 1902, the first concrete structure north of Flagler Street. Dr. James M. Jackson arrived in March 1896 when he was hired by Henry Flagler to be the physician in residence for Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad.

More information at:
http://www.historicpreservationmiami.com/pdfs/dupuis%20medical%20office.pdf

Information on the John G. DuPuis Wildlife and Environmental Area in northwest Palm Beach County and southwest Martin County:
http://www.floridaconservation.org/recreation/cooperative/dupuis.asp

John G. and Susan H. DuPuis, Jr. Wildlife and Environmental Area consists of nearly 22,000 acres in northwestern Palm Beach and southwestern Martin counties and adjoins the J. W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area to the east. A visitor center is located at Gate 5 on SR 76. This property was formerly the White Belt Ranch, a working livestock ranch owned by the late John G. DuPuis. Once part of the Everglades ecosystem, the hydrology of the area was altered through drainage. The water management district has restored portions of the land by rehydrating interior wetlands. Today, two-thirds of the area is pinelands, and one-third is cypress swamp and freshwater marsh. In the rainy season, the pine flatwoods often contain standing water and portions of the roads could be flooded. This is a no-cost quota hunt area, and deer, hog, and turkey are plentiful. During hunting seasons, with the exception of small game season, access to the area is open only to quota hunt permit holders and through-hikers on the Ocean to Lake Trail, an official side trail of the Florida National Scenic Trail. The 35 miles of hiking trails on the area include the Ocean to Lake Trail, which traverses the width of the area, and 4 loops ranging from 5 to 15.6 miles. Parking for hikers is located at the trailhead at Gate 2. An equestrian center at Gate 3 has horse barns, paddocks, campsites, restrooms with showers, a dump station, and a trailhead marking the beginning of 40 miles of equestrian trails. The DuPuis Auto Tour winds 7.5 miles through a range of natural communities to the fishing pier on Shell Lake. Camping is permitted at designated campgrounds as well as at primitive campsites along the Ocean to Lake Trail and biking is allowed on named roads. Alligators, river otters, feral hogs, coyotes, white-tailed deer, and bald eagles are some of the wildlife that make their home on this area.


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Gary Dubin 06-Apr-2021 00:20
I have a framed advertisement for a White Belt Dairy Product called Hi-Lo that was released for the farm's 30th anniversary. I'll post a picture of it if anyone's interested.
Michael Martin 21-Jul-2019 21:01
My dad was born on white belt Dairy In 1928 his name was John Clayton Martin son of Eli Frank Martin and mother of Mildred Martin my grandfather Eli worked for the dairy
Carla Queen Dowd 22-Dec-2017 06:00
I'm reading this with joy as my mother, Carlota Joan Manry, was born on that Dairy, White Belt Dairy, in 1935. This Saturday, 12/23/17, I am renting a van to tour Miami (MiamA) to us natives, with my father, now 88, to have the Grandpa Memory Tour. He, William Lee Queen, married Carlota, my now deceased mother. Thank you for this amazing info and if anyone has further info or photos or certainly memorabilia, I would be over the moon to get with you! Thank you and Merry Christmas! Carla Queen Dowd
Guest 26-Dec-2016 20:05
The Mr. Manry you speak of was my grandfather. He taught me to shoot skeet at the gun club and I remember the panther well. Aunt Bessie Devay has passed on and I've lost touch with my cousins. We're all getting old now and thank you for sharing your memories Mr Boyer.
James Boyer 20-Jul-2014 20:02
I spent my high school years (46-50) working around the dairy and Peck away gun club. John Dupree jr. was running the dairy at that time and his secretary was Mrs. DeVay. Her son Bruce and I were life long friends and both worked at the gun club in the winter and the farm in the summer for Mr. Manry, Mrs. DeVay’s father. He ran the carpenter shop and looked after all the Dupree hunting dogs. Bruce and I spent almost every sat. night hunting fox with Mr. Manry. Bruce and I drove his hunting buggy to the Indian Town ranch and rode horses around the fence patching holes. Three weeks of my life I will never forget. We worked a lot planting grass at what they then called, Roselawn farm, the area around 103rd st. and the palmetto now. That old stuffed panther was on display at the gun club, along with a set of longhorns 8’ 6” in girth. I even remember the Zoo that was near the office building. I’m 83 now and have a lot of good memories about those times. If anybody has a photo of Peck-away I would love to have a copy to include in my book about south Florida hunting.
david a hurst 20-Mar-2014 04:11
yes my dad.harold f hurst grew up in little river and Edison center..they lived at nw 67th st and nw 5th place..he was saved from a illness by Dr, John g,Dupuis when was a little boy.My grandfather was a sgt for the Miami Police dept from 1926 to 1945
Don Boyd04-Dec-2013 13:36
I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to post their comments and memories because it helps to preserve some more history of the DuPuis family, their home, farm and ranch. Please feel free to add more information and memories. Thank you.

Don
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Robert Allan 04-Dec-2013 04:10
I met Daughter Susan DuPuis thru Dr Julia Morton. I helped close down the Plant Nursery in Lemon City. A large number of rare Buccaneer Palms went to the U of M where Susan had been an Alum. I always enjoyed the stories of both this women and Dr. Morton became my Mentor. I was involved with the turning over of the White Belt acreage over to the Conservancy in 1986?
Guest 13-Jan-2013 02:03
Monica Gay Yates. Dr dupuis is my great great grandfathers brother ,Sidney Dupuis.
Daytona Beach, Fl.
Wayne Wynn 19-Nov-2012 03:34
My father, Earl C. Wynn was the Office Manager at White Belt Dairy in the 1950's; and my brother Skip Wynn worked there at one time. My mother was Dorothy Wynn, and my two other brothers where Larry and Mike Wynn. I can't remember the exact address right now; but I grew up a few blocks from the DuPuis house on 65th street I think. Lived there from about 1948 until about 1956. On my block their was the Russell Family; the Wigfields; and I do remember a Burns family that later moved to a small ranch with horses. I remember my school (Gladeview Elementary) took a field trip to the diary for a tour and to watch the cows get milked just like the picture shows.
Guest 26-Jan-2012 05:17
My grandparents and mother lived on 62st down the road from the dairy. I remember the house the doctor lived in, a stuco two story spanish style house with a high fence around the property for the avacado and mango orchids. I too got chased out, and my grandmother had a hybrid avacado tree in her yard, they were large and great. use to sell them for 75 cents in front of there house in the 1960's. would like to get in touch with the prior two people who grew up in that neighborhood, my mothers maiden name wa mcgee. please contact me a elmercer1951@gmail.com
evelyn mercer
edge20-Dec-2010 03:21
CORRECTION- The feed troths mentioned in the previous comment are obviously NOT in use, but the barns are- EDGE
edge20-Dec-2010 03:17
Beverly Wells, Hello, in response to your curiosity about the old White belt ranch. If your talking about the cattle ranch in Martin county, donated to the State by the Dupuis family, I can say there are a few remnants of the ranch. The bunk house is still there,we call it the mound house due to its proximity to an ancient Native American burial mound. When I first visited the area in 97' there remained the old cattle chutes at the entrance, as well as a small dwelling called the "governors house", but I'm sorry to say they have been removed.A few of the old barns are still in use too as well as some feed troths scattered throughout the property. There used to be a small sheep shear shack located deep within the property, but I don't know if it still exists. There are a lot of old cypress fence poles throughout the area as well. I hope this helps.-EDGE
Guest 11-Aug-2010 13:50
i have recently run accross some old memorabalia from the Dairy if anyone is interested i have some wood milk crates and glass milk bottles. you can reach me at JuanJRRuiz@yahoo.com
Beverly Wells 24-May-2009 22:10
My father's memory of White Belt Dairy and Farm go back to 1926 when he hitchhiked from Tallahassee to Miami as a 13 year old seeking his fortune. He got a job at the Dairy and worked there for at least 12 years. He lived in the bunk house from the day he started working and literally grew up on the farm. He remembers driving trucks to deliver manure, cutting potato eyes, assembling crates to ship produce north, working in the dairy and driving the first whole sale ice cream truck the dairy owned. My father is now 96 and telling stories of early Miami is one of his few pleasures. Memories of the recent past are non existent but memories of the past seem crystal clear. Is there any thing left of the dairy and farm? He describes several buildings in detail. I wonder if anything is still standing.
Don Boyd20-Jan-2009 21:27
Thank you for posting your memories, Roy. It's good to read them and think of the times. And Martha too, of course. : )

Don
Roy J. Burns 20-Jan-2009 20:04
Doc DuPuis was our family Doctor through my School Years. I was a student at Gladeview Elementary School. A few blocks east of the Doctors home. As a young boy we use to go to the dairy and play in the feed Barn. We bummed ice cream from the dairy, they were an easy touch.
Many times the good doctor made house calls to our home. I was a patient at his Lemon city office many times. His office was in the rear of his drug store. He was a fine Gentleman. We climbed his fence and was chased out of his Avocado Orchard Many times.
Roy J. Burns, Now age 73
Martha Pierson 01-Sep-2008 21:18
Dr DuPuis lived on NW 62nd ST and 37th Ave, he had an avacado grove and fruit orchard, and fresh eggs. My mother was friends with him and his wife, she
had an avacado tree that was from one of his hybrid trees(I have never tasted an avacado since that had that flavor). He avocated eating native fruits, mango, guavas
etc. Their house was a grand "old Miami" home with a stuffed Florida panther that stood in the entrance, he told my mother that he killed it outside his home. The home has been torn down and a closed gas station now sits on the property.