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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 >> 1950 to 1959 Miami Area Historical Photos Gallery - click on image to view > 1957 - the treeless barren Isla-Gold Trailer Park and Motel on US 1 in Naranja
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1957

1957 - the treeless barren Isla-Gold Trailer Park and Motel on US 1 in Naranja

Between Moody and Bauer Drives on US 1, Dade County, Florida


The view is looking south-south-east over US 1. The trailer park and motel are on the west side of US 1 between Moody Drive and Bauer Drive with SW 143 Avenue on the western edge of the property. The motel office and motel are in the foreground with the pool between them. The efficiency apartments and administrative offices are on the left foreground. There were 204 trailers spaces on the property and 90% of the tenants were Air Force personnel from nearby Homestead Air Force Base.

A new housing development is in the background, and like the trailer park and motel, it appears that virtually all of the Dade County Slash Pines have been burned off and plowed under, leaving every residence to bake in the hot Florida sun instead of saving some of the trees to provide much needed shade and improve the aesthetics of the landscape. There is smoke rising in the background, presumably from more pines being burned off for another development. Except for a few short palms, and a few pines, along US 1 there doesn't appear to be any trees planted on the trailer park property. This image is a perfect example for future generations to see how people in the 1900's wasted the environment and squandered sources of energy to provide cooling for shadeless residences. I can't begin imagine how hot and miserable these metal trailers with minimum insulation were to live in, especially without air-conditioning.


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Guest 11-Jan-2019 00:59
I used to live here for a long time ago, we had to move out because the owners of the MHP sold the land. the park spent years empty after that.
Guest 07-Feb-2018 14:28
Isla Gold MHP is on the East side of US i Of course its not there anymore as MH park They are building apts.on it now
Don Boyd20-Nov-2013 18:44
Thank you Ray, I appreciate it. Sorry it took me 6 years to realize that you had posted the photo under the main photo. I must have missed it when you sent it in and this was the first time I've worked on this photo since then. The trailer park is still barren of trees to provide shade to the hot tin boxes and to conserve energy needed to keep them cool year round. Worse yet, the surrounding area has also been stripped of all the native pines that grew in abundance up until the 1950's when idiots burned them off or plowed them under. Shame on our county government for not enacting tree protection measures way back when and shame on greedy developers who destroyed the shady environment.

Don
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Ray23-Oct-2007 04:16
Just for fun, I found this place in Google Earth. A few landmarks to compare, the pool and the long building behind it. I captured a screen shot sort of angled the same way.



I'm sure I've passed this place hundreds of times, but I never realized it was there. I'll have to look next time.

Ray
Don Boyd17-Sep-2007 02:52
Thanks for the correction Russ. I changed the description to match what you said. And thank you for the additional information about the property.

Don
russ 17-Sep-2007 02:04
Respectfully your orientation is 180 degrees off. You are looking South South East towards Homestead Air Force Base, see the water tower on the horizon 1/3 of the way from right to left. Moody Drive is past the grass at the rear of the trailer park. In the last 20 years the park was the winter home of many Canadians in their travel trailers, most of the permanent mobile homes and Air Force personnel left after Andrew just like the Naranja Lakes retirees and military, Naranja Lakes was built in the trees just south of the "New Development".
Today, 9/16/07, the trailer park is completely empty, more houses I guess