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Cape Florida Postcards - From an obscure outpost to a world class destination point

Since men from other countries and Americans had the opportunity to send mail, Cape Florida postcards were part of the mix. From the earliest of days when the Cape was used as a port of call to drop off provisions for the lighthouse keeper and throughout the Civil War, postcards were used to share the beauty of Cape Florida with others around the world. We are always on the lookout to add to this one of a kind collection of images and should you have a postcard of Cape Florida that is not represented here, please contact webmaster@key-biscayne.com

Harper's Magazine shows the Cape Florida lighthouse as a new
Schooner enjoys an anchorage what is now the Cape Florida channel.
This was published in the midst of the Indian wars for land.

A sketch from a Soldier's sketchbook of the Army encampment in 1838
called Fort Bankhead. There are rows of tents on both sides of the
Cape Florida lighthouse. (Art collection: Hardy Matheson)

We get a different perspective of the brief history of "The Island Paradise" through the photographs and postcards from the past. The 1900's brought us better photography but also the 'Great Depression', and the second World War , putting a damper on real estate transactions and tourism in general. During this time there was also Alcohol Prohibition, offshore gambling that was taking place at the houses at Stiltsville (1 mile offshore from Cape Florida, in fact, Stiltsville (photo Gallery) is located on the other side of the Cape Florida Channel on the finger channel flats and are easily visible from the shore of Cape Florida Park), back then there was no such thing as flood insurance, and the simple fact that Key Biscayne was not yet connected to the mainland via bridge had much to do with the island not being populated with just a handfull of people living out here. Once a deal was struck for the parks on Key Biscayne in exchange for a bridge, the Mackle brothers were busy planning a community on Key Biscayne by making the soon to be famous Mackle Homes

A photgraph apparently taken prior to the picture located to
the right since the roof of the keeper's cottage is burned off.

This photo from the Florida State Archives shows the damage
to the keeper's cottage (without a roof).

1907 Biscayne Bay - Key Biscayne Florida Postcard

Postcard postmarked 1907 sent from Miami shows Key Biscayne moonrise.

1928 Postcard - One of the very first postcards of Cape Florida beach.

In the 20's there were these 'clubs' located on the flats of the finger channels on the right postcard above, see the object on the horizon and this is one of the 'stiltsville' houses. At one time there were over twenty such 'homes' and 'clubs'. Since that time time and hurricanes have removed all but seven fixtures that make up "Stiltsville". Below are a couple of picture postcards dating back to the 1920's and 1930's

Calvert Club - Stiltsville in Biscayne Bay

One of the gambling, party, what prohibition? homes built on the
sand flats one mile offshore from Cape Florida. One mile offshore
was then the law. The law is now 3 miles offshore for gambling,
which makes stiltsville illegal for gambling operations
(Photo www.stiltsville.org)

One of the Barges that was intentionally run aground and then secured.
Captains would find a spot, wait until low tide, and then get as much
momentum as possible going and plow onto the sand flat. This
particular barge was flipped upside down by a hurricane and is now
a massive reef and home to many tropical fish and crustecea.

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An undeveloped Key Biscayne from the air. The picture would
have to had been taken pre- 1955 as the Key Biscayne Hotel nor
The Island House are visible which were the first large developments.

One of the first Cape Florida Beach postcards to show up on the local
postcard stands. Notice the jetties going off of the beach and into the
Atlantic Ocean. It was believed to keep the beach from erosion.

Once Key Biscayne was accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway with miles of park to the north of the island and miles of park to the south, Cape Florida and Key Biscayne were now a destination point.

One of the original postcards printed in an
attempt to attract people to Cape Florida.
Nothing like beautiful women fishing from the
shoreline to attract the men folk. This postcard
would date back to the 1947 /1948

This postcard would date in the mid to late
1970's. There was a fence around the base
of the lighthouse and the doorway sealed off.

For more Cape Florida postcards from the past, click here>>>

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