Castles in the Sand
eBook - ePub

Castles in the Sand

The Life and Times of Carl Graham Fisher

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Castles in the Sand

The Life and Times of Carl Graham Fisher

About this book

The definitive biography of the famous developer of Miami Beach



"The definitive biography of one of the most energetic, versatile entrepreneurs of the early 20th century. In masterminding the development of the Indianapolis Speedway and Miami Beach, Fisher played a major role in teaching adult Americans how to play."--James Crooks, University of North Florida


In the booming early years of the 20th century, few entrepreneurs rivaled Carl Fisher (1874-1939) for sheer energy and imagination. Born in Indiana, he began as a bicycle racer and salesman, made his first fortune perfecting and marketing the automobile headlight, helped build the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and headed promotion of the Indy 500, and was a moving force behind the development of the Lincoln and Dixie highways, America’s first improved transcontinental roads. But all of these accomplishments were only prologue to his grandest adventure, as primary developer and promoter of Miami Beach.

This definitive biography of Fisher, abundantly illustrated and written in an engaging style, captures the headiness of the period. Mark Foster traces Fisher’s transformation of the South Florida landscape into a tourist’s dream of golf, polo, deep sea fishing, and luxury hotels and his animation of that dream with bronzed lifeguards, bathing beauties flashing new swimsuit styles, and visiting dignitaries who generated a stream of tantalizing headlines.

Foster also treats Fisher’s troubles with labor and with Miami businessmen, his attempted development of Montauk on Long Island, New York, and the collapse of the entire Fisher enterprise in the wake of the 1926 hurricane and the great stock market crash of 1929. Throughout, he sets Fisher’s insights, triumphs, loves, and shortcomings into the context of the early 20th century.

This biography of a great corporate builder reveals the emergence of a new American way of life. The man whose genius for promotion turned a swampy spit of land into a luxurious urban locale also framed aspirations of leisure and entertainment for generations of Americans.

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Yes, you can access Castles in the Sand by MARK S. FOSTER in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Historical Biographies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. List of Figures
  7. Foreword
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Introduction
  10. 1. A Shaky Foundation
  11. 2. Cracking the Door of Opportunity
  12. 3. The Initial Fortune
  13. 4. Building a Brickyard
  14. 5. Roads Worthy of a Nation
  15. 6. Touring Through Dixieland
  16. 7. The Accidental Tourist
  17. 8. Morning Sun
  18. 9. Dressing Up the Beach
  19. 10. Noonday Sun
  20. 11. Seeds of Doubt
  21. 12. A Search for Greener Pastures
  22. 13. Twilight of a Career
  23. 14. Taps
  24. Epilogue
  25. Notes
  26. Bibliography
  27. Index
  28. About the Author
  29. The Florida History and Culture Series